Great Outdoor Adventures in Idaho

Ah the great American road trip, many of us dream about ditching the day job and grabbing a backpack plus a one way ticket to the states. Where might you head to first? Sunshine on the California coast, the music scene in the Deep South or perhaps the beautiful state parks of Idaho? There’s a good reason Idaho has shot straight to the top of our travel bucket list thanks to HotelsCombined, and we want to let you know exactly why!

Idaho is an extremely vast area and runs from Canada to Nevada, with rivers, mountains and farmlands attributing to its beautiful landscapes. There is plenty of adventure awaiting you, and if it’s the great outdoors you’re after then it’s certainly the great outdoors you’ll get!

The beautiful state parks of Idaho aren’t to be overlooked for the more popular and tourist areas such as Yosemite in California, these are most definitely worth a visit – and here’s exactly where you should head to for breath-taking views, the best outdoor activities and endless fun!

Harriman State Park

Consisting of 11,000 acres of natural wonders in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in eastern Idaho, this state park provides the perfect setting for tourists to enjoy the natural beauty and unique history of the area. There’s plenty to do, whether that’s hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing or even horseback riding! The park is actually well known for having some of the best fly fishing waters in the nation and is home to sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, elks, but just watch out for grizzly bears! If you’re staying during the summer season then be sure to book onto a tour of the historic Railroad Ranch building and interpretive nature programmes.

So what about accommodation we hear you ask?

Glamp it up and spend a night in one of the Harriman rustic Yurts, or even the Ranch Manager’s house! The time of your life awaits…

Snake River Canyon

Whilst Snake River may not sound overly inviting, it is a must-visit! Located between Twin Falls County and Jerome Country, Snake River Canyon is formed by the Snake River in southern Idaho. An absolutely beautiful destination for hiking, fishing and boating you really will capture every essence of the great outdoors.

For the keen hikers, there is a 10 mile paved walking path along the South rim of the canyon with access points at the Twin Falls visitor centre and Shoshone falls. This natural attraction is not be missed on your visit to Idaho.

Thousand Springs State Park

Located in southern Idaho, this area is commonly known as the ‘Magic Valley’, intrigued? Us too! This state park has several units to explore that are just a short driving distance from one another. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy too, from canoeing to kayaking, hiking, horseback riding and fishing. Phew! We’re tired just from thinking about all of those activities. This is the perfect place to unplug from the stresses of daily life, social media, emails and simply just be at one with nature and enjoy all of the naturally stunning surroundings.

The park also offers guided tours at the Malad Gorge and Ritter Island areas of the park, which are simply fantastic and led by knowledgeable park rangers.

If these three destinations haven’t got your craving an adventure in the big outdoors then we don’t know what will! A week spent away from technology, with your walking shoes and bike sounds just heavenly to us here at YCB. We know where our next adventure destination will be! Head to HotelsCombined to seek out the perfect accommodation for your next epic US trip.

Tilly-Jayne Kidman

Tilly is a graduate in fashion marketing and currently works in social media. She writes for various publications including the Huffington Post as well as her own fashion and lifestyle blog tillyjayne.com. In her spare time she's usually wandering around her home city of Cambridge, making travel plans or finding a new restaurant to try out.