edit Idaho Travel Guide

• Snowboard or Ski At Sun Valley one of the best ski resorts in the U.S.
• Yellowstone National Park Second only to Yosemite as the most majestic National Park in the lower 48 states, but weirder, more colorful, and more spectacular, filled with hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles. Mostly within Wyoming, but the most notable feature, Old Faithful is probably most easily reached from Idaho Falls via West Yellowstone, Montana - though the park road is only open in summer (May to early November).
• City of Rocks National Reserve Located on the southern edge of the state. Popular with hikers and rock climbers for its maze of massive boulders (some over 100 meters in height).
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• White Water River Rafting Excellent on both the Snake and Salmon Rivers
• Craters of the Moon National Monument  Volcanic park with vast fields of seemingly lifeless lava, fun lava tubes to explore

Idaho's nickname is "The Gem State," although the motto on the license plates is "Famous Potatoes," with the unfortunate result that anyone who has heard of Idaho imagines the state as a vast expanse of potato farms, with grizzled inhabitants living in cabins with no running water. In reality, the cabins mostly have running water. Some even have indoor plumbing.

Idaho is typical of several other western states, e.g., Oregon, Washington, and California, in that there are really two states in one. The northern part of Idaho is characterized by mountains, lakes, forests and rivers. While the southern half has some spectacular mountains (the Owyhees and parts of the Tetons), it is mostly high-plains desert similar to the Inland Empire of southern California. All of the potatoes are grown in southern Idaho in addition to irrigated crops primarily watered from the Snake River. Northern Idaho farming is characterized by dry land wheat, barley, and legume crops. Logging is also a big part of the northern Idaho economy, although not as much as in the past due to environmental activism. A favorite bumper sticker in north Idaho is "If You Don't Like Logging, Try Using Plastic Bags For Toilet Paper." Similar to Washington and Oregon, there is a great disparity in the population of each half of the state. North Idaho is significantly less populated than the southern half.

The other common misconception is that Idaho is somehow a racist or Neo-Nazi state. Around 1980, a Neo-Nazi and White Separatist brought a band of followers to Hayden Lake, Idaho and began regularly making the local and national news with his racist provocations. Although the local residents vigorously disapproved and regularly held much bigger counter-demonstrations, the Neo-Nazi image has stuck. Idahoans breathed a collective sigh of relief in 2001 when the 20 acre compound owned by the "church" was handed over to a woman who had filed a lawsuit against them after being assaulted by their guards, and many of the racists left the state.

By plane

Flights come in to all cities, plus some of the towns. Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon Airlines are the best, but United, America West, and Southwest Airlines serve Idaho as well.

• For South Idaho, you might fly in to Boise, or drive in from Salt Lake City.
• If you're going to Yellowstone National Park, you'd probably want to fly in to Idaho Falls then drive up to the West Yellowstone park entrance.
• If you are going to Northern Idaho Coeur d'Alene book a flight to Spokane, Washington.

By car

You could also drive to North Idaho from Seattle or more easily from Spokane.

The state mostly consists of high mountains (some over 12,000 feet), numerous lakes and rivers, deserts, forests, and expansive canyons, making Idaho an idyllic place for the outdoorstype.

Southeastern Idaho, with its sparse topsoil, was greatly affected by the rising water level of prehistoric Lake Bonneville to the south, a lake which covered most of what is now the states of Utah and Nevada. At a point roughly near Twin Falls, the rising waters broke through into the region in an ancient, massive flood, channeling the floodwater westward for what is estimated to have lasted for approximately seven weeks, almost completely draining the ancient lake and creating the massive, lengthy, and spectacular Snake River Canyon that we know today. The massive flood stripped the region's topsoil down to bedrock, tumbling huge, multi-story high boulders downstream, where eventually the boulders and other heavier materials dropped out and were deposited in and along the Snake River streambed. The stripped topsoil, a much lighter material, eventually was deposited well to the west, creating fertile farming regions well adapted to growing potatoes. Because of the great flood and the stripping of the region's topsoil, much of the agriculture in southeastern Idaho's thin layer of topsoil must be supported by fertilization and irrigation.

In the mountains the wheather is extremley unpredictable and may change without notice. That being said expect warm temperate summers (one of the best times to take part in the abundant outdoor activities) and long cold winters. Idaho is a dry state which tends to make the hot or cold days seem much more moderate.

By car

There are two segments of freeway that cross the state, I-90 for roughly 60 miles across the panhandle in the North, and I-84 for a couple hundred miles in the South. The rest of the roads are two lanes, and often curvy and hilly (but scenic!). A few "highways" aren't even paved. You know you're from Idaho when your elderly grandparents think it's normal to arrive at Christmas (or even just for a weekend visit) after driving 400 miles through blizzards and along winding two lane river roads.

To the East, the Continental Divide (West of which rivers flow to the Pacific, East of which rivers flow to the Atlantic) meanders down the spine of the Rockies, and defines the border with Montana. A handful of passes cross the Divide. In the winter, check with the highway department for pass conditions -- many passes are closed from the first snow until mid-April.

There is no convenient way to get from North Idaho (Moscow) to Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls), since there are no roads that go directly through the rugged mountains (and the "Idaho Primitive Area.") Instead, you would have to drive 300 miles to Boise, then another 300 miles East to Idaho Falls. Or you could drive North to I-90, East through Montana, then South to Eastern Idaho. Either way, you'll drive 600 - 700 miles when it's something like 300 miles as the crow might fly.

By plane

Flying is an expensive but wonderful way to get around and see the majestic scenery. Backcountry flights are available from many airports in the state, and you get to fly through canyons and into remote airstrips that are nearly unreachable any other way. Examples are McCall Aviation and Selway Aviation in Central Idaho. If you just want to go city-to-city, call Horizon Airlines.