Air of Distinction
castle rock state park, city of rocks national reserve, mini-cassia chamber of commerce, perrine bridge, recreation, snake river, southern idaho, sun valley resort, twin falls,
Bungee jumping? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Skydiving? Child’s play. The problem with these adrenaline-inducing sports is that they just aren’t, well, illegal enough.
That might be the story you get from a BASE-jumper seconds before they hurl themselves off the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, just hundreds of feet above the Snake River. The only manmade structure from which it is legal to jump without a permit, the spot draws hoards of thrill-seekers looking for the ultimate rush.
And in the three seconds before their parachutes opens, many are thinking the same thing: Outdoor recreation in Southern Idaho is unbeatable.
The state offers a smorgasbord of fresh-air activities for everyone from the casual outdoorsman to the ultimate daredevil and everyone in between.
Active types who are looking for an extreme recreation experience that doesn’t involve reliance on parachute success can strap on their skis and head to remote slopes for heliskiing, which involves skiing a mountain that is only accessible by helicopter.
“Heliskiing is about the most exciting, adventurous and exclusive approach to the sport of skiing,” says Bert Witsil, a sales executive at Sun Valley Resort. “A skier can heliski virtually any peak you can fly a helicopter to.”
A helicopter ferries a group of skiers and guides to the top of rural mountains and meets them at the bottom once they’ve skied the slope. Accessible peaks are innumerable throughout Sun Valley, creating the perfect atmosphere for heliskiing.
“We have a wide range of slopes and terrain perfectly suited for backcountry skiing and the most experienced heliski guides in the world, as the sport was founded here,” Witsil says.
For those a little more grounded, traditional skiing abounds in the area, along with an array of other warm- and cold-weather activities.
“We have the variety of trails, canyons to climb, or rivers or streams to play in,” says Debbie Dane, executive director of Southern Idaho Tourism. “The choices are endless, and the landscapes are truly amazing.”
She suggests wildflower watching at Craters of the Moon National Monument in the spring, hiking or cycling whenever the weather is warm and enjoying the picturesque scenery of the Magic Valley winter.
“We have four seasons, and each season provides unique recreation opportunities,” Dane says. “We don’t have to travel far to have fun.”
The Snake River is also a major recreational attraction, offering everything from fishing to kayaking. It runs through Twin Falls and Mini-Cassia, which is near the popular City of Rocks National Reserve in Castle Rock State Park.
The monument offers hiking and mountain biking trails, but rock climbing is the main crowd-puller. The City of Rocks attracts between 80,000 and 90,000 people each year.
“People do want to come to our area because of the recreational opportunities that we have,” says Kae Cameron, executive director of the Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce. “There’s a little bit of something for everyone.”
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Story by Michaela Jackson
Photo by Jeff Adkins
