Idaho’s terrain and climate make it a great place for both summer and winter recreation. Idaho is known for outdoor activities such as base jumping, fly fishing, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and whitewater rafting. The northern part of the state is forested and dotted with lakes. Central Idaho is mountainous, and the southern part of the state includes the high desert and Snake River plateau. The state is bordered by Hell’s Canyon on the West, and Yellowstone National Park to the East.
There are many great guidebooks to Idaho recreation in addition to the web sites listed below.
Recreation Guides
- Idaho Outdoor Recreation from the State of Idaho Website.
Highway 21 - Idaho Outfitters & Guides Association provides useful information on Idaho’s rivers, lakes, national forests, and wilderness areas, as well as a directory of over 250 outfitters and guides.
- Idaho Public Lands from the Public Lands Information Center provides considerable information about public recreation in Idaho.
- Information on Idaho’s mountains from Idahosummits.com.
- BLM Idaho Public Lands recreation Web site.
- Idaho Fish ‘n’ Hunt
- Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation
- Idaho Department of Lands
- Idaho Panhandle National Forests
- Hells Canyon National Recreation Area/Eagle Cap Wilderness
- Official Idaho Travel and Tourism Guide
- Southeast Idaho Vacation Guide, Southeast Idaho High Country
- Southern Idaho Tourism
- Yellowstone National Park
Maps
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maps
- Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Open Data
- Delorme Gazetteers
- Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlases
- Topographic Maps
Other Guides
This page was updated by Ronnie Joiner on November 1, 2022.