Summer in Sun Valley With Kids

Although generally known as a ski resort for the rich and famous, Sun Valley, Idaho, is breathtaking in the summer. The ski area and main resorts are adjacent to the town of Ketchum, but the broader Sun Valley region also includes the towns of Hailey and Belleview. I have family in Hailey, so I have been visiting the area since I was a child, but I went with my daughter for the first time in the summer of 2021, when she was three years old, and we had a fabulous time.

If you are looking for a family-friendly mountain vacation, I cannot recommend Sun Valley enough. From rafting, mountain biking, and horseback riding to golf, shopping, and spas, there are many activities to enjoy in the area. My daughter was only three when we visited, so my list is geared toward younger ages (but anyone will enjoy them). If you want information about more adventurous activities for older and bolder visitors, I recommend starting here.

However, if you have little ones, here is my list of our favorite activities (and food) in the Sun Valley area. Read on to learn more about Sun Valley with kids.

Ride the Gondola

No visit to Sun Valley would be complete without a trip to the top on the Roundhouse Express Gondola (ticket info). For those who may be a bit wary of open ski lifts with little ones, this is an enclosed gondola with breathtaking views.

The gondola leaves from the River Run Day Lodge, a beautiful area to explore with shopping and dining. Little ones will love to say hi to the prominent bear statue. A restaurant at the top of the gondola serves lunch, dinner, and snacks. The view is fantastic, and there are several hiking trails and areas to explore once you reach the top.

When you return to the River Run Lodge, there is easy access to the Wood River if your kids want to splash, as well as many hiking trails. If you are feeling spry, there is a trail (Wood River Trails) that will take you into the town of Ketchum (or vice versa). It is about a 20-min walk to the town center (adult speed). I took this option, and, as expected, my daughter gave up about halfway, so I just put her on my shoulders and continued. I found the walk enjoyable.

Explore Ketchum

Just adjacent to the ski lifts is the town of Ketchum. The cute downtown is full of shops and restaurants, and it is just about what you would expect from a ski resort town. While shopping may not be exciting for little travelers, there were enough shops with interesting things, kid’s clothes, and toys to keep my daughter going. There are also several interesting photo ops around town, such as the oversized chair and rainbow cactus.

While you’re there, stop at the town square for a scoop of ice cream from Leroy’s.

Sawtooth Botanical Garden

Located between Ketchum and Hailey, The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is a beautiful place to bring children. With multiple biome gardens and educational spaces, you can easily spend half a day or more here. In summer, they have special free children’s activities one morning a week which we organized our visit around.

When we were there, a guide took the children around to see the plants and collect interesting materials, which they then made into a collage. There were also opportunities to investigate the insects and creatures living in the stream and a sandbox area for play. Check out their events page for more info and other amazing events.

Hop Porter Park

Located in Hailey, we visited Hop Porter Park multiple times during our one-week stay. The large wooden play structure resembling a castle allows for hours of fun. Every time we visited, there were other kids willing to play, which allowed me some time to relax and watch.

Wood River

Sun Valley is technically a section of the Wood River Valley, so the Wood River is a presence wherever you go. Best yet, there are plenty of shallow areas where I felt entirely comfortable letting my daughter play. We visited the river at some point just about every day in Sun Valley.

There is easy access to the river just about everywhere. As mentioned above, there is access next to the River Run Day Lodge in Ketchum, as well as Draper Preserve in Hailey. Keep an eye out because there are plenty of pull-offs/trails to access the river off the main road. Pretty much every spot we accessed the river from was beautiful.

Explore Wildlife

There is wildlife everywhere in Sun Valley! It can be an excellent opportunity to teach kids about the world around us. Bugs, squirrels, Raccoons, Deer, and more! Early morning and right around sunset are great times to spot deer! I don’t think I have ever had a trip to Sun Valley where I haven’t seen deer.

Dining

There is no shortage of dining options in Sun Valley. If you want an extensive list, they are not hard to find. The choices I have listed here are ones I visited on this most recent trip with my daughter, which we both enjoyed.

Gretchen’s

(Ketchum) – Located in the Sun Valley Lodge, Gretchen’s is an excellent option for a nice lunch or dinner. While the indoor seating area may not be especially appealing to kids, the outdoor area has a great view of the year-round skating rink, where you can watch the skaters. During our lunch, the professionals were practicing for the evening show, which was a lot of fun to watch.  

The Kneadery

(Ketchum) – Open for breakfast and lunch, The Kneadery is a Ketchum must-eat. With rustic décor and delicious food, you can’t go wrong here. We visited for lunch and were not disappointed.

Black Owl Coffee

(Hailey) – I love coffee, and I love local coffee shops, so Black Owl was an almost daily stop for me. Whether you want a pastry or a more substantial breakfast, and of course, coffee, I recommend this spot. They also have a nice-looking lunch menu, but I only came for breakfast.

DaVinci’s

(Hailey) – Everybody loves Italian. DaVinci’s is a quaint little Italian restaurant in Hailey with a divine menu, a lovely outdoor seating area, and, importantly, a kid’s menu.

Shorty’s Diner

(Hailey)  – Shorty’s is a retro diner complete with tableside mini jukeboxes. They serve the kind of food you would expect from a diner, but the retro theme and pancakes are always a winner with kids.

I hope this quick list of our favorite young kid-friendly activities in Sun Valley helps you with your preparations. Please leave a quick comment and let me know if you have any other ideas for the area!