Use this ultimate guide for Insider Idaho Travel Tips… to create forever memories on your next vacation!
So are you planning a trip to Idaho to enjoy some serene solitude and breathtaking beauty? Trust me, the beautiful mountains, desolate destinations, and secluded Pacific Northwest getaways in this beautiful state are so hard to resist!
Whether you are dreaming of an Idaho Summer vacation, or you just want to find some interesting Idaho points of interest, you’ve just hit the jackpot with this ultimate Idaho Travel Guide! I am going to share with you my best Idaho travel info for where to Eat, Play, and Stay in Idaho.
So start planning your next epic vacation getaway with some help from these must-read Idaho Travel Tips. This is what you need to know before you go…
Related:
A special thanks to frugal friend Amy for sharing the beautiful Idaho photo above!
How To Visit Idaho On A Budget:
So You’re Planning a Trip to Idaho? To keep your vacation budget-friendly, you’ll need to plan ahead. One of the first things you’ll want to do is start stashing cash away for your ‘Idaho Trip Fund’. Need to increase your travel fund stash? One of the easiest ways is to make extra money on the side in your free time! Here’s my favorite trick for ramping up the vacation budget…
Easy Side Hustles to Save Money For Vacation
How to Get Cheap Flights To Idaho:
Wondering how to get cheap flights? My favorite trick is to load up on free mileage points and airline gift cards, then use them to dramatically cut the cost on airfare! I’ve scored so many free flights this way! Are you ready to start earning your free airlines miles and gift cards? Here’s what you need to do…
Best Travel Hacking Credit Cards! {How I Get FREE Flights and Hotel Nights}
25 Southwest Airlines Hacks! {What To Know BEFORE You Fly}
18 American Airlines Flight Hacks {Weird Tricks Everyone Should Know}
17 Delta Airlines Travel Hacks {Savvy Travel Hacking Ideas}
Where to Stay in Idaho:
Instead of hotels, I recommend staying at a VRBO when visiting Idaho to save BIG on your trip. VRBO has so many vacation rentals listed by owner, and they’re such a great way to find nice lodging that is way less expensive than the hotels. I’ve personally stayed at multiple VRBO’s, and loved every one. Not only were they significantly cheaper than the nearby hotels, they also came fully stocked with convenient amenities that saved us SO much money!
Now do you want to know my favorite tips and tricks for saving BIG on a VRBO? These little known hacks will save you SO much money! Check this out…
How to Slash The Cost of Your Next Trip Using VRBO
Now keep reading for all the very best Idaho travel tips and things to do shared by myself and your frugal friends…
Idaho Travel Tips and Family Vacation Ideas
Heather said: “Panhandle in Kellogg. For East Central Idaho, check out the Dog Bark Park B&B in Cottonwood and the Mammoth at Grangeville. In the Snake River valley stop at The Hagerman Fossil Beds & Visitor Center in Hagerman, you will rethink everything you’ve heard about early horses! In Central Idaho, visit Craters of the Moon National Monument and in Eastern Idaho go to the Lava Hot Springs.”
Thomas said: “If you’re in the Coeur d’Alene area you’ll love these campgrounds.
Farragut State Park is super nice. It used to be a military base and is a huge state park compared to others with 4-5 disk golf courses, a range, a museum, swimming area, and miles of trails to explore.
Also try Lions Head Campground on Priest Lake. It has a nearby natural water slides and has great hiking. From Lions Head you can hike or boat up to upper Priest Lake where it is remote grizzly territory.
Also there is Kit Price Campground on the North Fork Coeur d’Alene River. Great family campground with multiple loops right on the slow moving river. Nice for bikes, playing in the water and hiking nearby.”
North Fork Coeur d’Alene River
Shadow Falls Hike near Kit Price Campground
Lower Shadow Falls
Michael said: “Coeur d’Alene Lake is beautiful. The town is amazing at night, with the lights all around the lake.”
Coeur d’Alene Lake: Go to the lake in the summer and enjoy the beaches during the day (City Park, Sanders Beach or Honeysuckle Beach), and beautiful sunsets and moonsrises in the evening.
Mineral Ridge Trail: This 3.3 mile loop trail overlooking beautiful Coeur d’Alene Lake is also a great place to look for Bald Eagles in the winter months.
Cougar Bay Preserve: Found just outside Couer d’Alene you’ll find a treasure trove of wildlife, including migrating water fowl, songbirds, moose, beaver, otter, and deer. The nature trails are perfect for the kiddos.
Camille said: “I just moved to Idaho from Texas, and we LOVE it! We are in the Coeur d’Alene area, and the rumors are true…it is fabulous!”
Lesley said: “Idaho has a ton to see. Coeur d’Alene is beautiful! Also Teton Valley Idaho is gorgeous. If near Idaho Falls you have to try Reed’s Dairy….their ice cream is fantastic!!”
Jennifer said: “This is where I live, GO IDAHO! I live in the panhandle near Kellogg and Coeur d’Alene. Don’t forget to visit Wallace, Idaho too, a quirky little town, but definitely entertaining in the summer!”
Meagan said: “Kellogg Idaho is tiny but its beautiful!”
Cecilia said: “Elk River, Idaho. Beautiful waterfalls, one of my favorite places ever!! A must see… and after hiking the falls stop into the tiny town for some homemade soft serve huckleberry ice cream :-)”
Cindy said: “I’m visiting Cascade, Idaho right now and it is absolutely beautiful! There is a golf course right next to the lake, plus tons of boating, hiking, and other great options. There’s even a little place here called Kelly’s White Water Park where you can rent tubes and float in some small rapids or watch professional kayakers practice.”
Kim said: “We went to McCall Idaho, it’s so beautiful there! You can boat, kayak,hike, pick huckleberries, see elk, etc. It was a wonderful place to spend time with family.”
Mary said: “McCall – it’s like a smaller version of the Lake Tahoe area, so gorgeous! Red Fish Lake is spectacular. Also see the falls throughout the Twin Falls area and vicinity.”
Sara said: “Sandpoint Idaho is a great place to get away to! Definitely check out the Western Pleasure Guest Ranch here on FB! It is just outside of Sandpoint and offers a lot in both the summer and winter!”
Vee said: “Sawtooth National Recreation Area is nice, with beautiful mountains that were featured in the Clint Eastwood movie Pale Rider.”
Vanessa said: “I am visiting the Sun Valley area in the Wood River Valley. Lots of rivers, lakes, hiking biking. darling, small towns. You will also get world class skiing on Mt. Baldy.”
Andrea Said: “Sun Valley – Ride the gondola, eat at Leftys, go to the ice skating rink, visit the Hemingway Memorial, golf, ski, ride bikes, visit shops, shoot clays, go to the performances at the amphitheater… and have fun!!”
Sheyann said: “Don’t forget Island Park in Eastern Idaho! Close to West Yellowstone, beautiful, and full of stuff to do!”
More Idaho Money Saving Tips:
20 Ways to Save Money on Rental Cars
Free Gas Gift Cards + 9 Ways To Save BIG on Road Trips!
Military Discounts for Travel
30 Eat Out Cheap Ideas! {How to Save Money Eating Out}
How to Travel for Free or Cheap {19 Brilliant Budget Travel Hacks}
What To Pack for Idaho:
Best Baby Travel Gear
Traveling with Baby? Don’t leave home without these Baby Travel Gear Essentials! I’ve taken my babies on the long flights so many times and these must-have items will make traveling with Baby so much easier!
19 Carry On Must Haves for your next flight
Be sure to leave extra room in your suitcase to bring home some souvenirs!
Now that you’ve ready through these fun Idaho Family Vacation Ideas, start dreaming of even more traveling in the beautiful Northwest with these fun and frugal travel tips below:
30 Yellowstone Things To See and Do {Best Unique Attractions}
20 Montana Travel Tips and Top Family Vacation Ideas!
52 Seattle Travel Tips + Fun Things to do in WA!
21 Alaska Vacation Tips {Best Kept Secrets}
39 Fun Things To See and Do In Portland Oregon {Family Vacation Ideas}
18 Vancouver BC Travel Tips {What To Know Before You Go}
Zion National Park Travel Tips {what to know before you go}
45 Grand Canyon Travel Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss!
20 Road Trip Must Haves for your next Vacation!
34 Ways To Entertain Kids On A Trip
10 Most Spectacular National Parks you NEED to Visit!
14 Ultimate Beach Getaways {plan your perfect beach vacation}
Top 10 Romantic Honeymoon Destinations
10 Winter Family Vacation Ideas! {Top Destinations}
101 Frugal Travel Tips and Best Kept Secrets
So don’t miss out! Get even more fun travel tips, money saving ideas, recipes and more from The Frugal Girls right here…
So… have YOU ever been to Idaho before?
What are some of your favorite Idaho travel tips for places to see, things to do, etc?
Leave a comment & share!
Janie says
These are still great ideas in 2021!
Heidi says
Thanks, Janie… I’m so glad you like the Idaho travel tips! 🙂
Julie says
For the daredevils among you, B.A.S.E. jumping is allowed off of the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls! (There are places that will take you tandem) If something a little less adrenaline filled is more up your alley, there are places where you can rent a canoe or kayak to take down underneath the bridge.
And The Birds of Prey center near Boise is amazing – the reason we have a Peregrine falcon on our state quarter, and it’s a treat to learn about all of the conservation efforts!
Julia says
Roystone Hot Springs is only an hour away from Boise, go if you can, you won’t regret it!
Liz says
If you’re going up to the northern area (near Couer d’Alene and Sandpoint), I highly recommend Silverwood. It’s an amusement park with a water park, and is a very fun place to spend the day with kids (they close down in the winter months due to snow though). Also in that area, check out the Wolf People shop; they have a wolf sanctuary up in the hills, and they bring a couple of the wolves out to the shop during the day for people to watch.