Winter Travel in Southern Idaho
Winter Travel in Southern Idaho is getting outdoors and creating memories! There are so many opportunities around Southern Idaho to play in the snow. Ski resorts, a hot spring, groomed trails, frozen waterfalls and more. We’ve rounded up our favorite places for Winter Travel in Southern Idaho.
- Magic Mountain Ski Resort
- Ross Falls
- Diamond Field Jacks
- City of Rocks National Reserve
- Durfee Hot Springs
- Pomerelle Mountain
- Soldier Mountain
- Cat Skiing
- Craters of the Moon
Magic Mountain
The best place for Winter Travel is in the South Hills, specifically around Magic Mountain! Magic Mountain is an Idaho ski resort with one lift, and a bunny hill. The runs are short but very fun! There is also a tubing hill that pulls you up in your tube, so all you have to do is ride down. Purchase tickets for both of these experiences at Magic Mountain’s lodge.
Also next to Magic Mountain Ski Resort is Diamond Field Jacks. Diamond Field Jacks is a snowmobiler’s paradise. There is a huge parking lot to leave your trailer while exploring the hills via snowmobile. Enjoy large open fields of powder as well as some hills to climb.
Magic Mountain Ski Resort grooms tons of trails around the area. There are many X-Country skiing trails around the lodge and area. Rock Creek Loop is a favorite for skiing. See beautiful views of the South Hills on this customizable loop of either 1 mile or 2 miles. There are smaller loops next to the ski hill, and other trails around the hills.
Last but not least in the South Hills you can find a frozen waterfall! Ross Falls is a couple miles before Magic Mountain. This winter snow shoeing path leads to a waterfall that comes off the ledge of a bright orange rock. The trail is only half a mile and depending on conditions you could walk on it with just snow boots.
The best town to stay in to access the South Hills is Twin Falls. Twin Falls is about an hour from Magic Mountain Ski Resort.
City of Rocks
The City of Rocks National Reserve is another wonderful place to go play in the snow! Visit the City of Rocks Visitor Center in Almo, just outside of the park, to get maps and hear road conditions. The Visitor Center also has snow shoe rentals for an extremely affordable price as well as other Idaho goodies. In the winter, the road all the way through the City of Rocks is not drivable via vehicle, but can be accessed on foot, skies, or sled. Generally, you can drive into Bath Rock and park in the lot below. From here, you can X-Country ski or snow shoe on the road or even through trails. It is extremely fun to explore through the valley and see all the rock formations and frozen waterfalls running off the rocks.
Park at the Visitor Center to snowmobile into the park. Riders can find trails through the park and access to the Albion Mountain Range and South Hills. It is possible to snowmobile all the way to Nevada if you’d like! Be sure to bring maps as there is no service here. Consult with local rangers for suggestions.
Depending on conditions you can even ice climb at the City of Rocks. Again, stop in at the Visitors Center in Almo to speak with the local rangers and supervisors to assure you are making a safe decision.
The best city for winter travel to stay in nearby is Burley, Idaho. Burley is about an hour from the City of Rocks National Reserve.
Pomerelle Mountain
Located south of Burley is Pomerelle, one of the most popular resorts in Southern Idaho. The mountain provides 500 acres of terrain over 22 trails. There are two lifts at Pomerelle giving all levels of riders many options to try out. Pomerelle is also known for its wonderful powder days. There is a nice lodge to rent equipment as well as get food and drink.
On the way up to Pomerelle there are other options to play in the snow. Stop at Bennett Springs to snowmobile or snowshoe, park at Pomerelle but X-Country Ski or Snow Shoe up to Lake Cleveland! Lake Cleveland is a 3 mile trek from Pomerelle. Hiking up this road also presents opportunity to back country ski or snowboard. Always check conditions before attempting!
The best city to stay in nearby is Burley, Idaho. Burley is about a half hour from Pomerelle Mountain.
Soldier Mountain
Soldier Mountain Ski Resort is an incredible Idaho mountain to ski and snowboard. Their mountain consists of two lifts and awesome runs of many levels. The lodge is beautiful, warm, and has a a great selection of food and drink. Not only is the main mountain great, but there is a unique opportunity offered that you can’t get with just a lift ticket. Experience Soldier’s best terrain with their state-of-the-art snowcat.
Cat skiing at Soldier Mountain can be a full or multiple day experience. By choosing to cat ski rather than just ride the normal lifts, you will experience parts of the mountain no one else can. The snow is incredible up there! Powder days take on an all new meaning when you’re riding the entire Soldier Mountain. Shredding through the fresh snow and untouched runs with 12 people or less is an adventure to say the least.
The best place to stay near Soldier Mountain is in Fairfield, only a short drive from the mountain.
Craters of the Moon
Does snow shoeing or X-Country Skiing across a dormant volcano sound fun to you? You can do just that at Craters of the Moon National Monument! Rent skis or snowshoes at the Craters of the Moon Visitor’s Center, then ride the entire 1.5 mile loop or venture off trail and climb up a cinder cone. Be sure to check Craters of the Moon’s Facebook page to make sure weather conditions are good enough to open the loop trail.
Craters of the Moon is a 2 hour drive from Burley, and 2.5 hours from Twin Falls.
Fly to Twin Falls
Fly to Twin Falls for an easy and convenient trip. The flight takes less time than it takes to bake a potato from Salt Lake City! Plus, it shaves off a long 3 hour drive that usually has bad road conditions through winter. Flying into the Magic Valley Regional Airport makes life easy because it is small. Once you exit your flight, baggage claim takes minutes, then you can walk out the front doors. No long terminal walks, no dodging loads of people, just a quiet airport taking you straight to your destination. Get your flights here: https://iflytwinfalls.com
Enjoy Winter Travel in Southern Idaho this season!
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