We’re not saying Sun Valley has special powers, but a lot of magical things do happen here. The slopes on Bald and Dollar mountains enjoy a nearly lift line–free existence all winter long, not to mention a nearly cloud-free one. Plus there’s a 26,000-square-foot family center with everything from lessons to rentals to lockers. Our restaurants have menus loaded with fresh gourmet options from inexpensive to luxury. In summer you can hike, bike, fly-fish or golf in the morning, bowl a few frames in the afternoon, and still catch the sunset from 8,000 feet at the Roundhouse before catching a jazz show. We don’t like to brag, but we do think there’s something out of the ordinary going on in these hills.
Around here, if the sun is out, there’s something you really need to be doing. And the sun is almost always out. So first things first: the mountains.
Baldy is our big-time mountain. Boasting perfect-pitch vertical from peak to base, Bald Mountain has no flats, no plateaus and nothing but downhill. And with the barely-there lift lines, there’s plenty of time to make as many turns as your legs will allow, usually under a sun that shines for 80 percent of the year. With runs ranging from expert to beginner, groomers to slalom challenges, Baldy is a mountain for people who like to go down, no matter how fast or what they strap to their feet.
Dollar Mountain is where skiing learned to ski. The home of the world’s very first chairlift, it now has 76 rails, along with beginner-friendly slopes, five lifts and 628 feet of vertical on a treeless, sun-kissed face. Every snow lover, no matter their skill level, will find something on this mountain that will put a grin on their face and some fresh tracks behind them in the snow.
Mountain Lodges
River Run Day Lodge
River Run is where it all begins at the base of Baldy. A veritable mini-village of everything ski and ride oriented, it’s a place you can pick up rental equipment, stash your belongings and get a last-minute tune and wax before heading up to the peak. Hungry? River Run offers wood-fired pizzas, grilled delights, deli sandwiches, salads and sushi by day, with après-ski entertainment on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
Warm Springs Day Lodge
Right at the base of Baldy, the Warm Springs Day Lodge serves up yummy eats for breakfast and lunch. Completely renovated in 2018, Warm Springs serves fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies that can be enjoyed on the sunny patio or while soaking up the live entertainment inside.
Seattle Ridge Day Lodge
The food at Seattle Ridge is a standout, and it has to be to compete with the views. Sitting high at 8,800 feet along the Seattle Ridge area of Baldy, this lodge opens up onto jaw-dropping views of the surrounding Wood River Valley. Open for lunch, Seattle Ridge’s menu includes wood-fired fare like grilled steaks and fish, burgers, and barbecue, along with a large variety of food to grab on the go.
Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge
Carol’s is Sun Valley’s family-friendly locale, complete with classic European décor. The menu at Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge has a little something for everyone, from kids to parents to anyone on the hunt for a great meal. Located within easy walking distance of the village, Carol’s is the spot to kick your feet up and enjoy breakfast and lunch, either inside or on the heated patio. Open for the winter season.
He was almost ready to give up and go home. It was 1935, and for a few weeks, Count Felix Schaffgotsch of Austria had been on a mission to find a hidden gem tucked into the western reaches of the United States. He wanted to find the perfect untapped area in which to build a ski resort the likes of which no one had ever seen.
So far it had been a series of hits and misses, and the good count figured his vision just might not exist. But it was then that he overheard some locals talking about a small mining town in Idaho called Ketchum. The count couldn’t exactly say why, but “Ketchum” had a ring to it, and he decided to take a look.
The veritable Shangri-La he found would change the skiing world forever. As he looked upon a beautiful sun-kissed valley outside Ketchum, the count knew this was the gem he had been hunting. He immediately wired his employer, Averell Harriman, ecstatically exclaiming, “This combines more delightful features than any place I have ever seen in Switzerland, Austria or the U.S. for a winter resort.” Harriman rushed to join the count, and within days purchased the 4,300 acres that would become Sun Valley.
They immediately got to work, and within eight months Sun Valley opened to the public in the winter of 1936. And it didn’t take long for the world to see what Harriman and the count had seen. Sun Valley was an instant success, and eventually became the lodge for celebrities, champion skiers from around the globe and everyone else who wanted a winter resort with almost year-round sun, endless vertical slopes and virtually no crowds. Sun Valley has grown since then, but it’s every bit as amazing as the day it opened. ?
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Sun Valley Resort Fact Sheet
Sun Valley Resort
1 Sun Valley Road
P.O. Box 10
Sun Valley, ID 83353
800-786-8259
www.sunvalley.com
Fax: 208-622-2030
Opening day: Dec. 21, 1936
Sun Valley Resort is America’s first destination resort, built in 1936 by the Union Pacific Railroad. It is located in the Northern Rockies region of south-central Idaho and is open year-round with four distinctly beautiful seasons.There are more outdoor recreational activities here than at any other destination resort in the U.S.
Accommodations
The Sun Valley Resort sleeps 1,200 with a total of 480 rooms.
Sun Valley Lodge: 108rooms
Sun Valley Inn: 97rooms
Apartments, cottages, and condominiums: 227 rooms
Mountain Statistics
Bald & Dollar Mountains
Ski season: Thanksgiving Day to mid-April
Hours: 9 am–4 pm
Sun ValleyTotals
Lifts: 18
Gondola: 1
Quads: 9
Triples: 3
Doubles: 2
Surface: 3
Total lift capacity: 29,717 skiers per hour
Skiable area: 2,054 acres
Longest run: 3 miles
Total runs: 121
Steepest run: Inhibition (70% or 35 degrees)
Slope rating:
36% Easiest
42% More Difficult
20% Most Difficult
2% Expert Only
Snowmaking area: 645 acres
Snow guns: 555
Groomable area: 810 acres
Groomable terrain with snowmaking: 78%
Sunshine: 120 days out of 150-day ski season or 80%
Bald Mountain
Summit elevation: 9,150'
Vertical drop: 3,400'
Rise: 19,714'
Lifts: 12
Runs: 100
Lift capacity: 23,680 skiers per hour
Day lodges:
River Run Day Lodge
Warm Springs Day Lodge
Seattle Ridge Day Lodge
Lookout Restaurant
The Roundhouse
Sun Valley SnowSports School: 240 instructors
DollarMountain
Summit elevation: 6,638'
Vertical drop: 628'
Rise: 976'
Lifts: 6
Runs: 22
Lift capacity: 6,037 skiers per hour
Day lodge:Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge
Seven terrain parks and Dollar LIVE
Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center
Roughly 40 km (25 miles) of meticulously groomed tracks for classical, skate skiing and ski touring
Snowshoe trails: 14 km
Ski and snowshoe rental, accessories, wax room
Clinics and private instruction
Winter Recreation
Swimming and soaking: Two outdoor heated pools, one hot tub
Spa: Day spa and full-service salon
Ice skating and hockey: One outdoor rink, one indoor rink
Après-Ski
Entertainment: Duchin Lounge, Bald Mountain base lodges
Dancing: Jazz musicians perform nightly for dancing in the Duchin Lounge
Movies: First-run movies nightly in the Sun Valley Opera House. Free viewings of “Sun Valley Serenade” play continuously in guest rooms.
Summer Recreation
Golf: Sun Valley Resort Golf courses, 45 holes
18-hole Trail Creek course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
New 9-hole White Clouds course designed by Knott & Linn
Elkhorn Golf Club (semi-private)
Tennis: 17 courts, full-service pro shop and expert instruction
Ice skating: Indoor and outdoor rinks, skating school, hockey
World-class ice shows Saturday nights during the summer, featuring Olympic and world champion figure skaters
Swimming: Three heated outdoor pools, one hot tub
Gun club: Trap and skeet fields, double trap, wobble trap, duck tower, five-stand, sporting clays, professional instruction
Horseback riding and Wagon Rides: Sun Valley Stables
Gondola and chairlift rides: Access to Baldy’s summit and biking and hiking trails
Fly-fishing
Rafting: Whitewater trips on the Salmon River, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and others
Bowling alley: Six lanes, Sun Valley Lodge basement
Paddle boating, horseshoes, fishing, and volleyball: Sun Valley Lake
Sun Valley PlaySchool: Available year-round
Restaurants& Lounges
13 restaurants, including 6 mountain lodges
4 lounges: Duchin Lounge, Ram Bar, Warm Springs Day Lodge, and River Run Day Lodge
Shopping
Sun Valley Village: 12 shops
Summer Calendar
Major events include Sun Valley Pavilion entertainment, the Sun Valley Wine Auction, Arts and Crafts Festival, the Sun Valley Music Festival, Sun Valley on Ice shows, Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament.
Meeting& Banquet Facilities
The newly renovated Sun Valley Inn Convention Center totals more than 12,000 square feet and is as grand in interior décor as it is impressive in its concealed state-of-the-art technological function. Meeting rooms have extensive telecommunication and audiovisual backbone cabling systems that allow for numerous telephone, data, video and audio distribution via fiber optics, data-rated twisted-pair 802.11g wireless and coax. High-speed Internet access is achieved through RJ45 twisted-pair connectivity and fiber-optic cabling along with 802.11g wireless Ethernet. This access also can be configured to allow for virtual LAN networking between meeting rooms within the hotel. In addition, an in-house, resort-wide fiber-optic backbone can accommodate all possible data and video distribution needs as well as direct fiber connections from carrier circuits to all meeting rooms.
Total meeting rooms: 18
Largest capacity: Seats 1,100 theater style
Total meeting space: 28,500 square feet
Ownership
Sun Valley Resort is privately owned by the R. Earl Holding family, owners of the Grand America Hotels & Resorts family. Sister properties include Snowbasin Ski Resort, the Grand America Hotel, and the Little America Hotel and Towers in Salt Lake City, Utah; the Westgate Hotel in San Diego, Calif.; the Little America–Flagstaff in Arizona; and the Little America–Wyoming and the Little America–Cheyenne in Wyoming.
Management
Vice President/General Manager: Pete Sonntag
Director of Hotels: Justin Cambier
Director of Marketing: Bridget Higgins
Director of Sales: Brent Gillette
Director of Mountain Operations: Peter Stearns
FAQs
What is Sun Valley famous for? ›
With the grand opening of Sun Valley, "America's First Destination Ski Resort," celebrities flocked to the area to see America's new grand dame of ski resorts. Ernest Hemingway fell in love with Sun Valley and eventually made it his home; he finished For Whom the Bell Tolls in Suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge.
Why is Sun Valley named Sun Valley? ›
Public relations whiz Steve Hannagan, who had transformed a sand dune into Miami Beach, was hired to handle the resort's marketing efforts. It was he who named the lodge and its facilities “Sun Valley,” and who encouraged movie stars such as Errol Flynn and Clarke Gable to visit.
Who is the owner of Sun Valley? ›
Ownership. Sun Valley Resort is privately owned by the R. Earl Holding family, owners of the Grand America Hotels & Resorts family.
Is Sun Valley a desert? ›
Sun Valley enjoys a pleasant mountain desert climate. With an average humidity of only 30%, and 15 inches of precipitation per year, the northern latitude creates long days, with 15 hours of sunshine in the summer, giving the resort community its well-deserved name.
Who has houses in Sun Valley? ›
Sun Valley is a celebrity hotspot – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Adam West, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Miller, Demi Moore, Clint Eastwood, Bruce Willis, Ashton Kutcher, Richard Dreyfuss, Jamie Lee Curtis, Steve Wynn, Justin Timberlake, and Bill Gates all have owned property in Sun Valley ...
Why was Sun Valley built? ›
The enthusiasm for alpine skiing in the United States took off after those 1932 winter games in Lake Placid. It was about that time that Averell Harriman, chief executive of the Union Pacific Railroad, decided he wanted to build a destination ski resort in the Rocky Mountains.
Is Sun Valley a town? ›
The City of Sun Valley was incorporated in 1947.
Is Sun Valley CA A city? ›
Sun Valley is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley region. The neighborhood is known for its overall youthful population and moderate racial diversity.
How many acres is Sun Valley? ›
With 3,400 vertical feet and over 2,400 acres of diverse terrain, Sun Valley offers skiers and riders something special on two distinct mountains. Bald Mountain's consistent pitch, lack of lift lines, and variety of terrain have earned it a reputation as one of the world's finest ski mountains.
How did Sun Valley start? ›
It all began in 1935, when Count Felix Schaffgotsch, under the hire of Union Pacific Railroad chairman Averell Harriman, set out in search of the perfect spot for a grand American Ski Resort. The Count spent months searching the mountains of the West but none of them met his strict criteria.
Does Sun Valley get crowded? ›
Sun Valley Resort is pretty well-known for being one of the least crowded ski resorts in the country. That's most likely because the resort displaces skiers excellently across the mountain with it's maximum uphill capacity of 29,717 skiers per hour.
Is Sun Valley good for beginners? ›
With nearly an entire mountain to themselves, and 36 percent of the terrain designated as beginner runs, the Sun Valley beginner skiing is hard to beat.
Is Sun Valley an altitude? ›
Is Sun Valley an epic or Ikon? ›
While Sun Valley Resort is an Epic Pass partner, they are not subject to the same reservation requirements that the Vail owned resorts are.
Is Sun Valley expensive? ›
The average price of a 7-day trip to Sun Valley is $2,210 for a solo traveler, $3,969 for a couple, and $7,441 for a family of 4. Sun Valley hotels range from $85 to $388 per night with an average of $141, while most vacation rentals will cost $260 to $1000 per night for the entire home.
Where do celebrities stay in Sun Valley? ›
The resort's original 1936 lodging option, the landmark Sun Valley Lodge, has recently been renovated and offers more than 100 new guest rooms, along with a destination spa. Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway, and Clint Eastwood all stayed here, and now there are Celebrity Suites named in their honor.
Does Tom Hanks live in Sun Valley? ›
Tom Hanks - Ketchum, Idaho
Situated in Ketchum, Idaho, a charming mountain town, Hanks's second home is within striking distance of plush amenities, such as skiing, a vibrant nightlife, and the conviviality of a resort community, all set against the backdrop of Sun Valley's Bald Mountain.
What year did Sun Valley Open? ›
Publicist Steve Hannagan named the resort "Sun Valley" and developed the tag line: “Winter sports under a summer sun". (Count Schaffgotsch returned to Austria and was killed on the Eastern Front during World War II.) The centerpiece of the new resort was the Sun Valley Lodge, which opened on December 21, 1936.
How many trails does Sun Valley have? ›
There are 121 trails serviced by 18 lifts along with 2 terrain parks, a Super Pipe and Jib Park. The steepest run is Inhibition, which is 70% or 35 degrees, and the longest run is a total of 3 miles.
Is Sun Valley steep? ›
No run-outs, no time-wasting traverses; just lots of steep, deeply scenic, delightfully charismatic terrain—3,400 vertical feet of it spilling off the tabletop summit of Bald Mountain.
What is it like to live in Sun Valley? ›
Living in Sun Valley offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. Many young professionals and retirees live in Sun Valley and residents tend to be conservative. The public schools in Sun Valley are highly rated.
Is Sun Valley still open? ›
Sun Valley's 2021-2022 winter season is scheduled to begin on Bald Mountain on Thursday November 25, 2021, Weather and conditions permitting. Dollar Mountain is scheduled to open on December 10, 2021, weather and conditions permitting. and CLICK HERE to view season pass options for the upcoming season.
Is Sun Valley ski only? ›
Mountain Overview
There is great skiing and snowboarding at Sun Valley for all ability levels. Beginners have a lot of terrain to explore across the mountain, which is somewhat unique compared to other resorts where the only beginner terrain is at the base area.
Is Sun Valley a good area? ›
Sun Valley is a great neighborhood as it is family friendly and has many great public schools. To improve Sun Valley, it would be better to have safer streets and less traffic in the mornings. Sun Valley is an up and coming community. More people are moving here and starting businesses.
What is the population of Sun Valley CA? ›
Sun Valley is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California with a population of 69,812. Sun Valley is in Los Angeles County.
Why is it called La Tuna Canyon? ›
“La Tuna Canyon is unique as it's one of the few areas left in the city of L.A. that allows horses.” The name change was overwhelmingly supported by local residents and last August, the city officially renamed the community La Tuna Canyon.
Is Sun Valley worth visiting? ›
With hundreds of miles of trails, Sun Valley is a bona fide paradise for those who love getting their heart rates up—whether mountain biking, hiking, or trail running. Arguably the best way to get a feel for a place, especially one with such varied terrain as Sun Valley, is by biking.
Is Sun Valley a fun town? ›
It is a town filled with unique and enjoyable activities, exhilarating fresh air, and tales of history like the famous local Ernest Hemingway. There are so many fun things to do in Sun Valley like hiking, biking, fine dining, relaxation, and more.
What movie stars live in Idaho? ›
According to The Mike Brown Group, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have a home in Ketchum. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore used to live in Hailey, and their children went to school in Idaho. Actor Aaron Paul is from Idaho and still resides in Idaho with his family.
Did Sun Valley host the Olympics? ›
It last hosted the event in 1951. Olympic medalists from Sun Valley include Gretchen Fraser, Christin Cooper, Picabo Street, snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington, and disabled skier Muffy Davis, a founding and honorary board member of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports.
Related content
Top 10 Fun Facts about Sun Valley, ID - SnowBrains ›
Robin Azer | October 25, 2018 | OlympicsFeatured Article Credit Sun Valley Resort Facebook Sun Valley Resort, founded on part European flair and part American ingenuity, is located in the mountains of Idaho.. Credit Sun Valley Resort Facebook Averell Harriman, the visionary behind Sun Valley, wanted a better means to hoist skiers up the mountain than the then-popular rope tows.. Credit Sun Valley Resort Facebook Sun Valley has an impressive pedigree of former and current Olympians with ties to its slopes.. Credit Sun Valley Facebook The invention of the chairlift back in 1936 was only the beginning for Sun Valley .. Credit Sun Valley Facebook Over 80 years ago the Sun Valley Lodge became America’s first destination ski lodge.. Credit Sun Valley Facebook Warren Miller moved to Sun Valley at age 22, followed his passion for skiing.. Credit Sun Valley Resort Facebook Sun Valley, surrounded by the Sawtooth and Pioneer Mountain ranges, enjoys over 250 days of sunshine a year.
20 Things You Didn’t Know About Sun Valley, ID ›
In 1972, two brothers named Jake and Dave Moe launched Powder Magazine from a small office in Sun Valley.. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy live theater, modern art, or classical music, you can find it all here.. From the Brown Drake hatch on Silver Creek, to the fantastic year-round fishing in the Big Wood River that runs right through the middle of town, and the headwaters of the Salmon River close by, the fishing in Sun Valley is every bit as amazing as the skiing.. Since 2012, the US Olympic and Paralympic teams have used Sun Valley’s extensive network of Nordic trails as an official training site.. No matter what you’re up to on any given day — and there are a LOT of options — chances are you won’t be too far from the healing waters of one of nature’s beautiful hot tubs.. There are over 400 miles of trails open to mountain biking in and around Sun Valley, including the lift-serviced flow trails and single track at the resort.. The Sawtooth Mountains are home to some of North America’s finest steep skiing; they also hold some of its best climbing.. Sun Valley isn’t joking — it really gets a whole lot of sun.. So pack the sunscreen and your sunglasses, because Vitamin D is as plentiful as the surrounding mountain peaks.
Mountain Review: Sun Valley — PeakRankings ›
While moderate in size compared to some destination resorts, Sun Valley offers varied terrain across its footprint.. In the uppermost reaches of the resort, the very top of Bald Mountain hosts some high-alpine bowl terrain.. While its Rockies location might suggest copious quantities of snow, Sun Valley sits in an area that doesn’t live up to snowfall expectations.. But visitors will really be blown away by the views in upper-mountain areas, especially in the bowls.. For a mountain of this caliber, the resort offers an extensive array of green terrain—beginner-rated trails can be found off every single chairlift.. Most resort areas offer intermediate options, but the best cruisers can be found off the Challenger and Frenchman’s lifts.. Sun Valley offers some fairly steep terrain, and the overwhelming majority of black-diamond runs are ungroomed trails, glades, and bowls.. As a result, it can take quite the workout to complete them.. The Sunrise Bowl offers a new opportunity for technical bowl and tree terrain, but it’s subject to extremely variable openings; the area was only open for a few weeks in its inaugural season.. Sun Valley doesn’t attract nearly the same traffic as some other Rockies destinations, and it’s rare to see overly long lines at any one lift, even during peak times.. Sun Valley’s Bald Mountain area sits adjacent to Ketchum, a charming mountain town with lots to do.. So Sun Valley isn’t a bad mountain, but it faces a lot of stiff competition from resorts with substantially more snow and larger, more difficult footprints.
Here's A Peek Inside Sun Valley's 'Summer Camp For Billionaires' ›
From left to right, Dana Blumberg stands next to her boyfriend, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as they talk after a session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Thursday in Sun Valley, Idaho.. From left to right, Dana Blumberg stands next to her boyfriend, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as they talk after a session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Thursday in Sun Valley, Idaho.. A sign is seen at the entrance to the Sun Valley Resort ahead of the Sun Valley conference organized by Allen & Co. in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 5.. A sign is seen at the entrance to the Sun Valley Resort ahead of the Sun Valley conference organized by Allen & Co. in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 5.. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg walks with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg at the Sun Valley conference.. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg walks with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg at the Sun Valley conference.. IAC Chairman Barry Diller walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Wednedsday in Sun Valley, Idaho.. IAC Chairman Barry Diller walks to a morning session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on Wednedsday in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Sun Valley Saunas is rated "Excellent" with 4.5 / 5 on Trustpilot ›
One week later a new unit arrived that was packaged much differently and in great condition.. Our sauna has been set up for a few weeks now and we love it!. Wes was wonderful to work with and would recommend purchasing a sauna from him.. Read 1 more review about Sun Valley Saunas. Wes was great to communicate and work with.. 3 Jun 2022Hi Jose - I'm sorry, but we didn't receive a voicemail, text or email from you.. Sun Valley Saunas was great.. We bought a Dynamic (Versaille version) far infrared sauna from Sun Valley Saunas and what an amazing experience it's been!. In regards to the quality of the sauna you purchased, Sun Valley Saunas is an online retail store and we sell a bunch of different brands of saunas, sauna heaters and stoves.. I am still happy to do that and will put it through tomorrow.. I'm happy to hear everyone is loving the sauna!
Moguls, Deals And Patagonia Vests: A Look Inside 'Summer Camp For Billionaires' ›
Top tech and media moguls descend on the resort every year for a week of activities — and deals.. Top tech and media moguls descend on the resort every year for a week of activities — and deals.. Drew Angerer/Getty Images. It sounds like your typical summer camp: a week of tennis, long hikes and whitewater rafting in an idyllic setting.. Except in this particular summer camp, in Sun Valley, Idaho, participants are set to arrive in private jets, and in between all the leisure activities, they may just plot some of the biggest deals in media and tech.. Drew Angerer/Getty Images. The Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference is a spectacle.