When the snow starts to fly in Idaho, the winters get hot. Some of the deepest powder, longest runs and most exciting back country trails in the west are right here in Idaho just waiting for you to ski, trek, tour or snowmobile. Idaho boasts many world-class ski resorts including Sun Valley and Grand Targhee. Bogus Basin, just 16 miles from the state capital of Boise, offers high quality snow and an un-crowded winter experience. Plow through mountain meadows deep with powder, wind along timber-lined trails or cruise rolling hillsides. With more than 5,000 miles of backcountry trails, Idaho's winter playground offers snowmobilers more groomed trails than any other western state. Nordic skiers can escape to the solitude of Idaho's backcountry, where Forest Service and private groomed trails stretch as far as 200 kilometers.

Idaho has some of the most diverse geography in the country. From desert sand dunes to fertile farmland to alpine lakes and granite peaks, Idaho's regional diversity is matched only by the diversity of outdoor activities it offers.

North Idaho
North Idaho is a land punctuated in lapis blue flowing rivers, cascading over waterfalls, sitting still in azure lakes. In fact there is no greater concentration of lakes in a western state than in the panhandle of Idaho. Of all the states in the union, only Alaska has more than Idaho’s 18 million wild acres. North Central Idaho is a wilderness of peaks, canyons, streams; the legendary Lewis and Clark called paradise. Southwest Idaho's dramatic montage of desert, rivers and mountains has lured visitors for centuries. Serene mountain lakes brim with trout, world-class whitewater waits to be floated and kayaked, and awe-inspiring canyons play home to birds of prey.

Central Idaho
Central Idaho is an endless source of enchantment, a palette of incalculable wonder whose reflections and patterns are always changing. There are unearthly flows of lava frozen in time. There are alpine lakes, each cool and fragrant and perfect, and vast rolling acreage of high meadows. There are also massive, serrated mountains as grand and majestic as any in the world. In East Idaho, you will find the snow-capped peaks of the Grand Tetons feeding thundering waterfalls, glistening lakes and free running rivers. Here, wild flowers, pine and aspen create a kaleidoscope of autumn color and light. Elk and moose graze the grasslands. Swans and eagles soar on high.

South Central Idaho
South Central Idaho boasts a waterfall higher than Niagara and rock monoliths 60 stories tall. Underground rivers gush from sheer canyon walls. The beautiful secrets of this once-forbidden land are only now becoming known to the world. Two tribes dominated Southeast Idaho, the Shoshone and the Bannock. Although they spoke different languages, they shared a similar culture and lifestyle, and migrated with the season to hunt buffalo, deer, and antelope on horseback.

Ski Resorts
Sun Valley is the very definition of the American winter vacation, being the nation's first destination ski resort. Sun Valley boasts a world-class mountain, with a quality ski school, experienced instructors and a rich variety of apres-ski activities. It is located near Ketchum, in Central Idaho. Lookout, Idaho's oldest ski area, was opened in 1935. Today, Lookout is an affordable family ski area that combines easy access with great snow. More than 350-400 inches of snowfall per year means there's always great powder skiing. It is located near Wallace, in Northern Idaho, east of Coeur d'Alene.

With a dazzling view of Lake Pend Oreille, Schweitzer Mountain Resort lies high in the Selkirk Mountains, where abundant snowfall buries the slopes in more than 300 inches of white delight annually. Facilities include day lodges, a gift shop, a general store, restaurants and cafes, a lounge and a chapel. It is located near Sandpoint, in Northern Idaho. On the north-facing slopes of the scenic Bitterroot Range, Silver Mountain is blessed with 350 inches of powder annually. The mountain's six lifts are reached after a 19-minute ride on the world's longest single-stage gondola. With 3 runs served by 1 T-bar lift and 1 rope tow, Snowhaven has a vertical drop of 400 ft. A snack bar, ski shop, day lodge and rentals complete the facility. It is located near Grangeville, southeast of Lewiston.

Eight miles north of McCall in the mountains of central Idaho, Brundage Mountain Ski Resort boasts 1300 acres of wide, elegantly groomed runs and abundant powder glades. Every year, north of Boise, Mother Nature blankets the slopes of Bogus Basin Ski Resort. The result: an enviable playground with 2600 acres of ski-able, snowboard-able terrain. Bogus also has more night skiing terrain than any other ski area in the northwestern U.S. Located just 25 miles off I-84, Pomerelle Mountain Resort is a relaxed, fun filled, personalized, day resort nestled in the Sawtooth National Forest. With an annual snowfall of 500 inches, Pomerelle is usually one of the first ski resorts to open in Idaho—and one of the last to close.

Pebble Creek is a vertical playground that attracts skiers of all abilities. Located 20 minutes south of Pocatello in the Caribou National Forest, Pebble Creek boasts 2000 vertical feet, 1100 ski-able acres, 45 runs, virtually non-existent lift lines and terrain for beginners or those demanding an honest challenge. Nestled on the sunny west side of the Grand Tetons, Grand Targhee Ski and Summer Resort enjoys un-crowded slopes, abundant powder and awesome Teton scenery. National ski magazines rate Grand Targhee among the top five resorts in the West for snow quality and quantity. Located north of Salmon on U.S. Highway 93 at the Montana border, Lost Trail Ski Area has excellent intermediate runs and trails. This ski area is well known for its consistent good base and light snow. Cafeteria, rentals and ski lessons are available at the day lodge and overnight lodging can be found in Salmon, Idaho.

Water Activities
With more than 3,100 whitewater river miles, no other state can claim as many diverse recreational rivers as Idaho. There are many long wilderness stretches where only self-sustained river parties can go. Trips ranging in length from two to six days wind through areas of immaculate beauty. Some one-day trips flow through de facto wilderness. Such undisturbed stretches are perfect for disengaging from the stress of modern life, nd reconnecting with nature. With more running water than any other state in the continental U.S., Idaho offers every kind of river-based excursion, from white-knuckled roller coaster rides to dreamy drifts through the cottonwoods.

Commercial river running began in Idaho half a century ago. The Payette is especially well known for its rafting, kayaking and paddleboat excitement. The Moyie's whitewater plunges through deep green cedar forests. And the Clearwater is famous for its hungry steelhead trout. Idaho's untamed waterways are as exciting and fulfilling today as they were a hundred years ago.

Hunting & Fishing
With a state population smaller than that of Denver, spread out over 83,000 square miles, Idaho's sparsely populated and diverse geography makes for a hunter's paradise. From canyons and flat, sage-brush-covered deserts in the South to forested, high mountains in the Center to smaller and lushly vegetated mountains in the North, Idaho has been famous among hunters since the time of the fur trapper. Idaho's hunting seasons are as long as 65 days in many area and overall success rates are high. Permits are easily available, thanks to Idaho's unique allocation system for clients and outfitters, and there is little if any hunter congestion; most species are thriving due to effective management practices. Idaho's rivers, lakes and reservoirs make for some of the best fishing in the west. Especially noteworthy is fly-fishing and Idaho boasts some of the best in the world at locations like Eastern Idaho's Henry's Fork.

Professionals Make The Difference
Big game hunting, trophy trout fishing, whitewater expeditions, jet boat tours, cross-country and backcountry skiing, steelhead fishing, helicopter skiing, backpacking, photography, mountain climbing, horseback rides, mountain biking and dog sled rides. Name your outdoor adventure and you'll find an outfitter in Idaho who will make it happen. Idaho was one of the first states to license and bond its outfitters and guides. Stringent standards of practice were established nearly 35 years ago. To provide paid services in Idaho, outfitters and guides must be licensed by the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board, which ensures that its members are highly skilled, bonded, certified in first aid and financially capable of providing safe, environmentally friendly outdoor experiences.

Idaho's Scenic Byways
Through this state’s picturesque landscape, there are 35,000 miles of roads leading to Idaho’s special places. While every road reveals at least a small piece of Idaho’s natural beauty, some roads have gained special status. They are Idaho’s scenic byways. These routes are designated in a partnership with local entities and several state and federal agencies.

Area: 83574 sq.mi, Land 82751 sq. mi.,Water 823 sq.mi.

Location: 43.60665 N, 116.22610 W.

Border States: Montana - Nevada - Oregon - Utah - Washington - Wyoming.

Agriculture: Cattle, potatoes, dairy products, wheat, sugar beets, barley.

Industry: Food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, silver and other mining, tourism.

Flag: A silk flag, blue field, five feet six inches fly, and four feet four inches on pike, bordered with gilt fringe two and one-half inches in width, with state seal of Idaho twenty-one inches in diameter, in colors, in the center of a blue field. The words "State of Idaho" are embroidered in with block letters, two inches in height on a red band three inches in width by twenty-nine inches in length, the band being in gold and placed about eight and one-half inches from the lower border of fringe and parallel with the same.

State Capital: Boise.

Geographic Center: Custer, southwest of Challis.

Largest City: Boise.

State Motto: Esto perpetua (Let it be perpetual) It is forever.

Origin of state's name: Idaho is a coined or invented word, and is not a derivation of an Indian phrase "E Dah Hoe (How)" supposedly meaning "gem of the mountains.

Population: 1,251,700; 40th, 12/99.

Highest Point: Borah Peak - 12,662 feet, 11th.

Lowest Point: Snake River - 710 feet, 44th.

State Bird: Mountain Bluebird.

State Flower: Mock Orange Philadelphus lewisii.

State Nickname: Gem State.

State Song: Here We Have Idaho.

Topography: Snake River plains in the south, central region of mountains, canyons gorges; subalpine northern region.

State Tree: Western White Pine - Pinus monticola.