Seasonal conditions
May to October — winter closes the high stretches; the valley rides best in the long light of June-August.
ROUTE
Peaks to Craters — Ketchum to Challis via Mackay
Idaho’s empty middle: 183 km from Ketchum up the Lost River valley beneath 12,662-foot Borah Peak to Challis — high desert, big peaks and no traffic.
scenic-road183 km4.9 heasy
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/90525319@N07">BLMIdaho</a> / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
ABOUT THIS ROUTE
The route in detail
Highway 93 north from Ketchum runs the Long Valley and the Lost River Range — Idaho’s tallest and loneliest mountains — through the ranch town of Mackay under Borah Peak, the state’s rooftop at 12,662 feet. The road is broad, fast and almost always empty, and the high-desert light over the big white peaks is some of the best riding scenery in the American West. Fuel in Ketchum and Mackay; Challis ends the day with the Salmon River byways beyond.
Highway 93 north from Ketchum runs the Long Valley and the Lost River Range — Idaho’s tallest and loneliest mountains — through the ranch town of Mackay under Borah Peak, the state’s rooftop at 12,662 feet. The road is broad, fast and almost always empty, and the high-desert light over the big white peaks is some of the best riding scenery in the American West. Fuel in Ketchum and Mackay; Challis ends the day with the Salmon River byways beyond.
PLAN RESPONSIBLY
Season & safety
Key hazards
- Strong crosswinds down the Big Lost valley.
- Cattle guards and open-range cattle on the highway.
- Sparse fuel — Ketchum and Mackay only.
- Cold mornings even in July at this altitude.
Required gear
- Certified motorcycle helmet and full protective riding gear.
- Wind layer — the valley runs exposed.
- Fuel planning: top up in Mackay.
WAYPOINTS
Route points
- 01
Mackay — under Idaho’s highest peak
waypoint
MAP & ROUTE
On the atlas
Elevation2,411 m high point1,524 m low point1,321 m total climbing16% steepest stretch (km 15.4)
DESTINATIONS
Places on this route
Sun Valley & Ketchum
America’s original ski resort town beneath Bald Mountain, where Hemingway’s ghost, groomed corduroy and a wild Sawtooth skyline share one valley.
Central Idaho
Salmon & Challis
Birthplace of Sacajawea and launchpad of the River of No Return — a rough-edged river town, three ghost towns and Idaho’s highest summit.
Central Idaho
Craters of the Moon
A volcanic moonscape on the Snake River Plain — cinder cones, lava tubes and wildflower islands where Apollo astronauts trained for the Moon.
South Central Idaho
INTERESTS
Why riders & travellers love it
WEATHER
Weather along the route
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
NEARBY
Explore nearby
Stanley & the Sawtooths
Central Idaho
Boise & the Treasure Valley
Southwest Idaho
Hells Canyon & the Salmon River
North Central Idaho
City of Rocks
South Central Idaho
Teton Valley
Eastern Idaho
Twin Falls & the Snake River Canyon
South Central Idaho
Island Park & Mesa Falls
Eastern Idaho
Rexburg & the Menan Buttes
Eastern Idaho
REGIONS
Explore the region
KEEP EXPLORING
The atlas continues
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