Sun Valley Detailed Description

Sun Valley Resort was discovered in the mid 1930’s by Count Felix Schaffgtosch under the hire of Union Pacific Railroad. His goal was to discover a location for a great American resort. After much searching he located the Ketchum valley, and once there knew that it was the perfect place to host the resort.

After purchasing over 4,300 acres, work started on building the resort to receive it’s first visitors. The resort was opened to the public in the winter of 1936. For two years during World War II the Sun Valley Lodge was commissioned as a Naval Convalescent Hospital that handled up to 1,600 patients at a time.

When the resort re-opened, they shifted their focus from trying to cater to the wealthy crowd and tried to make it more appealing to families as well as a year round destination by bringing in more family focused events and recreational activities. It worked, because Sun Valley still remains a favorite for all seasons and ages.

Sun Valley is located just out of Ketchum, in the midst of the lovely Wood River Valley in the heart of the central Idaho Rockies. The nearby rugged Sawtooth Mountains are known as the “American Alps”.

Getting to Sun Valley is easy with cities like Boise, Seattle, and Idaho Falls close by. There are also flights through Horizon Air and SkyWest that connect from other major destinations. Charter service is also available from Boise, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls through Sun Valley Stages.