"How did you hear about this place?" This innocuous phrase uttered by a ski instructor to his pupil had me whip around to eavesdrop.
Why? Because I kept hearing it. And because I was in Sun Valley, Idaho, a destination that was not only named North America's top ski resort for three years in a row (2021-2023) by SKI Magazine among many other accolades, but also has a history as deep as its surrounding gorges.
Sun Valley Resort is the first destination ski resort in the United States. It was founded in 1936 by Felix Schaffgosch, an Austrian count who had been roaming around the West in search of the perfect place for a ski destination (and one close to Union Pacific tracks). He was hired by Union Pacific Railroad Chairman Averell Harriman, who had found that there was a huge appetite for skiing in the U.S. but no place to satiate it stateside. Thus, Sun Valley Resort was born, modeled after popular ski towns in Austria and Switzerland, and home to the world's first chairlift (invented by a Union Pacific engineer and modeled after a system used to load bananas onto ships).
The once-prosperous, then-desolate mining town of Ketchum was decided to be just the spot, and within a year it had European-style chalets, ski instructors imported from Austria, and a celebrity-studded grand opening. Ernest Hemingway loved it so much he relocated there, finishing "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in the Sun Valley Lodge (he's laid to rest in town).
However, this isn't the story of the rise and fall of a once-popular-now-passé hotspot: Sun Valley (named for its 250 days of sunshine a year) has been a consistently popular ski resort, well-known among skiers the world over for its many sunny days, excellent dry powder, and ample vertical across 2,457 skiable acres. It's a dream for skiers who prefer groomed runs over powder, and many say that a green here is a blue elsewhere (that means it's hard).
Sun Valley is also currently gearing up to host the FIS Ski World Cup Finals from March 22-27 — one of the biggest ski events in the world, and which only comes to North America about once a decade.
That's why the question "How did you hear about this place?" surprised me.
Ray J. Gadd, executive director of Visit Sun Valley and born-and-raised Idahoan, was not surprised.
"[Sun Valley] has always been on people's radar but they've never pulled the trigger," he said. He believes that many are put off because it's more difficult to get to than some other well-known resorts, which have larger airports or nearby metro areas and freeways. "It is kind of a hidden gem, but it rewards those willing to put in the effort," he said.
The more time I spent in Sun Valley, the more I understood why people felt it was under the radar. Despite being a two-fer resort (there's Dollar Mountain for kids and beginners and Bald Mountain for the more advanced) with the charismatic, not-yet-homogenized town of Ketchum filled with local shops, galleries, and a range of restaurants, it managed to feel small and homey. At one point, as church bells rang while I got a cappuccino at Austrian-inspired bakery Konditorei, I almost felt like I was home in the Alps (the mountain I grew up skiing on, Kitzbühel, is actually Sun Valley's sister city).
To Gadd, what makes Sun Valley special is that it's not geared towards tourists. It's a place where locals live — and can afford to live. Many shops are locally owned, and while swanky restaurants dot town, so do a range of affordable spots — not a given at many of today's popular ski towns, where locals are increasingly getting priced out.
Don't get me wrong, Sun Valley isn't cheap and it sees a lot of well-heeled visitors. Many tech billionaires have second homes here; the Allen & Co. conference, known as "summer camp for billionaires" takes place here every year; and I saw plenty of fur coats around town. However, it retains a low-key, down-to-earth vibe.
"There's always been a level of affluence and notoriety to the people that come here, but they come back for the laid-back vibes," said Gadd. "You kind of get gawked at here if you're wearing fur or driving a super fancy car — you get more street cred wearing flannel and driving an old Jeep Wagoneer. This is not a place to show off your fancy clothing, though there are shops that sell that."
Someone on my flight home that I can only describe as "quite fancy" said that she liked Sun Valley just fine, but didn't find it as "elevated" as Aspen or Vail.
And therein lies its low-key beauty. It may not be a secret, but it's a hidden gem nonetheless.
Where to Eat
For lunch, grab a juicy burger with crispy sweet potato tots at Apple’s Bar & Grill (which boasts a robust après scene and is wallpapered with ski racing memorabilia) at the bottom of Baldy, on the Warm Springs side of the mountain. On the mountain, check out reservations-only The Roundhouse, a cozy lodge built in 1939 famous for its panoramic views and fondue. And don't shy away from the cafeteria-style restaurants — I had an incredible beet and quinoa salad with goat cheese at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge; a far cry from the usual chicken tenders often found at the base of beginner runs.
Though you'll be spoiled for choice for dinner, favorites include The Sawtooth Club, a deceptively rustic, Wild-West-style steakhouse that serves dishes like seared ahi tuna and fire-grilled filet mignon; and Warfield Distillery & Brewery, a sleek spot that makes organic whiskey, barrel-aged gin, and beer in-house alongside elevated pub grub like a brisket pot pie and shrimp and grits made with silky mascarpone polenta. Southeast Asian-inspired Rickshaw, which has small plates like chili-oil udon noodles and Thai chicken satay, only has seven tables, so a long wait is practically a given; however, you can write your name on the poster-sized list at the door and cozy up by the outdoor firepit while you wait.
Where to Stay
The sprawling Sun Valley Lodge is the area's OG hotel, built in 1936 by the Union Pacific Railroad, and a cornerstone of the resort. Its hallways are lined with black and white photos of celebrities that have stayed there, ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Barbara Streisand. Its rustic-chic 100 rooms, suites, and condo-style apartments were renovated in 2015, and there's a spa, gym, heated outdoor pool, and ice-skating rink (also, an underground bowling alley and arcade).
One of the sleeker hotels around, The Limelight Hotel Ketchum offers elegant, contemporary-style accommodations (from single rooms to residences) in the middle of town. There's also a gym, spa, outdoor pool and hot tubs, and an on-site restaurant that has live music most nights.
How To Get There
Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) is only about 25 minutes by car from the resort and is serviced by most Midwest and Western hubs. You can drive from Boise in under three hours.
Know Before You Go
- Despite being purpose-built as a ski resort, Sun Valley is not a ski-in/ski-out kind of place. Sun Valley Resort's lodging is around three miles from Bald Mountain and just under a mile from Dollar Mountain; the town of Ketchum is around 1.3 miles away. That said, buses between all of these places are free and frequent.
- As mentioned, there are two ski mountains, so groups and families of mixed expertise may have to split up.
- Bald Mountain has two different base areas; River Run and Warm Springs. Both are great jumping off points, though River Run has more shops and amenities and offers quicker access to most of the mountain.
- Sun Valley is part of the Ikon and Mountain Collective passes.