Travel & Stay

FLYING

Sun Valley is a popular summer destination serviced by Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN), in nearby Hailey, Idaho, and is serviced by small regional jets that fill up quickly.

There are direct flights from Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York, and Salt Lake City:

• Delta/SkyWest – Daily non-stop flights from Salt Lake City (SLC)
• Alaska Airlines – Daily non-stop flights from Seattle (SEA)
• United Airlines – Daily non-stop flights from Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Chicago (ORD), and Denver (DEN)

Driving Directions from Friedman Memorial Airport to SVWC Venue: Follow Airport Way to Highway 75. Turn left at the signal. Take Highway 75 approximately 12 miles to Sun Valley Road in Ketchum. Turn right at the signal. Follow Sun Valley Road approximately 1 mile to the Sun Valley Resort, where there is plenty of parking.

If you are unable to fly directly into Sun Valley, flying into Boise, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and even Salt Lake City, Utah, are great alternatives. They typically have more flight options available, more seating capacity, and cheaper flights.

Drive times from these cities to Sun Valley are below:

• Twin Falls (TWF)………..1.5 hours
• Idaho Falls (IDA)………..3 hours
• Boise (BOI)…………………3 hours
• Salt Lake City (SLC)……5 hours

DRIVING

Traveling to Sun Valley by car is another great way to get here. We recommend driving up Highway 75 from the south— this road is typically dry in the summer and well-maintained, with flat, straight stretches. Please note that coming to Sun Valley via Trail Creek pass is mostly via dirt roads. The route over Galena pass is paved, but very curvy and at a higher elevation with limited services.

The Sun Valley Lodge and Sun Valley Inn are located within steps of all Conference activities. For the best rates, contact the Sun Valley Resort at 800-786-8259 and mention that you will be attending the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. You can also book online and view more lodging options at Sun Valley Resort at sunvalley.com/lodging.

With the popularity of the event, the availability of rooms at the Sun Valley Resort is usually limited. We recommend booking your accommodations as early as possible. Occasionally more rooms open up closer to the Conference, around early June.

There are also many other options for lodging in Ketchum, a town just two miles from the resort—vacation rentals, hotels, lodges, and more. Again, be sure and book early as July is a very busy time of year in Sun Valley.

*Please inquire with individual hotels about special SVWC discounts at these locations.

Because we are a mostly outdoor event, it’s best to bring a warm sweater or light jacket—both mornings and evenings are cool, and the temperature drops dramatically after the sun goes down. A sun hat and sunglasses are also recommended, as days are bright and sunny here in the summer. It’s also a good idea to have an umbrella stashed in your bag for those unpredictable and swift mountain showers, as well as a water bottle so that you can stay hydrated in our dry high-mountain climate.

Attire in Sun Valley and at the Conference is casual… we’re in the West, after all! Skip the ties, and stay comfortable in shorts, jeans, khakis, tennis shoes, sandals, or other comfortable walking shoes.

For more information about weather in Sun Valley, visit our Sun Valley Info & Activities page.

FREE BUS SYSTEM

Mountain Rides is a FREE public transportation bus system that runs throughout Ketchum and Sun Valley with limited service to Hailey and Galena Lodge. We highly recommend this service to get around town, to and from the venue, and to explore both Ketchum and Sun Valley. It is completely safe, reliable, and clean.

CAR RENTALS

There are multiple car rental options available at the Friedman Memorial Airport, such as Hertz, Enterprise, and Avis. We recommend booking well in advance.

TAXI SERVICES

Private car services such as Uber and Lyft are available in Sun Valley, but in limited supply. Taxi services include:

• SUN Taxi 208-481-2749
• Aardvark Taxi 208-721-7682
• Sun Valley Taxi & Shuttle 208-481-2119
• Mountain Resort Chauffeurs 208-726-9351
• Millers Limo 208-720-3861

BIKE RENTALS

Sun Valley has a wonderful paved bike path network if you prefer to get around on two wheels. Bike rentals are available at the below locations:

• Sturtevants
• Pete Lane’s (location in Sun Valley Resort)
• Elephant’s Perch
• Backwoods Mountain Sports

PARKING

We encourage you to consider carpooling or using the free Mountain Rides bus service in order to reduce traffic congestion and make it easier to exit our evening events. If you do choose to drive, please follow signs to the designated SVWC parking section.

For more tourism information, we recommend checking out our Sun Valley Info & Activities page or visiting these resources:

• Visit Sun Valley – Visitor’s Center
  A great source of information for all things local, this visitor’s center located at the Starbucks in Ketchum’s Town Square has plenty of in-depth content regarding travel, lodging, resources, and activities in our area.
• Guest Information Center – Sun Valley Resort
  Located in the Sun Valley Resort village, this information center can provide you with everything you need to know about Sun Valley Resort, including horseback riding, bowling, gondola rides, golf, spa, tennis, and more. Call 208-622-2135.