A Guide to Eloping in Stanley Idaho
When it comes to deciding on a location to elope for your special day it can be an incredibly difficult decision. There are so many options! The world is your oyster. Do you want to go abroad or keep it on the same continent? What kind of weather are you hoping to find on your wedding day? What’s your budget? What kind of activities do you hope to embark on? All of these things are factors to consider but I’m here to say my peace for why I think Stanley Idaho is one of the best places in the United States to spend your wedding day, especially if you are an outdoorsy couple!
Through this blog I’ve laid out a lot of different things like how to get to Stanley, what you can do, where to stay and eat and more. Of course this list is not your only options for each category but honestly Stanley is pretty small so you’ve got a tiny pool to start with. I just picked some things that have been my personal favorite in the time I’ve spent there and also what could be really fun for a couple on their elopement day! I included as many links as possible so you can check out different companies but if you book a Stanley elopement with me I will also build you a personalized location and vendor list based specifically to what you and your partner might be looking for! The Stanley Chamber of Commerce is also a good resource for businesses and just general fun knowledge about Stanley as a town.
View from a bush plane flight over Stanley Lake
How to get there:
In my honest opinion, one of the best things about Stanley is how difficult it is to access. I know that sounds strange but hear me out, it helps keep it a bit more low key and makes for adventuring around the area feel way more special. It’s truly out in the middle of nowhere. There is no option to fly directly into Stanley unless you have your own very small aircraft, the best alternative is to fly to Sun Valley and drive the hour from there. You can get direct flights from Seattle, SLC, LA, and a few other places to Sun Valley, or to save even a little more money, fly into Boise and drive the 3 hours in. The flight will be much cheaper since you have more direct flight options into Boise vs Sun Valley. Depending on where you live just driving to Stanley is worth it as well. It’s a really pretty drive from all directions through canyons and following rivers.
Here are some close by hubs that are a bit bigger but you could easily make the drive from:
Spokane, Washington is 417 miles and about 7hr 46min drive
Boise, Idaho its 133mi and 2hr 48min drive
Salt Lake City, Utah you can drive 354mi in 5hr 47min
Bozeman, Montana it’s 343mi in just over 6hrs drive time
Jackson Hole, Wyoming its 299mi in 5hr 26min drive time and you can see the Tetons along the way!
Here are flight time lengths that are for the direct flights coming into Sun Valley:
Seattle - 1hr 35min
Salt Lake City, Utah - 1hr 5min
Denver, Colorado - 2hr 12min
Los Angeles, California - 2hr 15min
San Francisco, California - 2hr 5min
Chicago, Illinois - 3hr 59min
If you decide to fly into an airport and drive to Stanley, Turo is one of my favorite apps to use to rent a car. Sure you can rent a car at the airport but they’re usually a lot more expensive and you don’t get much say over what car you end up with. I like to tell people that Turo is the AirBnb for cars, you can filter through what style of car you’d like and when renting you know exactly what you’re going to get and can speak directly with the owner. No showing up and wondering what random vehicle the rental agency will give you. On each listing in the app they will have important things noted like if it’s an automatic or a manual transmission, how many it can seat, mileage, and some add ons like camping gear or offroad upgrades!
They have verified Super-Hosts and of course you can see all the reviews for people who have borrowed their car before. Plus if you’re eloping and maybe looking for more of an adventure vehicle or something high end and fun you can see all the specs on the car and message with the owner beforehand to make sure it’s capable of what you might be trying to do. For example if you know you want to spend some more time on small forest service roads you can look for a Jeep that has 4WD and is more compatible for the type of adventure you’re trying to have! Bonus of Turo as well is you have more freedom of a meeting point. Some people are comfortable enough leaving the car in the airport parking lot (especially if it’s a newer car with keyless entry, you can use the Turo app to open the car!) or you can meet them at an agreed upon location so you can speak with the owner and go over any specs you might need to know more about. I rented a Tesla in Arizona once and having never driven one the owner sent me a lot of videos on how to work each feature to make sure I felt comfortable before picking up the car. I have had nothing but good experiences with Turo and highly recommend looking into it if you find yourself looking to rent a car!
My last note on driving to Stanley, no matter where you’re coming from, is do keep in mind roads close from time to time. In the winter/spring they’re have been times they have to close Highway 21 due to avalanche danger on the road and in the late summer wildfire season can cause chaos as well. Give yourself an extra day or two before you’re elopement day so you aren’t having to stress about road closures or plane delays. Plus that gives you a little more time for exploring.
Where to stay:
Mountain Village Resort - This hotel is a great option for it’s location. It’s on the main highway right in the middle of town and has a restaurant and saloon on the main level! A great place for all your guests to stay or for just you and your boo. They have a lot of different options for room sizes and amenities and some are pet friendly but not all. The rooms are also situated between two levels and the lower level is ADA accesible. Another bonus of the Mountain Village Resort is it’s access to their hot spring. It’s a man made pool that can fit 8 people and is covered which is great for adverse weather. When you open the barn doors you are met with an amazing sweeping view of the Sawtooth Range. You get free access with your stay and have to make a reservation for a time to go out to the spring, a reservation does not guarantee privacy though. If you want it to be more private choose a time of day or time of year to visit when visitation is lower like winter or an early sunrise soak!
Triangle C Cabins - My husband and I rented a cabin with Triangle C Cabins for our honeymoon in May of 2019 and had a lovely experience! They offer a range of cabins that are non pet friendly and pet friendly with variations of sizes. This would be a great spot for any guests or family you might invite to your elopement because all the cabins are close to each other and everyone can spend time together while enjoying the beautiful scenery. They also offer a lodge now as well that has 6 bedrooms and is pet friendly! A great choice for an intimate ceremony with some of your closest people all staying under one roof together. Plus the lodge has a hot tub!
Redfish Lake Lodge - Friendly reminder that this lodge is only open and accessible from Memorial Day through late September. The road is not maintained in the wintertime although you can still access the lake on snowshoes or snowmobiles for quiet snowy views. In the summer you can rent a plethora of water toys from the marina to play in the lake and enjoy the summer temps! You can also rent bikes and ride horses, they offer a ton of great experiences out of the lodge. They offer hiker boat shuttles for hikers going into the backcountry on the far end of the lake, pontoon rentals, and my favorite, a sunset cruise with a chef crafted charcuterie board for you to enjoy with friends and family or just yourselves! Redfish Lake Lodge does offer private cabins and rooms and has plenty of space for your guests to stay as long as you plan far enough ahead! This is a popular spot and books up very quickly. They have a restaurant and small general store on site as well as a marina. It has a great beach access and space as well as being a great starting point for many hikes and backpacking trips into the alpine backcountry. Only downside to the lodge is no pets are allowed in any rooms or cabins.
Stanley Town Square - This location offers some small apartment like spaces to book, which is especially great if you plan to stay for awhile or have some people who need more amenities than a standard hotel/motel. Another bonus is they have a unit that is ground level and ADA accessible. The location is great as it’s in the heart of town near the Stanley Supper Club and Stanley Baking Co. The upper units have beautiful views and lots of space.
Stanley Vacation Rentals - Another great choice to stay because of its location. It’s right off the main highway in town, accross the street from the general store and within walking distance of the restaurants in town. Offering cute and cozy rooms you check it just as you would an Airbnb, with a door code and they offer great amenities. They do require a 3 night minimum stay and pets are not allowed.
Stanley High Country Inn - Great location in town and offers a delicious brunch menu! Great for the morning after your amazing elopement day. They offer great amenities like a reservable hot tub and a library, as well as a shuttle to Redfish Lake (May - September). They also offer a few pet friendly rooms!
Redfish Riverside Inn - A beautiful space along the river for a little more peace and quiet. They only have a few rooms/cabins so there isn’t as much traffic as the bigger hotels. You can rent inflatable kayaks to take out on the river or enjoy a seat near the calming water to read a book. They offer two pet friendly rooms and even have a spa! Can we say dreamy post elopement day couples massage please?!
Sawtooth Vista Rentals - This a collection of cabins that you can pick from ranging in sizes, location, and views! Each cabin comes with it’s own amenities and set of rules for pets. All the info can be found through each individual page and the Airbnb/VRBO listing. Most are on the larger size which is great for a couple who wants to host their family and friends for their elopement!
Stanley Stays Vacation Cabin Rentals - All cute cabins of different sizes that are pet friendly! These cabins are located not far from town and are close to the turn off for Stanley Lake. They host 4-6 guests so you can rent one for just you and your partner or include a few friends or family members as well if you choose to have guests. Stanley Lake is a great spot to go to get a little further away from the Redfish Lake summer crowds!
Camping:
Camping is another great option to find somewhere to lay your head while you’re in Stanley. Most campgrounds are closed in the winter though so this is more for the summer travelers. There is a lot of opportunities for camping around Stanley. Redfish Lake and Stanley Lake offer campgrounds close to the lakes, some offer hookups and some are just spots to pitch a tent. If you visit the USFS Recreation website you can see all sorts of campgrounds and even reserve your spot online! There are some RV parks in town as well if you’d like to be closer to some other amenities. Other than that Stanley has a lot of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land surrounding it where dispersed camping is allowed. Just keep an eye out for private property signs and remember Leave No Trace practices at all times! I’ll have more info on Leave No Trace at the bottom of this blog.
Places to Eat:
Mountain Village Resort Restaurant + Saloon - This is located inside the main lodge in downtown Stanley so it’s easy to access and has pretty good food! It’s your basic bar and grill fare but after a long day in the mountains not much tastes better than a huge greasy meal and a cold beer. Mountain Village is open year round so you can always find a warm meal there, any time of year.
Papa Brunees - A pizza place in the heart of town that is open year round! Family run and even has online ordering so you can order and pick it up quick and easy. This would be a great spot to pick up some pies the night before your elopement day, low key and can feed everyone you’ve invited for a chill night in.
Redfish Lake Lodge - The lodge has a classic restaurant for breakfast and dinner where they incorporate a lot of local ingredients into their dishes. The lodge also has amazing brunch and appetizer cruises during the summer on vintage wooden boats that take you and 5 of your friends or family around the Redfish Lake while you eat and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The lodge is only open from Memorial Day to late September so this is a summer time spot. The Lodge does also offer reservations for bigger parties so if you’re looking to have more than just a few guests on your elopement day you can book their dining room to have a post ceremony dinner in! They can host up to 40 guests.
Stanley High Country Inn - They offer a place to stay and an amazing brunch menu throughout the winter! Delicious pancakes and breakfast sandwiches as well as yummy drinks! A great way to enjoy a slow post elopement morning with your love.
Here’s a terrible photo from my phone of my breakfast at Stanley Baking Company after we got back into town from an early morning backpacking adventure
Stanley Baking Company - Okay I am a little biased but this place is my ABSOLUTE favorite in Stanley. They’re only open in the summer but if you find yourself there it’s so worth your time. They have a ton of homemade pastries and a delicious breakfast menu. The coffee is the perfect morning pick me up and they have outdoor seating so you can enjoy the beautiful Sawtooth view while you eat your goodies. This is a great spot to hit the morning of your elopement to get some coffee and fuel up for your day, it’s such a cute spot it would make for great photos while you get ready for the day.
Stanley Supper Club - This spot is a little more of an upscale, fine dining experience. The chefs worked in the Seattle fine dining industry for years before coming back to Stanley where they first met long ago working breakfast at one of the inns. This restaurant would be a great spot to attend on the night of your elopement or as a last meal before you leave Stanley. It’s a small quiet atmosphere with a homey touch and very yummy food. They also have homemade cakes that would be a fun post hike/elopement day treat to share with any guests or just the two of you! They do take custom orders for cakes too 😋
Sawtooth Hotel - Another location that is only open for the summer but offers dinner from 5-9pm Thursday - Monday in a cozy location in town. Easy to access and another location using local ingredients to upscale their menu. A great place to grab a quick bite while you’re in town or just passing through!
Things to do:
When it comes to things to do in Stanley in the outdoors the possibilities are endless. It’s such a great area for year round fun that no matter the time of year you want to get married we can still make your elopement day as adventure filled as you want!
View from the end of a long hike to one of the many alpine lakes that reside in the Sawtooth Range, we backpacked out and stayed the night with this view all to ourselves.
Hiking: When it comes to hiking my list would probably never end so I want to give you my best tip for hiking, no matter where you go. If you’re looking to do some hiking/backpacking or mountain biking in Stanley (or honestly anywhere) download the All Trails App on your phone or go to the website. You can make a free account and scour thousands of hikes wherever your next trip is taking you. This link will take you to my ever growing list of hikes I want to do in the Sawtooths, some I’ve already done and some I can’t wait to check off! They have trails for hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, running, and road biking. My favorite thing about All Trails is you can do pretty specific filtering for what you’re looking for. You can filter length of hike, difficulty, dogs allowed, if it’s ADA accessible, what sort of landmarks you might see and it goes on from there. You can even download maps offline and track your hike. I also like the community aspect of the app, you can look at the photos people have taken on certain hikes and it’s really great for trail reports if you’re planning on going to a hike that might still have snow and ice from winter or downed trees from a storm. If you book a hiking elopement with me we will go more in depth on specifics of the hike you’re looking for and I’ll offer my recommendations depending on what you’d like. If you’ve already got a hike in mind and are ready to go then let’s do it!
Photo courtesy of my husband from one of his solo backpacking adventures in the Sawtooths with our dog Blu
Here are some other recommendations when looking for things to do from rentals to guides!
Smiley Creek Lodge - A great spot for year round activities! In the winter they offer snowmobile rentals and classes so you can learn if you’ve never been before (they also offer a female only beginners class taught by a local snowmobile pro Lisa Granden!). In the summer you can rent mountain bikes and set off into the backcountry for long hikes to alpine lakes. You can also take your UTV/ATV/Dirt Bike out on some of the best trails. So many great opportunities available for the adventurous couple looking to have a ton of outdoor fun on their elopement day! It’s got everything you need as well with lodging, camping, and a year round restaurant.
Mystic Saddle Ranch - This company offers a lot of different options for someone looking to do some guided trips into the backcountry. They offer horseback rides that range from one hour to full day rides! Access to beautiful scenic views of the Sawtooth Mountains with more of a laid back feel. You can also take guided pack trips where your gear is packed in on horses and you can camp out in the beautiful wilderness while knowing you’re in good hands with expert guides. They also offer fully guided fly fishing trips and hunting trips. It’s a summer only operation but so worth it! You could horseback ride to your ceremony spot for your elopement!
Salmon River Anglers - You can take full day fly fishing adventures on the Salmon and Middle Fork Rivers with guides to help you find the best fishing spots. You don’t have to be a master angler but if you’re just getting started and want to try they offer classes to learn how to fly fish as well. Some of the best fly fishing you’ll find in the world!
Sawtooth Guides - Local guides who offer a number of services depending on what type of adventure you’re into! They offer rock climbing for all skill levels, guided hiking and backpacking trips, skiing, and they even offer avalanche safety courses.
Sawtooth Traxx - They offer snowmobile rentals in the winter and ATV/UTV rentals in the summer for all your engine powered exploring!
River Rafting: The Salmon River is regarded as some of the most amazing whitewater rapids in the world, so whether you’ve been before or this is your first time there is something for every level in this area!
The River Company - If rafting is something you love or have been looking to do the Salmon River is one of the best places in the world to do it. The Salmon river runs through Stanley and offers world class rafting for all experience levels. You can take the scenic route and just enjoy the views on the water or you can go up to Class 4 rafting and enjoy more of an adrenaline rush.
Sawtooth Adventure - Another great option if you’re looking to raft! They offer one day trips and scenic trips as well with more laid back views. Nothing beats the rafting on the Salmon River and this would make such a fun elopement or honeymoon activity! This company also offers inflatable kayak adventures as well.
Hot Springs:
One of the best things about Idaho is its access to hot springs. Idaho has almost 130 soakable hot springs because of the Idaho Batholith, a roughly 13,500-square-mile mountainous region shaped by the collision of tectonic plates (info from the Visit Idaho website). Some hot springs are man made like Burgdorf Hot Springs or the semi private tub you can rent if you stay at Mountain Village. Others require more hiking (depending on the time of year) like Bonneville Hot Springs or knowing someone who knows someone who is willing to give up a secret spot. One thing you need to know about Idaho hot springs is they are a very well known but well kept secret. Lots of locals don’t like to give up the location of their favorite spot for fear of it being overrun and trashed, rightfully so. There are lots of hot springs to choose from so if that’s something on your list for your elopement day we can figure out a great spot to soak and hopefully miss the crowds a bit! Another note on hot springs, be aware that some hot springs are definitely more of a clothing optional vibe, so keep that in mind if you roll up to a random hot spring and you see buttcheeks.
Lastly, please remember Leave No Trace principles as always when being outdoors but especially in the hot springs areas. A big reason a lot of people won’t give up their locations is because they have a tendency to get trashed by random tourists. Please be respectful of our outdoor spaces and clean up after yourself. I enjoy the hell out of a beer in a toasty hot spring but don’t be the asshole who leaves their trash and ruins it for everyone else.
A little hidden hot springs in the Sawtooths, perfect size for two people to snuggle up in on a cold morning!
Dark Sky Reserve:
Another great aspect of this part of the country is its designation as the first Dark Sky Reserve in the United States in 2017, even achieving gold tier status from the International Dark Sky Association. It’s been named the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve and the lawmakers and citizens of the region have gone to great lengths to secure this classification. You can learn more on their website about how they got this amazing feat and more about what it means for the community and generations to come. For couples visiting for their elopement or wedding this means some amazing opportunities to have an unmatched view of the night sky. It’s so dark you can see the Milky Way incredibly well on a clear night, enjoy star gazing, and even hunt for shooting stars!
Vendors:
Stanley is a very small town (about 120 full time residents) so services are a bit limited in town. Some of the restaurants I listed above would be great spots to eat with your guests if you’re deciding to have only a few of your people there on your wedding day. If you’re looking to do something a bit bigger and might need more help you will probably have to look outside of Stanley. Thankfully Sun Valley is only an hour away and offers more services geared towards the wedding industry since Sun Valley is a very popular destination for large weddings! Obviously not all these vendors are something you might need for an elopement but depending on what you’re looking for you might find something you didn’t know you wanted! I will point out as well that some things are possible to bring in from Boise. That drive is closer to 3 hours and you could easily get stuff like florals and food in Boise and bring it out to Stanley with you, that list would be just a bit too long for this post though. If you are planning a Stanley elopement with me it’s something we can discuss more!
Here are some Sun Valley based wedding vendors:
Carson Weddings - They are planners who offer a variety of wedding planning services as well as specific elopement services!
At Your Place Catering - They offer catering services out of Sun Valley and utilize a lot of local ingredients in their dishes.
That’s Entertainment - They offer party rentals if you would like to have more of a setup on your wedding day, especially if you decide to have guests.
Taylor’d Events - They offer event rentals as well as floral arrangements, all in one place.
Simply Skin - This is a spa in Sun Valley that offers facials and all sorts of treatments. Could be a fun spot to hit with your friends a day or two before your elopement to relax and feel ready for your big day.
Sawtooth Botanical Garden - A beautiful spot in Sun Valley that you could host a night before dinner or a post elopement reception dinner for any guests you might decide to invite!
Bare Sun Valley - If you’re looking to have your makeup professionally done for your elopement day you could swing in here the morning of to get all dolled up before heading out.
Primavera Plants and Flowers - Floral arrangements in the Sun Valley area.
Grill at Knob Hill - Another spot for a night before dinner or post ceremony spot for your big day.
Leave No Trace: LNT
Leave no trace is something that is incredibly important to me and very close to my heart. As time goes on and I spend more and more time in the outdoors I see the toll our human existence takes on Mother Earth and how we are negatively impacting this planet. This is not to say we should all stay indoors forever and never go outside, I believe we should experience these beautiful places if we’re lucky enough to get there. It’s just important we recreate responsibly and take care of this little blue dot while we’ve got her. The best resource for leave no trace info is LNT.org. They have lots of education on there as well as discussing research they’re doing to better understand our impact on this world. The biggest takeaways when planning your elopement is the 7 Principles of LNT which are:
Plan Ahead and Prepare - make sure you plan for the weather possibilities for the time of year your visitng, plan your route, know regulations and special concerns for your area
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces - stay on existing trails, stay on durable surfaces such as dry grass, rock, gravel or snow, walk single file to not widen the trail, camp in already established sites
Dispose of Waste Properly - pack it in, pack it out, solid human waste goes in a cathole 6-8 inches deep and buried, wash dishes with biodegradable soap 200ft from a water source
Leave What You Find - observe historic structures but don’t touch, don’t take anything from the trail home with you
Minimize Campfire Impact - use established fire rings when possible, keep fires small, make sure they are completely out before leaving
Respect Wildlife - observe from a distance, do not feed them, if you have a pet that will disturb them leave them at home
Be Considerate of Others - respect others who are out to enjoy nature, yield to uphill hikers, preserve the natural soundscape, no loud speakers
These are just the basics of each principle, when you book your elopement with me we will go over things more in depth. Also please read through their website since they have a lot of really great info!
View of an alpine lake from a bush plane flight to Sulfur Creek Ranch deep in the heart of the Sawtooths
Thanks for taking the time to go through this blog post and I hope it gets you as stoked about Stanley as I am literally 100% of the time. It can make the most magical backdrop for your wedding as well as provide some crazy fun adventures for you and your partner! Don’t forget to reach out about hiring me to photograph your amazing Stanley elopement as I’m offering $500 off special locations for weddings booked in 2024-2025 (and trust me, Stanley is VERY special). Hope to chat with you soon!
