STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
If you’re visiting Sun Valley this holiday, you’re in the right place.
Sun Valley was recently named one of the 14 Best Winter Destinations for Outdoor Adventure by tripstodiscover.com.
“As the name belies, Sun Valley enjoys frequent sunny skies along with plenty of soft white powder,” reviewers wrote. “It’s renowned for a winter escape with activities for everyone. Skiing Mount Baldy is what draws many, but extreme skiers can test their skills by heli-skiing with pick-ups available from the top of Baldy
“Backcountry skiing tours are possible from Galena Pass and fat biking is yet another option. One of the more unique activities is will have you soaring like a bird by flying off Mount Baldy with a paragliding guide, the closest thing you’ll probably get to experiencing the exhilarating sensation of free flight. There are year-round ice shows too, and visitors can even skate on the same ice that’s hosted countless Olympians.”
Other on the list are:
- Denali National Park in Alaska where you can capture glimpses of the Aurora borealis if you’re willing to put up with short days and minus-40 temperatures
- Wisconsin Dells with its Bigfoot Zipline and frozen waterfalls
- Sundance, Wyo., which hosts skijoring on Main Street at Sundance Winter Festival near Devil’s Tower Monument
- Breckenridge, Colo., which has sledding at Carter Park and eclectic boutiques and galleries
- Jackson Hole, Wyo., with its sled dog rides and bison watching
- Stowe, Vt., which has sleigh rides draw by Percheron and Belgian draft horses, along with craft breweries and cider houses
- Lake Placid, N.Y., which has ski jumps where you can watch jumpers fly the length of a football field and bobsled down a chute at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour
- South Lake Tahoe, Calif., home of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games and a haven for casino gambling
- Aspen, Colo., with snowmobile tours in the White River National Forest
- Park City, Utah, with its bobsled and tubing down a Nordic jump at Utah Olympic Park
- Yellowstone National Park with erupting geysers and frozen falls
- Big Sky, Mont., with its Lone Peak Tram leading to monster cliff and chute action, and
- Crystal Mountain, Wash., with its jaw-dropping views of Mountain Rainier and the Summit House, the highest-elevation restaurant in Washington State.
See more at https://www.tripstodiscover.com/winter-destinations-outdoor-adventure/
