Full Meal Deal/Private Trips

SAWTOOTH WILDERNESS

The Sawtooth Wilderness lies in the high country of central Idaho, about an hour's drive from Sun Valley. This is a wilderness of spectacular beauty, where granite mountains reach up to touch clear, azure skies and are reflected back again in gem-blue lakes. The three hundred miles of trail lead you through glacial valleys, alpine meadows and snow-fed streams. This area was set aside in 1972 by Congress to be preserved for you and your children.

The Stanley Basin was first discovered by Alexander Ross along with trappers in pursuit of furs in the mid 1800's. In this high mountain valley they found Shoshone Indians peacefully inhabiting the area while fishing for salmon and hunting its wildlife. Soon the gold rush of the late 1800's brought people to this area in search of their fortune. As gold was depleted, homesteaders moved into graze the lush valleys.

Horse access into the White Cloud and Sawtooth Mountains was available by outfitters as early as 1910. This hidden gem in Idaho remained largely unknown until the early 1960's. In 1972, Congress saw fit to set aside this area as the Sawtooth National Recreation Area to retain the western pastoral setting that you see today.

The wilderness experience in the Sawtooth Mountains has been captured in photos and words over the last several years by National Geographic, Sunset Magazine, Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. The writers and photographers in these and other publications have joined other guests of Mystic Saddle Ranch on pack trips to enjoy the splendor of the Sawtooth Wilderness. We hope that you will join us to enjoy and renew your spirit in the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains.