
This Is Idaho’s Best-Kept Secret for Outdoor Adventure
Plus, it’s home to charming shops, delicious restaurants, and a great cup of coffee.

Sunset’s Insider Guide series highlights seasonal diversions and secret travel tips from local experts. Follow along as we learn where to eat, drink, stay, and shop.

Bret Gum Photography
Meet the Insider: Darcy Cobb and Amber Busuttil Mullen, Owners of Steelhead Lodge
Location: Northwest Idaho
Childhood best friends Darcy Cobb and Amber Busuttil Mullen fell in love with the Salmon River Valley on a family rafting trip, so much so that they eventually revamped a charming inn, now known as Steelhead Lodge. The duo have recently revamped the property, making it a perfect time to visit this corner of Idaho.

Bret Gum Photography
It’s easy to see what drew the pair to the canyon, known for its steep mountain ranges, abundant wildlife, and outdoor adventures—from jet boat tours to four-wheeling and morel mushroom foraging to fly-fishing. The Valley is bookended by the lively town of Riggins and the Western hospitality of White Bird, 26 miles north along Highway 95-S. Here, the pair share some of their favorite restaurants, watering holes, shops, and attractions to explore along the way.
SHOP

Pat Ringsmith
Salmon River Canyon cuts through Idaho’s “banana belt,” from which Idaho Banana Co. gets its name. The boutique has an eclectic variety of Idaho-made products and handcrafted gifts, as well as local beer and wine to enjoy under its gazebo overlooking the Little Salmon River tributary. White Bird Antiques is a historic drugstore that was preserved by Bruce and Pat Ringsmith with the intention of keeping the quality of the past alive. Their shop is full of treasures, including antique furniture and textiles, as well as Native American and Old Western items.
DO

Courtesy of Hammer Down River Excursions
“On a good day fishing, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect,” says Rapid River Outfitters owner Roy Akins, known about town for his impressive beard and his even more impressive skills navigating a drift boat—the quintessential fly-fishing craft used in the West—in search of steelhead and bass. Hammer Down River Excursions offers tours of the Salmon River and the adjacent Hells Canyon—the deepest river gorge in North America. Orange Torpedo Trips floats through the largest wilderness area in the Lower 48 with spectacular scenery and campsites along the way. You can take a full- or half-day tour to see why Riggins is known as the “Whitewater Capital of Idaho.”
EAT
A restaurant on one side, and a bar, pizza, and sandwich shop on the other, Summervilles Steakhouse has something for everyone. Belly up to the bar decorated with local memorabilia before tucking into delicious, hearty portions of steak and salmon, or one of its famous sandwiches named after local highlights, like Preacher Rock and Skookumchuck. Two Rivers Coffee offers a diverse variety of single-origins, blends, and flavored coffees, each sourced from small local growers, plus breakfast burritos, wraps, sandwiches, and baked goods. Don’t miss the local favorite, the birdseed muffin.