Flowcation Adventure in a Campervan Rental

Recommended Stay: 7 to 9 days

Roundtrip miles from Boise 472 miles/Total Drive Time: 6 hours

Trip Cost Estimate: $775 to $1600

Idaho offers some amazing locations to put together a wonderful mountain bike trip with your family or friends. Renting one of our Wandervan campervans makes for a great way to experience some of the amazing flow style mountain bike trails in the state of Idaho. Here is a possible itinerary for your next trip in Idaho. Click on the bold trail names and locations to get more detailed descriptions.

Day 1:

Pickup your Wandervan campervan in Boise and head on over to the Ada/Eagle Bike Park to get your introduction to Idaho Flow. Plan on spending 2-3 hours here to experience all of the trails. At the Bike Park we recommend you hit Flow Trail, Shake and Bake, Stormin Mormon, and the 4X. After spending some time at the bike park climb into your campervan and head north on Hwy 55 towards McCall and camp at Ponderosa State Park or Lake Cascade State Park.

Day 2-4:

On day 2 wake up in the McCall/Cascade area. Now the trails get longer and you will have to decided how many days you want to spend in the area. We recommend at least two days to hit all of the best trails on your Flowcation. There are two ski resorts that run lifts in the McCall area. Tamarack turns on the lifts on June 25th and Brundage turns on June 18th. Tamarack has more flow style trails and Brundage has some more old school style technical trails and has been working hard to add more flow options. Check both resorts websites for the most current trail maps. At Tamarack we recommend Super G for your first run since it will give you a good idea of your ability level compared to the trails. Off of Super G you will find more challenging options including Rock Star and ESR for your second run. At Brundage the classic trail is hidden valley and is worth checking out to get the Brundage experience.

If you want to leave the lifts behind then Bear Basin or Jug Mountain are great options. Bear Basin was all built by the local mountain bike club CIMBA and the crown jewel is the Drain Trail. You can ride the entire Bear Basin trail system in 2-3 hours and it would be easy to pair these trails with some lift service at Brundage Mountain.

Jug Mountain Ranch is another great option just south of McCall. There is a shuttle service on certain days and an amazing restaurant. The trails all start from the club house and this makes a great place to return for some beer and food. The patio at the club house has some amazing views of the valley. On the trail we love Berm-Erine and Doubleshot. The Shoreline trail was just finished and is a great option higher up on the mountain for a little more xc feel.

Do you want to get a little more remote? Then the Eagle's Nest Trail is going to get you away from the main roads and resorts. There are a couple ways to ride Eagle's Nest and the most popular is the short loop. The short loop involves a climb up a dirt road to a pass where you will see the singletrack on the left. The singletrack will then wind and twist down the mountain. At the bottom watch the turns since the trail crosses some old logging roads. For those who want a little more challenging day then you should defiantly check out the rest of the trail in sections depending on your strength. You can do the remaining sections as out and backs or ride around on the road to provide access.

Day 5-6

Leave the McCall area and head south on Hwy 55 to the junction with the Banks Lowman Rd. Turn left here and drive towards Stanley. If you body is a little sore be sure to stop at Kirkham Hotsprings (Map Location) or Bonneville Hot Springs (Map Location). On the way to Stanley you will have a couple of great trails you might want to stop and explore. The Warm Springs Trail is a long fast downhill or you can combine the Swamp Creek and Trap Creek Trails into a loop. Once you pass through Stanley you will want to check out the Redfish Lake Trail and the Fischer-Williams Creek Loop. The Fischer-Williams Loop is the classic flow trail in the Stanley area to hit up and will surely produce some good grins. Camp spots are everywhere for campervans in this area, with lots of options to camp next to lakes or rivers. We can recommend specific campsites for your campervan with any booking.

If you are feeling like you need an all day epic rugged and rocky ride then you are in the right place. There are some all day rides in the Stanley area that will leave you wiped out. Two of our favorite big loops are the Boundary Loop and the Bowery Loop. If you want something a little smaller than the Little Casino ride is one worth checking out and will give you a flowing 11 miles of downhill. Near Stanley you can find a nice hot spring soak in Elkhorn Hot Springs (Map Location).

About an hour and a half west of Stanley on Hwy 75 you will find the East Fork of the Salmon Rd. Down this road you will find some epic riding on the Big-Little Bolder Loop. You can easily camp in the number of primitive sites along the East Fork of the Salmon and do the Big-Little Boulder Loop and the Bowery Loop and then soak in the Bowery Hot Springs (Map Location) at the end of the East Fork Rd.

Day 7-9

Are you still walking at this point? If so you are in for a treat in the Sun Valley area. Traveling south from Stanley you will go over Galena Pass and then descend into Sun Valley Area. You will want to link the Osberg Ridge and Oregon Gulch Trail. This ride is best done as a shuttle by parking at the Oregon Gulch Trailhead and then shuttling up north on Hwy 75 to the junction with the Baker Creek Rd. Then drive up this road to the Baker Trailhead and get ready for some amazing singletrack. There is also the SVMG trail shuttle which will save you some time. You will also want to get your flow on with Forbidden Fruit. This trail is easily accessed and great for a bunch of laps. Before you leave town you will want to check out the Greenhorn-Imperial Loop it is a must ride loop before you finish out your trip.

Do you just need a lift day, then be sure to check out Sun Valley resort? Ride the lift up the mountain and go have a blast on the Saddle-Up Trail and the Bald Mountain Descent.

Ample camping for your campervan can be found north and south of town and there are many possibilities that we can help direct you to on your next rental.