Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Hike, camp, fish and raft among four mountain ranges and hundreds of glacial lakes at the head of the Salmon River.

Along ID-75 between Ketchum and Stanley; Stanley Ranger Station · Stanley, ID

About Sawtooth National Recreation Area

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area covers 730,864 acres of central Idaho, taking in the Sawtooth, White Cloud, Boulder and Smoky mountains. Hundreds of glacially formed lakes sit here, including Redfish, Alturas, Pettit and Stanley, and the Salmon River begins within its borders. You can hike, backpack, camp, fish, climb, mountain bike and raft, and three wilderness areas lie inside. The Forest Service runs a headquarters north of Ketchum and a ranger station at Stanley.

#national recreation area
#hiking
#alpine lakes
#camping
#backpacking

Printable maps

What's around here?

The closest stops to Sawtooth National Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Redfish Lake
Under $25
Swim, paddle and boat on an alpine lake under the Sawtooth peaks, or ride the hiker shuttle to the far trailhead.
2.3 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Sawtooth Mountain Guides
$50+
AMGA-accredited guide service leading climbing, hiking and backcountry ski trips in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains.
2.7 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Land of the Yankee Fork State Park
Check prices
A history-focused Idaho state park that interprets frontier gold mining through an interpretive center, nearby ghost towns, and a historic gold dredge.
41 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sports & Outdoors
Iconic
Sun Valley Resort
No admission fee
Ski Bald Mountain's 3,400 vertical feet in winter, then golf, hike, bike and ride horses in summer.
Transit: reachable by public transit
44 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Wood River Museum of History and Culture
No admission fee
A Ketchum museum run by The Community Library that presents exhibits on central Idaho's regional history.
44 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Shopping
Local Gem
Boulder Mountain Clayworks
No admission fee
Nonprofit ceramics studio and gallery in Ketchum offering pottery classes and workshops for all ages.
Transit: reachable by public transit
44 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping