Outside Boise, whose charming downtown is among the best in America, Idaho is sprinkled with many cute little towns, many of which can hold their own against the nation’s prettiest. Plus, these cute towns provide access to a varied and beautiful landscape, which speaks to the region’s raw beauty. From the thunderous roar of lordly waterfalls to the echoing depths of ancient caverns — vacationers have a big outdoor menu to work with. If scoping for Idaho towns ranked among the U.S. favorites, this list offers a meaningful glimpse.

Wallace

Wallace is a fantastic little community in the Silver Valley mining district of the Idaho Panhandle. The area around Wallace was once home to the largest Silver deposits in the United States, a feature that contributed to the town’s rise and growth, especially in the 1880s. Today, Wallace has transformed itself into a popular recreation and tourism site, although at least one mine is still active: the Galena Mine Complex. Located a short drive from many ghosted mining towns, including Burke, Wallace is an epicenter of recreation. There is the Pulaski Tunnel Trail, which is linked to the 1910 fires. A tour of the richest silver district on earth and Lookout Pass Ski Area previously voted the most family-friendly mountain resort in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, Lookout Pass also operates the Route of the Hiawatha, America’s most scenic bike trail.

Sun Valley

Although Sun Valley is known for skiing ( the resort was the first in the world to build a chairlift) — this beautiful town has a long line-up of attractions. The area provides some of the best stargazing on the globe, features the Sawtooth Wilderness, and hosts Trail Creek Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The Sawtooth Wilderness is an expanse filled with high alpine lakes, jagged peaks, and scenic trails, including the popular Fox Creek Trail. Non-skiers also have the Opera House, with its great old-time vibe (it was built before the start of the Second World War), a small but beautiful lake where one can paddle an afternoon away, and plenty of tasty restaurants. Konditorei Restaurant, for instance, is a famous breakfast spot known for kick-ass pastries and croissants.

Sandpoint

It may not look like a big deal, but no words can describe the experience of sitting outside by the river and enjoying a fantastic breakfast in a warm, homey environment. If this looks like something you can give a shot, kickstart your Sandpoint adventure at Pack River Store, a Sandpoint tradition since 1976. Schweitzer, the largest resort in Idaho and Washington, is a special place worth having an experience of. Plus, one will enjoy hiking lots of quiet forest trails here since Sandpoint is surrounded by the Selkirk, Cabinet, and Bitterroot mountain ranges. Sandpoint City Beach Park loved for its sandy shoreline and placid waters, is a fantastic spot to swim, lounge, or just pass the time. It provides access to Pend Oreille Lake, Idaho’s largest lake.

McCall

There are people one meets by chance and immediately takes a liking to. It cannot be put down to a specific quality; the charm just softens you. That is McCall, Idaho. Some protest that it is only famous because it is close to Boise: Slightly more than 100 miles separate the towns. Others, however, give it its due credit. There is a lot to love about McCall, including its setting on the shores of Payette Lake, the famous McCall Winter Carnival, the trail-laden Ponderosa State Park, and the north fork of the Payette River, which flows through the town and provides a delightful range of recreational activities. Just don’t forget to grab a milkshake at My Father’s Place, a close-to-the-water space loved for its retro flair and outdoor seating.

Bonners Ferry

Some of the best mountain scenery in Idaho is in the area that encircles Bonner’s Ferry, a small, lovely town tucked away close to the 49th parallel. You can start with some of the best pho in Idaho at the Wok-a-Mole, one of a handful of ethnic food spots in town. The Kootenai River, which flows through the historic downtown, is an idyllic site for some afternoon boating. Pick some tasty cones and a nice gift at Under the Sun, a local favorite located on Main Street, before discovering the tons of history packed at the Boundary County Museum, which presents the indigenous Kootenai people through interesting artifacts and exhibits. The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge is a short drive from town. It is a nice spot to mingle with bald eagles and peregrine falcons, the world’s fastest bird and animal. When flying, peregrine falcons can hit speeds of more than 186 miles per hour.

Victor

Those who don’t know about what Victor offers just glance over it on their way to Jackson, Wyoming — or the Grand Teton National Park, home to some of the oldest rocks found in any American national park. Victor is surrounded by mountains on almost every side. Snake River Range, for instance, is to the south, the Big Holes to the west, and the Tetons, arguably the most distinctive of the granite giants that comprise the Rocky Mountains, rise up to the east. All these are world-class outdoor recreation sites. If food is high on your list, you can start with a yummy and filling burger at Brakeman American Grill or some finger-licking ribs at Knotty Pine before ending the day at Wildlife Brewing, a lively taproom known for its amazing microbrews.

Driggs

In the spring of 1889, a wagon train of moneyed Mormons, members of the Latter Days Saints Church, clanked and clattered around the northern rims of the Big Hole Mountains, disturbing the quietude that hitherto enveloped the pristine landscape. Thus began the settlement history of Driggs, an adorable small town just a hair out of Victor. Spots for hiking, biking, and fly-fishing abound in the town’s precincts, including the Victor to Driggs Rail-Trail, an easy, paved path with charming scenery. If you have a thing for Mexican cuisine, Agave, conveniently situated on Main Street, should be your Ground Zero. You can afterward enjoy a thrilling mid-air experience as you ride over the Tetons with Teton Aviation. Crown your visit with a nice gift at Fireweed Shop & Studios, a beautiful spot with awesome art and ceramics from local artists. Their locally painted greeting cards are particularly beautiful.

Stanley

Idaho presents some of its finest recreation opportunities in Stanley, an underrated gem tucked away in the beautiful and peaceful Sawtooth Valley. This area is a leaf-peeper’s paradise, especially when an enchanting symphony of color envelops the mountain in fall. Rod and Gun, which has been around since when Franklin Roosevelt was president, is the oldest bar in town. Outdoor venues in the area include Sunbeam Hot Springs,

Redfish Lake, the nearby ghost town of Custer City, and Stanley Lake. You can start with a hearty breakfast at Stanley Bakery before crowning the day with exceptional food and wine at Sawtooth Luce’s Restaurant amid beautiful views and a fun, casual atmosphere.

Hagerman

Rounding off the list of Idaho towns ranked among U.S. favorites is Hagerman, a quiet but beautiful little town that provides top-tier water-based experiences, whether rafting, boating, or swimming. There is the Snake River, known nationally for its stocks of salmon, sturgeon, walleye, and rainbow trout — and Billingsley Creek, whose park is known for exceptional wildlife viewing and fishing. Speaking of trout, the best place to have them on a plate is The Riverboat Restaurant, located on State Street. Other fun outdoor sites include the Hagerman Wildlife Management Area, Thousand Springs State Park – Ritter Island (the name itself is a draw), and Lower Salmon Falls Park, a serene setting for bird watching.

The Takeaway

Whether you start exploring the Gem State from its grassy flatlands — or the tip of the panhandle, the adventure will expose you to a side of Idaho you never knew existed. No. Idaho is not some vast, flat field perfect only for growing potatoes. With its mountains and lakes, deserts and forests, Idaho often blows the minds of first-time visitors. Many little towns that dot the state are just as surreal. Plus, they are fantastic jumping-off points to world-class outdoor venues. Although it can be hard to pick favorites, Wallace — and the towns highlighted here — are a shoulder above the rest of the pack.

This morning I wanted to sleep in but heard Syrup pop his sleep pad at 6:20am. I guess he didn’t get the memo that we were going to sleep in this morning. So I started slowly packing up and getting ready to hike. Just after 7am everybody was ready to go. We only had about 10 miles until we would get into Macks inn. And from there we could hitch into West Yellowstone.  

When we left camp we only had to walk .2 miles on trail. Then we got into the most perfectly manicured dirt road I’d ever seen. It had a slight downhill decline too. We would be walking along that for the entire rest of the way to town. It doesn’t get much better than that.

9 Lives up ahead along the road.

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I had service so I did some stuff on my phone as I walked. Then I talked to my mom on the phone for a while. The time flew by and by 10am we got into town. Our first stop was for food of course. The trail went right past a subway and all of us had been talking about it for days. Everybody headed inside and dropped our packs. Then I ordered a steak and cheese sub with all the fixings.

My loaded subway sandwich. We had been dreaming about subway for days.

After we got our food we asked for a piece of cardboard. Then made a sign saying “West Yellowstone” so that we could attempt to get a hitch. We walked across the street to the nearby grocery store to grab a couple of things after that. Then began hitching. While I held up the sign I remembered something though, hitch hiking is illegal in Idaho! And I was pretty sure that we were in Idaho right now.

Within the first 10 minutes a car pulled over. It was actually a guy who we had texted earlier about maybe shuttling us to West Yellowstone. Originally he said that he couldn’t fit all of us. That’s why we were hitching. But now he said he thought he could try to get all 5 of us in. We were super grateful for that. In the end Sidequest and I went in the truck bed and everyone else fit inside the cab. The ride to West Yellowstone was only 14 miles from Mack’s inn, so it was short and sweet. Before we knew it we were in town.

Sidequest and I loaded into the truck bed with all of the packs. The bed was raised so it was like we were sitting on top of the bed practically.

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West Yellowstone is a lot like Gatlinburg on the AT. It’s a big tourist town with everything that you could think of. Luckily we got into town on a Tuesday, so it was much less crazy. Our first stop was the visitor center to ask about permits. We’re going to come back tomorrow and actually get them. But we had a couple of questions. Then we made our way through town.

Talking to the Yellowstone ranger about permits.

9 Lives and I have been talking about boba tea for days because we heard there was a store in West Yellowstone. So we headed to a place to get that. Lately on trail we have been in tiny towns so the variety of food and drinks has been limited. I’ve been dying for something like this! I got a Thai tea and everyone else got something too. Then we sat outside and enjoyed. After I finished I got a taro smoothie for round 2. I just couldn’t resist.

A Thai tea from the shop in west Yellowstone.

Tea&Brown, where I got so many drinks while we were in west Yellowstone.

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Check in time for our room was 2pm so we had a little bit of time to kill. While we sat outside we heard someone holler over, and to my surprise it was Sprinkle! She was down on the Florida trail earlier this year. It was so cool to see her again. She works in the area doing tours. We talked with her for a bit and she even offered us some drinks. Sadly she has to work these next couple of days so we can’t hangout. But hopefully we’ll be able to see her again while we’re still in the area.

Sprinkles truck and the cool platform she made so that she can camp in it. The car was loaded with packs because she was helping out a few other hikers.

Shortly after that we checked into our motel room. Then everybody showered and we got our stuff together to do laundry. While we were hanging at the room a bunch of our friends showed up that we haven’t seen in weeks. Nana Man, Dirty, Just in Case, and Giggles all came by the room. Plus a couple other friends that they have been hiking with. It was so nice to see everyone again.

Nana Man in one of his many fantastic outfits, with his cane of course.

Then once everybody showered a huge group of us walked to the laundromat together. While the laundry was going we all hung out. I got a little bit of writing done and everyone else did some drinking. Then once we were done we dropped our stuff back at the room and headed to an early dinner.

The laundromat where we hung out for a while.

Dirty and his new straw hat. It feels like forever since we’ve seen these guys!

There was apparently a wicked good BBQ place in town but it was closed. So we went to the Slippery Otter. The name alone was enough to get us intrigued. I was pretty hungry but not really in the mood for bar food. High Profile and I split an order of jalapeño wontons to start. Then I got a big salad and an order of sweet potato fries for my meal. It wound up being the perfect amount of food since I wasn’t starving.

The Slippery Otter Pub where we went for an early dinner.

It was so nice getting a meal with this whole but crew again. It was High Profile, 9 Lives, Sidequest, Syrup, Nana Man, Dirty, Tigger, and myself. We hung out there for a while eating and talking. Then headed out after that. Everyone else wanted to go to another bar but I wasn’t in the mood to drink. So I went to get ice cream with HP. I also realized that since everyone else was gone I would have the motel room to myself. That meant I could probably get some voice recording stuff done hopefully before everyone came back. But of course, I started to work and within 5 minutes Syrup came back to the room. That was totally fine, but I was disappointed that I didn’t manage to get anything done beforehand.

The Slippery Otter Pub in West Yellowstone.

I really wanted to get some work done so I decided to walk down the street. I was hoping that I could find some place quiet to work. In the end I sat on some cement blocks and got a bunch of work done. But within the next half hour it began to drizzle. Luckily I was under an over hang, because before I knew it it started pouring. There was a lull in the rain and I used my opportunity to run back to the motel.

I got an ice cream with High Profile and ate it back at the room.

Thank god I got back when I did. Because almost as soon as I got back the sky opened up and began dumping rain! It sounded and looked terrible out. So I hid in the room with Syrup just relaxing. It felt so good to lay in bed and do nothing at all. But I did manage to get a lot of writing done and a few videos made.

Everyone else came back to the room not too long after that. The guys said that they probably wanted to hike out with us in a couple of days. We haven’t hiked together in 2 weeks, so I would absolutely love that. I missed these crazy guys!

The City Center Motel where we would wind up staying 2 nights in West Yellowstone.

Then later on in the evenings a bunch of us ordered Chinese food. HP and I walked to pick it up. Then came back to the room to eat. I got crab Rangoons and Mongolian beef with rice. It’s been so long since I ate anything besides burgers and American food. I was excited for some variety. The crab Rangoons were great and I ate all of those quickly. Then I’ll have a bunch of leftovers for tomorrow.

Later on in the evening I got a bit more writing done. The guys left our room and went to tent somewhere in town. We told them that they could sleep on our floor, but they wanted to tent. I wound up staying up way too late doing some work on my phone. Then eventually called it a night. Tomorrow we’re taking a zero day! So I can sleep in as late as I want and chill all day

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On a bright Wednesday afternoon at the University of Idaho, students and staff unveiled a new garden memorial to honor the four students killed Nov. 13, 2022, and other students the school has lost since.

The Vandal Healing Garden, created by students at the University of Idaho College of Art and Architecture, opened two days after fall classes officially began this week.

“It was so well done, and it was a day meant to recognize the time and effort of the kids who built it,” Stacy Chapin, whose son Ethan Chapin was among the four Idaho students murdered in 2022, told Fox News Digital.

One side of the memorial is dedicated to Ethan, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, while the other side is a place for all University of Idaho families who have experienced loss to reflect on their loved ones, Chapin explained.

BRYAN KOHBERGER TRIAL SET TO BEGIN JUNE 2025 IN IDAHO MURDERS CASE

Stacy Chapin said she felt “amazing” support from her son’s fraternity brothers, her daughter’s sorority sisters, the university and the community as a whole.

“It was an amazing day.”

— Stacy Chapin

Part of the November 2022 side of the memorial includes a structure that reflects all four students’ favorite colors, Chapin explained.

The University of Idaho on Wednesday unveiled a new memorial dedicated by the community. (University of Idaho)

Ethan’s friend and fraternity brother, Drew Giacomazzi, was one of the students tasked with helping to create the memorial. 

Giacomazzi told Fox News Digital the garden was an 18-month project, completely funded by the community, that involved lots of meetings between students, school staff and design professionals. He said he was “at a loss for words” when he saw the final outcome this week.

In his speech Wednesday, he said the university felt “dark, cold and distant” after the murders, and “the intent of the Healing Garden is to build a unique space that unites University of Idaho students, alumni and the Moscow community.”

“Do more of what you love to honor Kaylee. Spread that love with random acts of kindness to honor Maddie. Be silly and do something spontaneous and fun to honor Xana. And tell stories with an abundance of laughter to honor Ethan,” Giacomazzi said in his speech.

The University of Idaho recently unveiled a new memorial dedicated by the community. (University of Idaho)

The University of Idaho said in a statement posted on Facebook that the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial was “designed, vetted and built” by students with guidance from faculty and alumni. The memorial is “a testament to the inspirational response from our community and a symbol of” the university’s strength as a community, the statement said.

The school added that the garden “is a space to come together in moments of grief and reflection and to honor the Vandal students” that the school has lost.

IDAHO STUDENTS’ FORMER ROOMMATE BREAKS SILENCE AS JUDGE CLOSES SUSPECT KOHBERGER’S NEXT HEARING

Nov. 13 will mark two years since 20-year-old Kernodle and Chapin and 21-year-old Goncalves and Mogen were murdered in a student rental home just yards from campus in the middle of the night.

Ethan Chapin’s name is displayed on the University of Idaho Vandal Healing Garden memorial. (University of Idaho)

Xana Kernodle’s name is displayed on the University of Idaho Vandal Healing Garden memorial. (University of Idaho)

Kaylee Goncalves’ name is displayed on the University of Idaho Vandal Healing Garden memorial. (University of Idaho)

Madison May Mogen’s name is displayed on the University of Idaho Vandal Healing Garden memorial. (University of Idaho)

Giacomazzi said he knew all four victims but was closest to Ethan, who was the kind of person to brighten an entire room with his laughter and make others feel “welcome.” He was in the airport visiting his sister in New York when he heard Ethan had died, and he recalled being in a state of shock when he found out what had happened.

“It was a really scary moment, and coming back it was surreal seeing news cameras there, and we just didn’t know what to do. Our fraternity didn’t know what to do. I think the university was just kind of stunned and didn’t know what to do. It was a weird time in Moscow,” Giacomazzi recalled. 

“This Healing Garden is just an area to bring that light back to campus.”

— Drew Giacomazzi

The memorial will help students “go through those emotions” of grief “and feel safe while doing it,” Giacomazzi added. “There are obviously buildings and areas of campus like that before, but there was nothing purposefully designed and dedicated to those kinds of emotions, and this Healing Garden is just an area to bring that light back to campus.”

University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen died Nov. 13, 2022. (University of Idaho)

University of Idaho President Scott Green said in his remarks Wednesday that the tragedy provided the “impetus” for the garden memorial. 

“We lost four shining lights full of life and promise. This garden memorial is dedicated to them and the University of Idaho,” Green said. “It’s a reminder that even in times of sadness and darkness, we can always find light.”

Suspect Bryan Kohberger, a 29-year-old criminology Ph.D. student at the neighboring University of Washington in Pullman, is suspected of stabbing the four students in their rooms in the early morning hours of that Sunday. He pleaded not guilty and is expected to stand trial next year.

BRYAN KOHBERGER ASKS COURT FOR CHANGE OF VENUE AFTER DELAYS IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS TRIAL

Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)

Kohberger is asking for his trial to be moved out of Latah County, the close-knit college community where the murders took place.

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“A fair and impartial jury cannot be found in Latah County owing to the extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity, allegations made about Mr. Kohberger to the public by media that will be inadmissible at his trial, the small size of the community, the salacious nature of the alleged crimes, and the severity of the charges Mr. Kohberger faces,” Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead defense attorney, wrote in a February court filing.

The defendant’s efforts to change the trial venue are ongoing.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.