We discovered Challis five years ago in April. We had a very bad case of cabin fever and just had to get out of the house. Traveling too far was not an option – we had a two-year-old, and we were in no mood to visit one of the bigger cities such as Boise or Salt Lake since our toddler showed no appreciation for the finer things in life at that stage. My husband booked a small, two-bedroom house through Airbnb and we headed off to Challis with no idea what to expect at all. We were pleasantly surprised, and it has since become a family favorite, visited by us at least two to three times a year. It is an easy 2 hours and 30 minutes from Idaho Falls (a little longer with an RV) and the drive there is very scenic. Mount Borah, the highest peak in Idaho, is one of the attractions on the way.
We have since abandoned our initial Airbnb accommodation for camping at Challis Hot Springs, a family-owned campground outside of Challis on the banks of the Salmon River. The campground boasts two natural, odorless pools fed by an underground geothermal source. The larger pool is around 96 degrees in the summer and between 98-100 degrees during the colder winter months, and the smaller pool is around 105 degrees.
If you are not content to lounge around the campground and in and out of the hot pools, you can visit any of a number of attractions in the area. Salmon River Scenic Run offers fishing, white-water floats, and floating trips throughout the year. Visit their website at https://scenicriver.com/ for more detailed information. If you are experienced enough, you could plan your own rafting trip or just take your kayak down the river.
Rafting, kayaking, and fishing are within easy access from the campground. We have visited the campground during various times of the year and each season is a bit of magic in its own way. During the spring and summer, the river is high and there are a lot of rafts and kayaks going downstream. Fall months are great for the smaller kids as the water level in the river is low and wonderful to play in.
Tired of cooking? Visit one of the restaurants in Challis. Choices vary from a tea garden to local pub fare. One of our favorites through the years has been the Tea Cup Café and Bakery on Main Street. You can sit down for breakfast or lunch or just grab a coffee and pastry. They also have a wood fire oven pizza buffet on Thursdays.
There are numerous Ghost Towns dating back to the gold rush and mining of silver in Idaho. Bay Horse Ghost Town is a short drive from Challis and this community used to mine silver from the mountains. We were pleasantly surprised by how well the town had been preserved. The guided tour is a must; the kids were all fascinated with the obligatory ghost stories told by our guide. Further up the road is Bayhorse Lake, a drive on a gravel road, but well worth it for camping or a picnic.
