Idaho
Nowhere near the beaten path
More than 7,200 miles of groomed trails and an endless horizon of untracked powder, Idaho is snowmobile paradise. Here you’ll find more groomed trails than any other western state set in some of the most spectacular scenery you’ve ever seen. Sun-drenched vistas give way to blanketed valleys and frozen lakes. Rolling hillsides, forested mountains and wide-open plains await.
Our season stretches from November to April so there’s plenty of time to take it all in. Gas, food and lodging are always close by and many resorts and guest ranches welcome snowmobilers. For a complete list of areas go to www.idahowinter.org.
Looking to for a free visit to a snowmobiler’s paradise? Click here to enter our 2008-2009 contest for a guided snowmobile trip for four in Island Park.
Points of Interest
Mesa Falls Snowmobile Trail
Visit the 114 foot Upper Mesa Falls or stop at the Grandview overlook and see the double drop 65 foot Lower Mesa Falls. The Mesa Falls Inn is open on weekends as a warming hut and information site for snowmobilers.
- Phone: (208) 624-7332
- Services: Parking, Warming Hut
Two Top Mountain
Breath taking scenic vistas from Two Top Mountain, including Henry's Lake and Mount Sawtelle. Big Springs is the headwaters of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, one of the 40 largest springs in the world.
- Phone: (208) 624-7332
- Services: Parking, Warming Hut
Stanley Area
The Stanley area offers spectacular scenery and even more spectacular snowmobiling. The City of Stanley grooms more than 165 miles of trails including the Stanley-Lowman trail.
- Open Hours: Daylight
- Phone: (208) 774-3411
- Fees: Free; However, fee demonstration project is underway with trailhead parking fees.
- Grooming: 165 miles, groomed
Lowman
This portion of the Highway to Heaven trail goes through an isolated area. Make sure you have plenty of fuel and provisions to make it from Lowman to Stanley. Contact the Lowman Ranger District before starting out for information and to make sure they know you are touring this remote area.
- Open Hours: Daylight
- Phone: (208) 259-3361
- Services:Warming Hut
- Fees: None
- Grooming: Please Call
Smiley Creek Lodge
This facility provides lodging and activities in the southern Stanley basin area. Activities include hiking, road and mountain biking, all summer outdoor sports and nordic and backcountry skiing as well as winter snowmobiling. Amenities include lodge rooms an RV park, cabins, teepees, mini-mart and snowmobile rentals.
- Open Hours: Memorial Day-October, 8am-9pm daily; Jan.-mid-April, 9am-5pm daily. Closed mid-April-late May and Nov.-Dec.
- Phone: (208) 774-3547
- Services: Gift Shop, Restrooms, Campsites, dump Station, food service, Fuel, Rental Equipment
McCall Area
McCall has 500 miles of groomed trails and a great variety of terrain to ride on. There are great accommodations in town, with many motels, places to eat and nightlife. Within 10 miles of town there are 3 parking lots to jump off into the mountains or to go way into the backcountry. Warren is about 40 miles north of town, has food and gas and is a great days trail ride. Play on the hills along the Upper Payette Lake, or in the meadows, hill climbing, or boon docking. http://snowmobilemccall.net has a listing of all the accommodations, local vendors, lodges, and rental snow machines.
- Open Hours: Daylight
- Services: All
- Phone: (208) 634-7631
- Fees: Free
- Grooming: 500 miles
- Base Elevation: 5000 feet
- Top Elevation 8000 feet
- Additional Information: Winter Carnival, the last weekend in January, is a great time to visit. McCall is 100 miles north of Boise.
Garden Valley
Garden Valley Trail System provides over 200 miles of groomed trails beginning or ending at Terrace Lakes Resort, Packer John ( connects Garden Valley and Smith's Ferry) and the Silver Creek Trail System. Riders will parallel the North Fork or the Middle Fork of the Payette, Summit Garden Mountain and sled past Boiling Hot Springs. Terrace Lakes Resort and Silver Creek Plunge offer year round geothermal swimming pools and food. Nordic Skiing and SnowCat skiing from Charter Mountain provided by Idaho X-Sports Snow Tube Hill. For information contact the Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce.
- Services: Gas, Food, Lodging, snow tubing, snowmobile rentals, nordic skiing
- Fees: Varies
- Grooming: Yes
- Base Elevation: 3146 feet
- Top Elevation 7000 feet
- Additional Information: Additional information is available at the Garden Valley Chamber, Idaho X-Sports, and Idaho Excursions
Cascade/Smith's Ferry
Sixty miles north of Boise on Hwy. 55, snowmobile trails take off from Smith's Ferry and 18 miles further north in Cascade. The Wellington Snow Park near Smith's Ferry offers 400 miles of trails, 250 of which are groomed, with access to McCall, Cascade, Ola, Stanley, Warm Lake and Garden Valley. The Winter Wonderland Trail leaves the mountain meadows of Smith's Ferry, weaves past the towns of Cascade and Donnelly past spectacular scenic vistas at over 7,900 feet before reaching McCall. Contact the Cascade Chamber or the Cascade Ranger District for more information.
- Open Hours: Daylight
- Phone: (208) 382-3833
- Fees: none
- Grooming: 400 miles, 250 miles groomed
Faifield
The Fairfield snowmobile program grooms 220 miles of trail in Camas County and provides a snowmobile shelter north of Well Summit. The area provides quality groomed trails and outstanding back country access.
- Base Elevation: 5066 feet
- Top Elevation 8500 feet
Pine - Featherville
More than 380 miles of well-marked, groomed trails offer snowmobilers nearly every kind of terrain imaginable for winter fun. The base elevation is near 4,200 feet and climbs close to 10,000 feet in the fabulous Trinity Mountains and the open high-mountain prairies and rolling hills of Cat Creek. A network of groomed trails is located north of Hwy. 20 near Anderson Ranch Reservoir in southwest Idaho. Popular paths include Trinity Lakes, Pfifer Creek, James Creek, Wagon Town Loop, Burnt Creek and Idaho City. Trails also lead to Featherville, Deer Creek, Smith's Prairie, Rocky Bar, Atlanta, Fall Creek, and Pine. Several locations in the Anderson Ranch Recreation Area offer lodging, food, gas and RV facilities. Contact the Mountain Home Ranger District for maps and information.
- Pine Elevation: 4218 feet
- Featherville Elevation: 4552 feet
- Trinity Elevation: 9449 feet
Top Idaho Destinations
