Tamarack Lodge

A 1955 family-owned ski lodge a short walk from the Bald Mountain lifts in Ketchum, Idaho. Twenty-six rooms in a stone-and-timber building that's been running through three generations of the same family. Sun Valley's lodging market is mostly resort-tier or condo, with a few historic alternatives — Tamarack is the pine-and-stone middle.

It's not the Sun Valley Lodge or the Limelight; it's the smaller, owner-run alternative for people who want to walk to River Run lifts without paying resort rates.

The setting

The lodge sits on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum, walking distance to the River Run base of Bald Mountain (Sun Valley's main mountain) and to downtown Ketchum's restaurants — the Pioneer Saloon, Cristina's, the Kneadery, and Whiskey Jacques. Sun Valley itself (the Lodge, Dollar Mountain, the ice rink) is a 10-minute drive east.

The drive in from Boise is two and a half hours; Sun Valley/Hailey's Friedman Memorial airport is 15 minutes south. From Salt Lake City, four and a half hours.

The building

A stone-and-timber two-story building in the original Sun Valley vernacular — peaked roof, river-rock chimney, exposed timbers, and the kind of bone structure 1950s mountain lodges were built with. Materials are stone, timber, pine paneling, and wool. The lobby has the original fireplace; public spaces include a hot tub and a small ski-prep room.

Family-owned across three generations. The continuity is the differentiator from the chain ski hotels.

The rooms

Twenty-six rooms across kings, queens, and a few suites. From around $285 in shoulder seasons; peak winter rates run higher. Pine-paneled walls, wool blankets, simple furniture, and updated bathrooms. Most rooms have small balconies. Some suites have fireplaces and sitting areas. Layouts are mid-sized — historic-lodge geometry.

Food & drink

A continental breakfast is included. There's no on-site full-service restaurant. Walking distance to Ketchum's restaurant scene — Cristina's for breakfast, the Kneadery for the longer locals' breakfast, the Pioneer Saloon for the steak-and-shrimp dinner that's been running since 1950, Whiskey Jacques for the bar with bluegrass nights, and Enoteca for Italian.

On the property

A small ski-lodge amenity stack:

• Outdoor hot tub
• Continental breakfast included
• Ski-storage and boot-warming room
• Concierge for lift tickets, ski-shuttle, and dining reservations
• Walking distance to River Run lifts and downtown Ketchum
• Open year-round; winter and summer are both peak

Who it's for

• Skiers who want a small in-town lodge over a slope-side condo or resort
• Couples and families doing a long winter weekend at Sun Valley
• Repeat Sun Valley visitors who've moved past the chain ski hotels
• Anyone who values family ownership and a 1950s building over a renovated condo

Who it's not for

• Travelers wanting a full resort with restaurant, spa, kids' club
• Slope-side seekers needing ski-in/ski-out at the room
• Light sleepers — old buildings have old-building sounds

Nearby

River Run base of Bald Mountain (Sun Valley's main ski mountain) is a five-minute walk for the lift. Downtown Ketchum's restaurants are within five minutes' walk. Sun Valley Resort proper (Sun Valley Lodge, Dollar Mountain, the ice rink, the symphony pavilion in summer) is 10 minutes east. The Sun Valley Trail System (Nordic skiing in winter, biking in summer) leaves from the lodge area. Ernest Hemingway's grave is in the Ketchum cemetery, five minutes from the property. The Sawtooth Range and Stanley Basin — for the longer-day scenic drive — are 90 minutes north.