Seasonal conditions
June to October — Galena closes with snow roughly November to May; July for the longest days.
ROUTE
Sawtooth Loop — Stanley to Ketchum over Galena Summit
The postcard ride: 109 km from Stanley down the Sawtooth Valley past Redfish Lake, over 8,701-foot Galena Summit and down the Wood River to Ketchum — Idaho’s single greatest day ride.
scenic-road109 km3.6 hmoderate
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/72213316@N00">Frank Kovalchek</a> from Ancho / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
ABOUT THIS ROUTE
The route in detail
Highway 75 between Stanley and Ketchum is what Idaho rides look like in dreams. The road runs the glacial Sawtooth Valley beneath the 10,000-foot granite wall of the range, passes the teal water of Redfish Lake, then climbs the state’s highest paved summit at Galena — where the entire Sawtooth frontier spills below the overlook — before the long sweep down the Wood River to Ketchum. Ride it early: the traffic and the light both peak at ten.
Highway 75 between Stanley and Ketchum is what Idaho rides look like in dreams. The road runs the glacial Sawtooth Valley beneath the 10,000-foot granite wall of the range, passes the teal water of Redfish Lake, then climbs the state’s highest paved summit at Galena — where the entire Sawtooth frontier spills below the overlook — before the long sweep down the Wood River to Ketchum. Ride it early: the traffic and the light both peak at ten.
PLAN RESPONSIBLY
Season & safety
Key hazards
- Bison-of-the-road cattle and deer on the valley floor.
- Cold and wind at the summit any month.
- Summer weekend traffic through the valley.
- Afternoon thunderstorms over the peaks in July-August.
Required gear
- Certified motorcycle helmet and full protective riding gear.
- Warm layer for Galena Summit.
- Fuel in Stanley and Ketchum — nothing between.
WAYPOINTS
Route points
- 01
Redfish Lake — the Sawtooth signature view
waypoint
- 02
Galena Summit (8,701 ft) — the Sawtooths’ grand overlook
waypoint
MAP & ROUTE
On the atlas
Elevation2,661 m high point1,781 m low point907 m total climbing11% steepest stretch (km 57.9)
DESTINATIONS
Places on this route
Stanley & the Sawtooths
A rough-edged mountain town at the foot of the Sawtooths, ringed by alpine lakes, whitewater and the darkest night sky in America.
Central Idaho
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
INTERESTS
Why riders & travellers love it
WEATHER
Weather along the route
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
REGIONS
Explore the region
KEEP EXPLORING
The atlas continues
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