When it comes to the western portion of the U.S., an otherworldly realm of rocky mountains, craggy coast, and plunging canyons, Idaho tends to get overlooked in favor of its splashier states and national parks. That tends to happen when you share borders with places like Glacier, Zion, and Grand Tetons. But Idaho is just as stunning, and just as immersive, as the rest of them — with the added bonus of fewer crowds, more affordable lodging, and the always-exciting prospect of discovery. Here are nine things to do on an eye-opening trip to Idaho, the most underrated state in the west.
What Should You Do On a Trip to Idaho? Start Here!
1. Experience Basque Culture
One of the most surprising aspects of local lore is that Boise, Idaho’s capital city, contains the largest concentration of Basque people outside of literal Basque country in Spain. The reasons are myriad, but largely rooted in the similarities between the two regions’ terrains and climates, making it easy for immigrants to translate their skills — mostly sheep-herding and opening inns and restaurants — in a new country. Basque culture and cuisine is everywhere in and around Boise, but it’s best observed from the Basque Block, the portion of downtown Boise that contains the most Basque representations, history, food, and events. Start at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, offering a deep dive into Basque immigration to Idaho, and the surprising connections to Idaho visitors like Ernest Hemingway. Head to Ansots for lunch, and sample their famed chorizos and bocadillos, and Bar Gernika, essentially a cozy Basque pub. There’s also a comprehensive Basque Market, and annual festivals like the San Inazio Festival and the Sheepherder’s Ball.
2. Eat Your Way Through Boise
It’s not all Basque in Boise. As Idaho’s largest city, it’s the epicenter of culture and commerce in the state, featuring a vast array of metropolitan amenities. This includes a food scene on par with much larger cities on the coasts. You’ll find potatoes, to be sure, but far beyond french fries and tots, you’ll find coal-roasted potatoes with pickled shallot aïoli at Percy, potato chips with Idaho Springs caviar at The Lively, and brown butter mashed potatoes with a flame-grilled filet at Fork. Start your day at Sunshine Spice, an immigrant-owned Afghani bakery and cafe with a rainbow of pastries and lattes, in flavors like pistachio and saffron. Downtown, The Warehouse is a sprawling food hall with something-for-everyone vendors like Anzalone Pizza, Bao Boi, KB’s Burritos, Foy’s Franks, and Camp Cocktail Bar. For dinner, be sure and book a table at The Avery, a stunning finer dining destination nestled inside a boutique hotel of the same name, where chef/owner Cal Elliott presides over a beautiful menu of seasonal plates, like crispy baby artichokes with white beans and shaved parmesan, pan-roasted sole with fingerling potatoes and haricots verts, and a pitch-perfect soufflé, with creme anglaise poured table side. After dinner, find your way to the speakeasy-like Tiner’s Alley in the back of The Avery for a nightcap.
3. Sample Idaho Wine
Especially compared to California, Oregon, and Washington, Idaho doesn’t get near enough acclaim for its wine scene. But the industry is booming, with the Snake River Valley AVA ranking among the fastest-growing wine regions in the country. Encompassing Boise, the region offers wine tours and tastings aplenty, while urban wineries like Cinder Wines and Telaya Wine Co. feel more akin to Sonoma or Napa than the Boise suburbs. Even the bottle shops and wine bars are high-caliber, like Boise’s Hyde Park Fine Wines, offering an esoteric library of Old World and New World bottles, and select glass pours on a rotating basis.
4. Visit a Potato Museum
When in Rome, go to a potato museum. Quite literally, the Idaho Potato Museum — located in a vintage train station in the town of Blackfoot — is a deep, historic homage to the storied spud. Exhibits explore everything form the earliest cultivation in the U.S. to harvesting, recipes, nutrition, and its rise to become the king of the snack aisle. Naturally, there’s an on-site cafe specializing in all things taters, from fries and baked potatoes to potato cupcakes for dessert.
5. Explore a Ghost Town
Considering its location in the wild west, Idaho is teeming with once-thriving towns from the Gold Rush era. Long quiet, these previously prosperous communities are now sleepy ghost towns, marked by abandoned buildings, eerie mines, and relics of the past. They’re also creepy-cool places to visit, for perfectly preserved blast-from-the-past atmosphere, and a glimpse into what life was once like in the western frontier. The state does a great job showcasing its prized ghost towns, and mapping out how to visit them safely and respectfully. Some are more developed, like Bonanza, Custer, Silver City, and Idaho City, while others are far more remote and primitive, like Warren, located at the end of a dirt road some 45 miles in the wilderness.
6. Marvel at Craters of the Moon
Idaho may not be home to any of the “official” 63 U.S. national parks of its own (aside from a sliver of Yellowstone), but the state’s marquee park is as enchanting as it gets. As its name suggests, Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve is an otherworldly realm that looks more like another planet than southeastern Idaho. Marked by a gnarly, almost ominous landscape of scorched earth, the park gets its celestial moniker from the lava flows that once poured here. The volcanic landscape contains a sea of cinder cones, caves, mini volcanoes, and sagebrush, best seen along the 7-mile Loop Road. Hike the 3.5-mile North Crater Trail to the mouth of one of the park’s most significant volcanic craters, or keep things easier with a half-mile stroll through open pine woodland on the Devils Orchard trail. For a unique sight, trek along the Wilderness Trail to spot “lava trees,” which are living trees that have been surrounded by lava flows.
7. Soak in a Hot Spring
Thermal activity also comes at a more palatable temperature in the form of Idaho’s myriad hot springs. Ranging from primitive springs in the middle of nature to developed spas and pools, hot springs come in all manner of shapes, sizes, and temperatures. In fact, Idaho contains more soak-able hot springs that any other state. They’re found in every corner of the state, but some highlights include Kirkham Hot Springs, a remote and rugged hideaway on the Payette River; Miracle Hot Springs, a developed collection of private hot pools in the south-central region of Idaho; and Burgdorf Hot Springs, a mountainous resort so remote that it’s only accessible via snowmobile in the winter.
8. Trace History on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
For a full-blown stroll through time and history, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail is a fascinating, illustrious ode to the era of western expansion and discovery. The trail, which weaves its way through the Bitterroot Mountains, and through areas like Colt Killed Creek, Packer Meadow, and the Lolo Trail. Check out the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, and Educational Center to learn more about Sacajawea in her birthplace, and the Nez Perce Country Historical Society in Lewiston.
9. Go to Yellowstone
Wyoming gets most of the attention when it comes to America’s original national park, but Montana and Idaho get their fair share of Yellowstone too. The western edge of the park is located in Idaho, and the famed Snake River winds its way through the Tetons into the Gem State, providing opportunity for rafting, boating, and fly fishing. Henry’s Fork of the Snake River is regarded as one of the best destinations for fly fishing in the country, and Upper and Lower Mesa Falls provide an awe-inspiring vista of the Snake River. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife like elk, moose, bison, and bears.
Visit These Campgrounds in Idaho
Boise / Meridian KOA Journey
Twin Falls / Jerome KOA Holiday
Craters of the Moon / Arco KOA Holiday
Kamiah / Clearwater River KOA Journey
Pocatello KOA Journey
Lava Hot Springs West KOA Holiday
Lava Hot Springs East KOA Holiday
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Matt Kirouac grew up with a love for camping and the outdoors. Though he’s lived in Chicago since 2006, he’s always on the lookout for new adventures. He writes about travel and food for outlets like TripExpert, Money Inc, Upventur, DiningOut, Food Fanatics magazine, Plate Magazine and Zagat, and he currently serves as Chicago editor for What Should We Do?! He’s the author of The Hunt Guides: Chicago (2016) and Unique Eats & Eateries of Chicago (2017).
