Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureRedfish Lake
Under $25Swim, paddle and boat on an alpine lake under the Sawtooth peaks, or ride the hiker shuttle to the far trailhead.
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Along ID-75 between Ketchum and Stanley; Stanley Ranger Station · Stanley, ID
Why you should go…
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
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Sawtooth National Recreation Area, ordered by straight-line distance.
