Visit Stanley Idaho

Stanley, Idaho: Relaxing at the Meadow Creek Inn and Spa

stanleyidaho — Sun, 06 May 2012 15:38:34 +0000

In a town surrounded by Idaho’s most impressive outdoor area and with the raw beauty of the Sawtooth Mountain Range piercing the sky in the backdrop, it might be hard to fathom that the town of Stanley knows how to pamper. Yet it’s true – for every flashing cutthroat trout on the end of a taut line and for every mountain goat viewed through a set of binoculars, the rugged outdoorsy town of Stanley, Idaho can bring your tired body back to life courtesy of Meadow Creek Inn and Spa.

Meadow Creek Inn and Spa is located at 955 Eva Falls Ave near downtown Stanley, Idaho, and offers lodging and a full spa facility. Relax on their amazing property, which includes six guest rooms, all with unhindered views of the mountains. Even those who are not staying in a guest room can schedule an appointment for a massage. Meadow Creek Inn and Spa is open May through October, with normal business hours between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

At Meadow Creek Inn and Spa, the list of spa treatments is impressive and there really is something for everyone. Whether you are looking for the ultimate “mother/daughter retreat” or simply want to work some kinks out of your neck after a day on the trail, the folks at Meadow Creek Inn and Spa can help you find the ultimate relaxation. The perfect capper to the night? Soak in their hot tub and enjoy your choice of wine from their impressive selection.

Contacting Meadow Creek Inn and Spa

Call them at 1-800-811-5745
Find them at 955 Eva Falls Ave.
Visit them online at www.meadowcreekinn.com

Stanley, Idaho: Lots to do and see at Redfish Lake

stanleyidaho — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:33:05 +0000

A perfect summer day in Idaho could be spent along Redfish Lake, located approximately 6.5 miles from the town of Stanley, Idaho. The Redfish Lake Lodge has made visiting the lake a “must do” activity for those in the area. The lodge features cabins and rooms for guests, a marina with boats for rent, and a fine dining experience with views of the lake that cannot be beat. The lodge is open April 1^st through October, with the busiest time of year mid-June through August.

There are numerous trails that run along the lake and, although rarely done, it is possible to hike the entire circumference of the lake. Redfish Lake is 11 miles around, but the trail is a total of 17.5 miles in length. That’s a long day of hiking, but possible to do in one day for the seasoned hiker. A more relaxing way of hiking the lake is by bringing your tent and spending a night to make the journey a two-day backpacking trip.

If hiking isn’t up your alley, there are lots of other activities to participate in at Redfish. Scenic boating tours are offered daily and, if you rent a boat, you can try your hand at catching some fish. Redfish Lake takes its name from the thousands of spawning salmon that used to spawn in such quantities that the lake would glisten with red. Alas, the fish is now an endangered species and the name merely reflects a time before dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers blocked the fish from moving upstream.

Horseback riding is also a fun activity near the lake. The Redfish Corrals offer a variety of tour options, ranging from 1.5 hours to a full day of riding. The rides are a great way to see some of the amazing trails in the area without breaking a sweat.

Of course, the favorite activity of many visitors is grabbing a drink from the lodge and relaxing along the beautiful shoreline in the hot Idaho sun. With an occasional dip in the lake’s waters and sand on your feet will make you realize that, yes, paradise does exist in Idaho.

Stanley, Idaho: Relax at the Sunbeam Hotsprings

stanleyidaho — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 23:46:27 +0000

Just north of Stanley, Idaho, is one of Idaho’s most easily accessible natural hotsprings. In a state known for having thousands of natural pools that are normally off the beaten path, it’s a treat to have one so easy to access. In fact, Highway 75 goes right over the hotsprings, with steam sometimes covering the highway like fog on a cold day.

Most visitors to the hotspring will combine a visit to the old historic Sunbeam dam site with the soak. Turning up the Yankee Fork will lead you to the old town of Sunbeam, which is fun to visit. When you arrive at the hotspring you will find pullouts along the highway and the rock-lined tubs down by the Salmon River.

Being next to the river, sometimes the tubs are buried during high water events. In July and August, when the river level is lower, the river makes a nice place to cool off in between hotspring soaks. Often times, rafters and kayakers make their way downstream past the pools and a cheering section of hotspring soakers.

The hotsprings is free to use, but please be respectful of the area and carry out anything you bring with you. Due to the popularity of the Sunbeam hotspring, permanent bathrooms have been established. On popular days, parking can be an issue.

Here’s a map with directions from Stanley to the hotspring:

View Larger Map

Stanley, Idaho: Tame the Mountain Chill with a Cup of Joe

stanleyidaho — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:54:08 +0000

During the summer, when temperatures scrape the upper 90s and Stanley’s a-buzz with visitors, you may wake up in the morning to a chilly surprise. Cold air nestles into the valley each night after reaching brisk temperatures high up in the Sawtooths. It’s common – even on warm summer days – for morning temperatures to fall below freezing. In fact, Stanley frequently boasts the coldest temperature in the nation every day throughout the summer.

Rather than sitting around waiting for the sunrays to touch down, the best way to beat the early morning chill is with a cup of hot coffee from one of Stanley’s bakeries, restaurants, or coffee stands. Throw on your winter parka and hit the dirt road in search of some morning java to tame the mountain chill.

Since Stanley is a small town you may think that your options are limited, but you will be surprised at how many places in town have the perfect cup of coffee just for you. Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order:

Stanley Baking Company and Cafe
Where: 250 Wall Street
Phone: (208) 774-6573
Website: www.stanleybakingco.com

Mountain Village Restaurant
Where: Junction of Hwy 21 and 75
Phone: (208) 774-3392
Website: www.mountainvillage.com

Sawtooth Hotel
Where: Ace of Diamonds Street
Phone: (208) 721-2459
Website: www.sawtoothhotel.com

Solitude River Trips
Where: Various camps along the Middle Fork of the Salmon
Phone: (800) 396-1776
Website: www.RiverTrips.com

Stanley, Idaho: Take Your Hunger to the Backcountry Bistro

stanleyidaho — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:02:23 +0000

The Backcountry Bistro, located at 21 Ace of Diamonds inside the Stanley High Country Inn, was established in 2008 and has quickly become one of Stanley, Idaho’s favorite restaurants. During the winter months, the Backcountry Bistro is only open Monday and Wednesday for lunch between 11:30 and 2:00. During the summer, they extend their schedule for dinner, which has a menu that specializes in Southern Fusion Cuisine.

View Larger Map

Located in “downtown” Stanley, the Backcountry Bistro is within easy walking distance of all locations in Upper Stanley. The restaurant benefits heavily from the popular whitewater rafting opportunities and the many adventurers that use Stanley as a meeting location. During the summer months, from June through September, Stanley becomes a tourist destination that increases the population of the town by more than 10-fold.

Visitors to Stanley, Idaho, are a diverse mix of individuals and many have traveled, dined, and enjoyed small towns like Stanley all over the world. Because of their travel experience, the reviews they have written about the Backcountry Bistro are impressive and meaningful.

“We had dinner here tonight and it was the best meal we have had….bar none,” writes one reviewer. Another says “We had the most excellent experience that you would expect in the big city but in Stanley, Idaho. Shane’s memorable preparations from the kitchen and Melinda’s excellent service made for a very enjoyable dining out. From the shrimp appetizer and fresh Caesar salad, to the Cowboy rib eye, and the carrot cake stuffed with cream cheese. You can’t beat it.

If you are visiting Stanley, Idaho, the Backcountry Bistro sounds like a place you shouldn’t miss. Give them a ring to make your reservations today.

2012 Dinner Menu:

Kobe Bone-In New York Strip
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Fresh Chilean Sea Bass
Oven-Roasted Airline Chicken

Contacting the Backcountry Bistro:

Call them at 208.774.7000
Find them at 21 Ace of Diamonds
Visit them online at www.BackcountryBistro.com

Stanley, Idaho: All-You-Can-Catch Fly Fishing on the Middle Fork

stanleyidaho — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:39:14 +0000

In the Idaho mountains, a melting snow starts the journey for each drop of water. The Middle Fork of the Salmon, the largest tributary to the Main Salmon River, is essentially the collection of all those drops, of winter’s cold and hard work, and flows freely from its source to the confluence. The purity and cleanliness of its water, from snow melt and springs, is the contributing factor to its clarity and healthiness, for its beautiful glassy pools, and – most importantly for the fisherman – an abundant and thriving population of Westslope Cutthroat Trout.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon has long been regarded as one of the premier American rivers to fly fish. Outfitters offer six-day fishing trips that put anglers on trout-rich pockets river bend after river bend. There is no better way to fish the Middle Fork than by boat because you can cover so many miles in ease, catch fish that you would not be able to reach from the bank, and sit comfortably as you float through the most spectacular river canyon in the Lower 48.

Solitude River Trips has offered fly fishing vacations on the Middle Fork of the Salmon for over 20 years. Owners Al and Jeana Bukowsky have built their business on a reputation for having the best fly fishing guides around. Their outfit is recognized by a number of organizations, most notably Orvis, which named their Middle Fork of the Salmon trip “Expedition of the Year” in 2006.

Solitude has been the Middle Fork of the Salmon Orvis endorsed fly fishing company for 20 years. The honor is attributed to “having the best and most knowledgeable fly fishing guides on the river,” according to Al. “Our customers come off the river knowing they’ve had an experience of a lifetime. There’s no doubt about it.”

For those interested in fly fishing the Middle Fork of the Salmon, contact Al and Jeana of Solitude River Trips at (800) 396-1776 or visit them online at www.RiverTrips.com.

Stanley, Idaho: Thad Gerheim’s “Wonders of Wildness”

stanleyidaho — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:42:56 +0000

Wonders of Wildness, by Thad Gerheim, is a photography book that showcases the natural beauty of central Idaho. The book includes 101 color and black and white images of some of Idaho’s most amazing places. From wild rivers, to vista points high in the Sawtooth mountains, Wonders of Wildness captures Idaho’s pure beauty in an eye-opening and appreciative fashion.

Snowy Sawtooth Mountains

“I wanted to put a book together that only looked at nature to tell its story from more of an artistic point,” says Thad. Having spent many years photographing Idaho’s natural beauty, he says that it “seemed like the essential step to take. I like the challenge of trying to print a photo that conveys the exact feeling I had when I took it.”

“My hope is that people can look at the book and not only know how wonderful it is out there, but that they can slow there lives down to see and feel some incredible things. Sometimes I see people really connect to a photo and I know they got some of it. That makes it all worth-while, but isn’t the real reason to photograph. It’s like nature has stories to tell and I feel a need to have them told.” Putting his photographs in a book may help to do just that.

To order Wonders of Wildness, visit Thad’s website at http://www.thadgerheim.com or email him directly at thadgerheim@yahoo.com.

Stanley, Idaho: The Annual Stanley-Sawtooth Winterfest

stanleyidaho — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:21:36 +0000

The Stanley-Sawtooth Winterfest will be celebrating its third consecutive year in 2012. It started in 2010, as an “outrageous, madcap weekend in the ol’ town of Stanley”, according to the Sawtooth Hotel. Here is a schedule of the events that will be taking place during the Sawtooth-Stanley Winterfest.

February 11^th

All Day: Kids Fun Area, corner of Ace of Diamonds and Wall Street

10:00am: Events sign-up at stage on Ace of Diamonds

11:00am: Curling Competition and Demonstruction at the Ice Rink

12:00: Triathlon begins at Pioneer Park

12:00: Big Air Competition begins on Airport hill

2:00pm: Snowshoe Drag Race on Ace of Diamonds

3:00pm-5:00pm: Street Dance with music by Black Label at stage on Ace of Diamonds

5:00pm: Awards Ceremony at stage on Ace of Diamonds

6:00pm: Pond Hockey at the Ice Rink

February 12^th

All Day: Sledding and snow play on the Airport hill

11:00am: Snowmobile Fun Ride to Redfish Lake. Participants meet at corner of Niece and Critchfield.

12:00: Powder 8s Competition. Participants meet at Bridge Street Grill in Lower Stanley.

12:00: Pond Hockey at the Ice Rink

For more information, visit the Stanley Chamber website at www.stanleycc.org.

Stanley, Idaho: Up in the Sky with George Dorris

stanleyidaho — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:43:10 +0000

Our flight from Stanley, Idaho, to a small dirt strip along the bank of the Middle Fork of the Salmon lasted a little more than half an hour. We could see the Indian Creek landing strip long before touching down, and from the height we began our spiraling descent, the streak of dirt looked slightly larger than a postage stamp. The final banking turn had the plane headed for an upstream landing and we touched down without much of a bump.

For many of us in that plane, the 30-minute journey into the heart of the Frank Church Wilderness Area – a flight which had taken us up and over mountain peaks, across wild flower-laden valleys, and offered amazing views of America’s most famous wilderness river – was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For our pilot, George Dorris, the approach to the Indian Creek airstrip in his tiny Islander (the nine-passenger plane) is a more common experience than pulling into his own driveway.

George Dorris is an independent pilot who flies for many of the air services in Idaho. His company name is G & S , based out of McCall, Idaho, and he has been doing so for over 20 years. There are few, if any, pilots who know the Frank Church Wilderness Area as well as George. The most frequent flight ends at Indian Creek, the launch site for early-season or late-season Middle Fork of the Salmon float trips. River guides who have been around for a while consider George and his Islander an important piece to the puzzle of getting gear to and from the river. In low water years, when flights are necessary more often, seeing George and his plane is a weekly occurrence.

Back-country flying is a family gene that runs in George’s blood. His father, Bill Dorris, started flying in the Idaho back-country in the 1950’s and continued into the 90’s. He eventually taught his boys how to fly, and three of them now work together while continuing the family business of Sawtooth Flying Service, Inc.

In the air, George is as much of a commentator as pilot – pointing out favorite sites, telling jokes, and keeping his co-pilot entertained. It’s possible to fly all the way into Indian Creek with George and step out of the plane with a weeks worth of stories and a lifetime of history lessons. Flying with George is a lot more than a flight from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’, but rather a personal tour of Idaho’s marvelous back-country.

The next time you fly in the Idaho back-country, keep an eye out for George Dorris. He’ll be up in the sky or loading his plane, but one way or another he will be the one making it happen: making his journey to and from the wilderness, so that you can pursue your own outdoor experience. Visit www. SawtoothFlying.com for additional information.

Stanley, Idaho: True Solitude on the Middle Fork of the Salmon

stanleyidaho — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:46:01 +0000

There are few places in the United States that offer solitude in the truest sense of the word. Even on many vacations that tout “getting away from it all” you may still find yourself within wireless internet range updating your Facebook status or responding to urgent emails. Even vacations that take you far off the beaten path will sometimes surprise you with the amount of technology readily available. In today’s world, solitude seems to only come with polar bears on a desolate ice burg far off the North Pole.

For those who prefer warmer climates than the North Pole’s -40 degree temperature or who don’t have a desire to take their family into Polar Bear roaming territory, Idaho’s famous Frank Church Wilderness Area is worth considering. The wilderness area, or “The Frank” as it is commonly referred to, covers 2.2 million acres of pristine wilderness area. Within the region are thousands of springs (both hot and cold), countless wildlife (elk, black bear, and moose), and – perhaps the greatest attraction of all – America’s best river trip: the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon is a 100-mile stretch of river that begins its journey high in the alpine range and ends at the confluence with the Main Salmon River. Stemming from cold springs, mountain lakes, and the purest snow melt, the Middle Fork is nationally recognized as a superb fishery with amazingly clear water and beautiful cutthroat trout.

A river trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon is more than just a check-off on your bucket list. Those who find themselves floating through the Middle Fork canyon are often lulled back year after year. It is a place that defines the word solitude – in it’s truest form – and provides one of America’s few examples of pure, rugged, unaltered, natural beauty. It is a place that leaves impressions, but one that has not been impressed upon. Rather, its visitors leave with a new appreciation or renewed sense of life after their 100-mile float through the Franks proudest work of art.

Solitude River Trips offers six-day rafting and fly fishing trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. Owned and operated by river veterans Al and Jeana Bukowsky, their trips, like the river they operate on, are top-notch and true classics. Using an outfitter like Solitude makes an experience down the Middle Fork of the Salmon even more rewarding. Their hospitality, genuine love for the river, experience, and gourmet camp cooking makes it easy to absorb the Middle Fork canyon without worries.

On a select number of their trips, Solitude offers an option to stay at one or both of the Middle Fork’s two remote wilderness lodges. The Middle Fork Lodge, located roughly one third of the way down the river, is typically a first or second night on the river. The Flying B Ranch is located roughly two thirds of the way through the journey. Both lodges are located on the banks of the river and provide a comfortable way to spend a night in the Idaho wilderness.

For more information about rafting or fly fishing on Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon, contact Al and Jeana of Solitude River Trips at 1-800-396-1776 or visit them online at www.RiverTrips.com.