First off, Idaho is gorgeous. It’s definitely an underrated state where nature and outdoor adventure are concerned. Don’t overlook it! To learn about other great adventure destinations, click HERE!
So. In case you missed it, I’m in Sun Valley, Idaho at the moment, and for the first time since I’ve been here, my girlfriend and I had a COMPLETELY empty weekend to take advantage of! We knew we needed to get out of town, so we decided we’d drive up into the Sawtooth Mountains for a weekend at Redfish Lake. And lemme tell ya, it was the absolute total complete best. If you ever find yourself up this way, you could do worse than to follow our little 36-hour itinerary.
Saturday
9:00 AM – Grab the Car
Redfish Lake is about 60 miles North of Sun Valley, Idaho, where I’ve been living for the past couple weeks. Lara’s a professional figure skater who’s been performing and coaching at the Sun Valley Resort all Summer, and this was our first chance to get away to the mountains together! We slept in a little while to take advantage of the empty to-do list, then got up and grabbed our rental car from Hertz down at the Sun Valley airport (SUN). The car ran us a bit over $100 for two days, but split between the two of us we decided the freedom was MORE than worth it. Besides, it’s a heck of a fun (and beautiful) drive up into the mountains.
11:30 AM – Stop at Galena Lodge for Muffins
This trip is best taken with a couple pit-stops. About 25 minutes out of Sun Valley, Galena Lodge is a mecca for mountain biking enthusiasts that also happens to have great food. Its muffins – in particular – are out of this world. By the time we got there, we had few options left. There was one pumpkin chocolate chip muffin and a number of “Morning Glory”s. I… had no idea what a Morning Glory muffin was, so I went with the chocolate. Duh. Lara did know what a Morning Glory muffin was, and she snagged one. Carrot, Zucchini and all sortsa stuff up in there. Honestly way tastier than it sounds, but still – chocolate pumpkin muffin? COME ON. If the worst should happen and they’re out of all their muffins, the rest of the pastries look pretty dang great, too!
12:00 PM – Hike to Titus Lake
There are about a million little alpine lakes scattered throughout the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and I wish I had time to explore them all! But if you’re looking for a relatively quick and easy hike to a secluded emerald-green lake, Titus Lake is a great choice.
Just a few minutes past Galena, the pull-off for the Titus Lake parking area is at the apex of one of the big looping curves on Highway 75. It’s Google Maps-able, but you probably won’t have cell service at this point in the trip. But in lieu of technology, watch your odometer! The Titus Lake trailhead is exactly 5.8 miles from the Galena Lodge. When you get there, you’ll walk across the highway to start the hike!
The entire hike is about 3.3 miles round trip, or 1.7ish each way. On the way to the lake, you’ll gain about 650 feet of elevation. But don’t worry, while there are a couple of steeper sections, overall it’s a very accessible hike no matter your age or ability level. We saw hikers of all ages on the trail – including families with young kids – and we even got to make new best friends with a few doggos. SCORE! But honestly, even with all the other folks on the trail, it never felt crowded. And just check out the views:
2:00 PM – Get Lunch and Hit the Beach at Redfish Lake
After your hike, hop back in the car and finish the drive up to Redfish Lake (another 31 miles). Fortunately, it’s a straight shot along Highway 75, and you’ll only turn left once you see the big “Redfish Lake Lodge” sign. Be sure to admire the scenery along the way. It just keeps getting better. OH! And keep your eyes peeled for a herd of Pronghorn (antelopes!) that live in the plains between Titus Lake and Redfish.
When you get to Redfish, parking will be tough, and many opt to just park along the road and walk the rest of the way. But honestly, I recommend you don’t give up on finding a spot in the actual parking area too quickly. If you pull in and troll around for a few minutes you’re likely to find someone leaving after a morning hike/kayak/boating session. But once you’re there, throw down the beach towels, claim a spot, and head to the Redfish Grill for some KILLER fish & chips at totally reasonable prices.
6:00 PM – Set up Camp!
This part is interchangeable with hitting the beach. If you’re nervous about finding a site, go ahead and claim one on your drive up from Titus. We didn’t worry about it, and we didn’t have a problem finding ours for the evening. BUT PAY ATTENTION! This part’s important.
DO NOT PAY FOR A CAMPSITE!
Did you get that? Yeah. Sites at Redfish Lake are $20/night, and if you’re there with a large group they can be worth it. But I’m all about free camping, and that goes DOUBLY true when I’m hanging out in a National Forest. Fun Fact: you can camp for FREE anywhere in ANY National Forest unless otherwise designated as a fee campsite. If you didn’t know this, you’re VERY welcome, and if you did, well maybe you didn’t know this next part.
About 4 miles South of Redfish Lake there’s a tiny little turnoff towards the Salmon River, and if you drive down you’ll come across a little parking area. Get out and walk down the path that says “Foot Travel Welcome”. If you start walking, just a few feet down the path if you look to your right you’ll see some trampled down grass and sort-of-pathways through the tree line. Go through and behold your free, private campsite. NOW you’re welcome.
7:00 PM – Cook Dinner, Make S’mores, Stargaze
I mean, y’all can do whatever you want. But this is how my girlfriend and I love to spend our nights camping.
And since we were so secluded, it was nice to be able to play our own music and not have to worry about annoying anyone else – which is something I’m always cognizant of. Be respectful, folks. I just recently got an AWESOME waterproof and drop-proof speaker and I highly recommend it. It can also clip to a backpack on a hike, and it’s super cheap. It’s called the Wonderboom (but we call it the Boom Boom). CHECK IT OUT
Sunday
8:00 AM (or Whenever) – Breakfast at Redfish Lodge
If you’re a cooking breakfast kind of person, I wouldn’t begrudge ya taking advantage and doing it on your own. Especially if you’ve got a kickass cooler that’s way cheaper than a YETI but that works just as well. But that said, it gets hot pretty quick during the Summer months, and you’ll be hard-pressed to beat the breakfast buffet at the Redfish Lodge. Amazing french toast, candied bacon, omelets, all the good stuff you could want. You can’t go wrong either way, but the staff are great, the food is awesome, and you can’t beat the view of the lake and the mountains. And even better, you’ll already be right there to head up to the docks after breakfast and…
11:00 AM – Rent a Kayak!
Boat, paddleboard, and kayak rentals are all first-come, first-served, so if you’re there by 10 or 11 am you’ll have your pick of anything you want. We went for the double kayak for a half-day, but any of these options are great. Here are the price breakdowns:
| 1 Hour | Half Day (4 hrs) | Full Day (Any 8 hours between 7am-8pm) | |
| Outboard Motorboat | $35 | $110 | $150 |
| 25 HP Outboard Motorboat | $50 | $160 | $220 |
| 60 HP 6 Seat Touring Boat | $60 | $190 | $300 |
| Single Kayak | $10 | $30 | $50 |
| Double Kayak | $15 | $45 | $60 |
| Canoe | $15 | $45 | $60 |
| Stand Up Paddle Board | $15 | $50 | $80 |
| Premium SUP | $20 | $65 | $100 |
| SUP SQUATCH (7 Person SUP) | $35 | $75 | $125 |
| Paddleboat $10 per half hour |
Redfish Lake is about 3 miles long, so you should be able to paddle from one end to the other and back in that four-hour Half Day time slot without having to bust it too hard, depending on the wind and the choppiness of the lake. For us, heading out in the morning was perfect, and the water was like glass, which made it pretty easy to make great time to the other side of the lake. There’s something just SO, so cool about looking at the towering peaks of the Sawtooths from a kayak.
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If you opt for a powerboat, you’ll be able to make it across in 10 minutes, which will give you time to explore all the little coves, waterfalls and beaches on the other side of the lake. You can even take some epic hikes up to other alpine lakes, should you choose to do so! Here’s an awesome guide to all the hiking and backpacking throughout Idaho.
3:00 PM – More Beach Time!
On our way back, the wind really kicked up, but fortunately, it was at our backs and we made incredible time back to the marina. We got back well within our four-hour allotment, with sore shoulders and not *TOO* much sunburn to show for it. But it was great that we worked up an appetite because I was definitely ready for more food from the grill (and maybe a couple of beers) as we laid out on the beach for the rest of the afternoon.
5:00 PM – Live Music at Redfish Lodge
After a day of great food, great activities, and great relaxation on the beach, it only felt right to top it off with great and FREE live music right there at the lodge. A few more drinks, a few more snacks, and…….. maybe a pint of Ben & Jerry’s was exactly the way to wrap up our amazing weekend. And honestly, the band is great. Definitely worth staying around for. However, before the music started, we ran back to our campsite to pack up – we wanted to be ready to head back after the music ended so we could get back to Ketchum by dark. And the bonus was getting to see that whole landscape pass by during the golden hour.
TL;DR
Honestly, I just have to brag: We freaking killed it with this little weekend itinerary, and we think you will too. Obviously, there’s plenty of room to tweak depending on your personal tastes, time, and the crew you’re rolling with, but this is a pretty dang good blueprint, friends!
I’ll always have fond memories of my Summer adventuring in the Sawtooths, and Redfish Lake is at the top of the list.