Sun Valley, Idaho
| Sun Valley Resort | |
|---|---|
View of Bald Mountain from Sun Valley Lake in January 2006 | |
Sun Valley Resort Location within the United States Sun Valley Resort Sun Valley Resort (Idaho) | |
| Location | Sun Valley / Ketchum, Idaho, U.S. |
| Mountain | Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain |
| Nearest major city | Ketchum (adjacent) |
| Coordinates | 43°39′18″N 114°24′33″W / 43.65500°N 114.40917°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | December 21, 1936 |
| Owner | Privately owned by the R. Earl Holding family (Grand America Hotels & Resorts) |
| Multi-resort pass | Ikon Pass (destination) / Mountain Collective |
| Vertical | 3,400 ft (1,036 m) |
| Top elevation | 9,150 ft (2,790 m) |
| Base elevation | 5,750 ft (1,750 m) |
| Skiable area | 2,829 acres (11.4 km2) |
| Trails | 121 – 36% easiest |
| Lift system | 17 lifts: 1 gondola, 2 six-packs, 8 quads, 3 triples, 1 double, 2 surface lifts |
| Lift capacity | 29,717 per hour |
| Snowfall | 164 in (420 cm) (avg. annual) |
| Snowmaking | 645 acres (2.6 km2) snowmaking area; 78% of groomable terrain backed by snowmaking |
| Website | sunvalley.com |
Sun Valley is a resort town and alpine ski resort in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census. The elevation of Sun Valley (at the Lodge) is 5,920 feet (1,805 m) above sea level.
Among skiers, the term "Sun Valley" refers to the alpine ski area, which consists of Bald Mountain, the main ski mountain adjacent to Ketchum. Dollar Mountain, which is adjacent to Sun Valley, is suited for novice and lower intermediate skiers. Bald Mountain, or "Baldy", best suited for intermediate to advanced and expert skiers, has a summit of 9,150 feet (2,790 m) and a vertical drop of 3,400 feet (1,035 m). The treeless "Dollar" at 6,638 feet (2,023 m) has a moderate vertical drop of 628 feet (191 m).
The term "Sun Valley" is used more generally to speak of the region surrounding the city, including the neighboring city of Ketchum and the Wood River Valley area winding south to Hailey and Bellevue. The region has been a seasonal home to the rich and famous since first being brought to public attention by Ernest Hemingway in the late 1930s.
Scheduled passenger airline service is available at Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN) in Hailey, approximately fifteen miles (25 km) south. Visitors are relatively close to the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, accessed over Galena Summit on State Highway 75, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway.