Most of Idaho’s ski resorts have a bit of quirky, local history.
Sure, you’ve got major resorts like Sun Valley and well-known places like Schweitzer and Brundage, but even those tend to be a little off the beaten path. Spots like Pebble Creek and Lost Trail Powder Mountain are even less known but have an even stronger ‘epic spot that no one knows’ reputation.
In short, there’s no shortage of great, independent ski areas scattered across Idaho.
When you get close to the Wyoming border, of course, everyone thinks of Grand Targhee (which is technically in Wyoming, but you have to drive to Idaho to get there) and Jackson Hole.
But just an hour or less southwest of Driggs, Idaho, is Kelly Canyon Ski Resort. As you take Highway 26 from Idaho Falls to Swan Valley, or just after you cross Pine Creek Pass coming from Victor, rolling hills and (in my opinion) one of the prettiest sections of road for 30 miles in any direction will greet you as you drive through Ririe, where Kelly Canyon sits.
Kelly Canyon was founded in 1957 by E. Bud Johnson. Two years later, Johnson installed the mountain’s first ski lift, which was actually an old boat that, based on photos, appears to have been hauled up the mountain by a rope tow.
According to Liftblog.com, Kelly Canyon had a Riblet double lift called Outlaw installed somewhere around that time, too, that stood until 2023.
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Kelly Canyon.
Kelly Canyon/Indy Pass
Sometime after that, Kelly Canyon built its own lift, which looked similar to a Riblet but was fabricated in-house and stood until 2021.
Today, Kelly Canyon still has two double chairs, Lost Treasure and Gun Powder, as well as a Skytrac Triple, called Gold Rush, that was installed in 2021.
Kelly Canyon also installed a new 700-foot rope tow to serve its terrain park, which opened in January of 2026.
In total, the Idaho ski area boasts 640 acres of terrain, five total lifts, and a vertical drop of 1200 ft.
Kelly Canyon
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