Sun Valley Ski Guide (2026/27): Opening Day, Bald Mountain, Lift Tickets, Hotels, Dining & Getting There

The back story

Season 2026/27: Bald Mountain reopens 26 November 2026 (sunvalley.com) · Ski area: Bald Mountain, 3,400 ft vertical; Dollar Mountain, 16 trails and 5 lifts · Top viewpoint: Bald Mountain summit, 9,150 ft: Lookout Day Lodge · Lift tickets: Sold online by date; Ikon Pass up to 7 days; Mountain Collective 2 days · Nearest airport: Friedman Memorial, Hailey (SUN), 14 miles (sunvalley.com)

The back story

Sun Valley: the back story

Sun Valley·In depth

America’s first destination ski resort: a railway’s dream, the world’s first chairlift, Hemingway in Room 206 and the stars of Hollywood.

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Lift passes, ski schools and hire

Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective

Sun Valley lift tickets and passes, 2026/27

Sun Valley·Lift tickets and passes·€€€€

Bald Mountain and Dollar Mountain lift tickets are sold online by date; 2026–27 season passes are on sale, and Ikon and Mountain Collective holders ski here too.

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3,400 vertical feet, summit 9,150 ft

Bald Mountain (Baldy)

Sun Valley·Ski mountain·€€€€

Sun Valley’s great mountain: 3,400 vertical feet of consistent pitch, no flats, and one of the longest sustained descents in the US on Warm Springs.

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Home of the world’s first chairlift

Dollar Mountain

Sun Valley·Beginner mountain·€€

A treeless, sunny beginner mountain with 16 trails, five lifts and 628 feet of vertical, plus Sunny’s Adventure Park.

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Two mountains, three starting points

Sun Valley Ski & Ride School

Sun Valley·Ski and snowboard school·€€€€

Group workshops, private lessons, Adventure Camps for children and season-long programmes from Little Spuds to the 5B Ski & Ride Club.

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At all three bases

Pete Lane’s rentals

Sun Valley·Ski and snowboard hire·€€€

Rentals at River Run, Warm Springs and Dollar, and a Rental Center in the Village, with overnight storage by the lifts.

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37 km groomed daily

Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center

Sun Valley·Nordic skiing·€€

37 km of trails groomed daily for skate and classic skiing, with rentals at the Sun Valley Club.

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Where to stay, every budget

Who it suits. On a budget: A resort condo or Hotel Ketchum, Mountain Rides buses with no fare, and first turns on Dollar Mountain. Mid-range: The Sun Valley Inn or Limelight Ketchum with breakfast included, lunch at The Roundhouse and the Pioneer Saloon at night. Luxury: A suite at the Sun Valley Lodge or a lakeside cottage, the sleigh to Trail Creek Cabin and dinner at The Ram.

Since 1936, Hemingway’s Room 206 · In depth

Sun Valley Lodge

Sun Valley·Historic resort hotel·€€€€

The resort’s flagship since 1936, with the 20,000 sq ft Spa at Sun Valley, a glass-enclosed outdoor pool and café, suites overlooking the ice rink, the Duchin Lounge and Gretchen’s.

1 Sun Valley Road, Sun Valley, ID 83353Explore View on map
Austrian-chalet style, since 1937 · In depth

Sun Valley Inn

Sun Valley·Historic hotel·€€€

The resort’s Austrian-chalet inn of 1937 in Sun Valley Village, with its own steaming outdoor pool, a fitness centre, the Ram Restaurant & Ram Bar and three-bedroom apartments.

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Studios to four bedrooms

Sun Valley condominiums

Sun Valley·Condominiums·€€

Resort-managed condos in a horseshoe around the Village, each within a ten-minute walk of the Lodge and Inn.

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Two to seven bedrooms · In depth

Sun Valley cottages

Sun Valley·Private homes·€€€€

Nine stand-alone cottages of two to seven bedrooms near Sun Valley Village, several on Sun Valley Lake with outdoor hot tubs, fireplaces and full kitchens, with the resort’s spa and pools close by.

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Main Street, breakfast included · In depth

Limelight Hotel Ketchum

Sun Valley·Hotel·€€€

A contemporary hotel on Main Street in Ketchum, with an outdoor pool and hot tubs, breakfast included, The Lounge for après and live music, and residences of two to five bedrooms.

151 Main St S, Ketchum, ID 83340Explore View on map
European ski-chalet style, Ketchum · In depth

Knob Hill Inn

Sun Valley·Boutique inn·€€€€

A 29-room inn in Ketchum, with an indoor heated pool, hot tub and sauna, balconies with views of Baldy, breakfast in the Fireplace Room and The Grill at Knob Hill.

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Downtown Ketchum, good value

Hotel Ketchum

Sun Valley·Boutique hotel·€€

A modern, unpretentious boutique hotel on Main Street in downtown Ketchum.

600 N. Main Street, Ketchum, ID 83340Explore View on map

Restaurants and mountain huts

On Baldy since 1940, by gondola

The Roundhouse

Sun Valley·Mountain restaurant·€€€€

The octagonal 1940 restaurant on Bald Mountain at 7,700 feet, reached by gondola, with a four-sided fireplace and a big deck.

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Sun Valley’s original restaurant, 1938

The Ram

Sun Valley·Fine dining·€€€€

Sun Valley’s original restaurant, serving heritage dishes since 1938, with the elegant Ram Bar next door.

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By horse-drawn sleigh

Trail Creek Cabin

Sun Valley·Sleigh-ride dinner·€€€€

A rustic cabin reached by horse-drawn sleigh for a four-course dinner, built in 1937.

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Pastries baked daily

Konditorei

Sun Valley·Austrian café·€€

Austrian-inspired brunch, locally roasted fair-trade coffee and pastries baked in-house daily, in a chalet-style room.

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Sun Valley Lodge

Gretchen’s

Sun Valley·All-day dining·€€€

All-day comfort food beside the Sun Valley Lodge lobby.

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9,150 feet on Baldy

Lookout Day Lodge

Sun Valley·Summit lodge·€€

A casual lunch at the top of Bald Mountain, at 9,150 feet.

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Rebuilt after 2018

Warm Springs Lodge

Sun Valley·Base lodge·€€

Sun Valley’s original luxury ski lodge, rebuilt after a 2018 fire, with coffee, lunch, a bar and views of the Challenger lift.

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Panoramic deck

Seattle Ridge Day Lodge

Sun Valley·Mountain lodge·€€

Family-friendly burgers, pizza and barbecue with sweeping views from the deck or by the fire.

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Sun Valley Village

Village Station

Sun Valley·Italian-inspired·€€

A relaxed, family neighbourhood restaurant in the Village, with Italian-inspired food and beers on tap.

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Après-ski and bars

Sun Valley Lodge, live music

Duchin Lounge

Sun Valley·Hotel bar·€€€

The legendary bar and lounge in the Sun Valley Lodge lobby: handmade cocktails, craft beer and live local music.

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Ketchum Main Street

The Pioneer Saloon

Sun Valley·Western saloon·€€€

Ketchum’s Western saloon of aged beef and prime rib, mounted trophies and period firearms; no reservations.

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Next to The Ram

The Ram Bar

Sun Valley·Lounge·€€€

The elegant lounge beside The Ram, Sun Valley’s original restaurant.

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Base of Baldy

River Run Day Lodge

Sun Valley·Base lodge·€€

Wood-fired pizza, grills, deli and wok dishes at the River Run base, to fuel up and wind down.

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Celebrate the laps

Warm Springs Lodge bar

Sun Valley·Base-lodge bar·€€

The bar at Warm Springs Lodge, looking out at the Challenger and Flying Squirrel lifts.

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Shops

Village, River Run, Warm Springs, Dollar

Pete Lane’s Mountain Sports

Sun Valley·Outdoor store and rentals·€€€

Sun Valley’s four-season mountain store, with gear, apparel and rentals, and a tune and repair shop at River Run.

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High-end ski and sportswear

Brass Ranch

Sun Valley·Luxury fashion·€€€€

High-end luxury ski and sportswear, footwear and swimwear in Sun Valley Village.

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Local artists and logo goods

Sun Valley Signatures

Sun Valley·Gift and logo shop·€€

Exclusive designs by local artists, logo souvenirs, T-shirts, hats and mugs.

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New in the Village

Sigi & Sepp’s

Sun Valley·Toy shop·€€

A brand-new toy shop in Sun Valley Village.

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A family business since 1876

Burns, Sun Valley

Sun Valley·Western wear·€€€

Western wear from Burns, founded in 1876 and, in its own words, the oldest same-family-owned western retailer in the world.

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Sun Valley Lodge

The Lodge Gift Shop

Sun Valley·Gift shop·€€

Jewellery, sweaters and branded keepsakes of your stay, in the Sun Valley Lodge.

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Spas and wellness

20,000 square feet

The Spa at Sun Valley

Sun Valley·Resort spa·€€€€

The Lodge’s 20,000-square-foot spa, with massage, skincare, salon and nail services, a fitness studio and three outdoor pools.

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Glass-enclosed, with café

Sun Valley Lodge pool

Sun Valley·Heated outdoor pool·€€€

The Lodge’s glass-enclosed outdoor pool and pool café, open to hotel guests.

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9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Limelight Ketchum pools and hot tubs

Sun Valley·Hotel pools·€€

Pools and hot tubs at Limelight Ketchum, open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Getting there

14 miles from the resort

Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN)

Sun Valley·Airport

Hailey’s airport, 14 miles from Sun Valley, with non-stop flights from San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago and Phoenix.

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A walking village

Getting to Sun Valley

Sun Valley·Getting there

Sun Valley Village is 1 mile from downtown Ketchum, and you need no car once you are here; drives from Boise and Salt Lake City cross high desert and farmland.

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No fare required

Mountain Rides

Sun Valley·Public buses

Zero-emissions electric buses linking Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue, the ski bases and the airport, with no fare required.

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Property: the neighbourhoods

The resort’s heart

Sun Valley Village

Sun Valley·Neighbourhood

The walkable village of the Lodge, the Inn, shops, the ice rink, the Opera House and the condos around them.

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The old mining town

Ketchum

Sun Valley·Neighbourhood

The town at the foot of Bald Mountain, a mile from the Village, with Main Street hotels, restaurants and saloons.

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Baldy’s Warm Springs base

Warm Springs

Sun Valley·Neighbourhood

The neighbourhood at the Warm Springs base of Bald Mountain, with Warm Springs Lodge.

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Baldy’s River Run base

River Run

Sun Valley·Neighbourhood

The River Run base of Bald Mountain, with the day lodge and the tune shop.

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East of the Village

Elkhorn

Sun Valley·Neighbourhood

The Elkhorn area beyond the Village, linked by Mountain Rides buses.

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