Skip The Crowds At Grand Teton National Park And Visit These Awe-Inspiring Idaho Mountains

With its iconic peaks and serene lakes, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is almost a little too well known for its natural splendor. According to the National Park Service, the park draws in 3 million visitors annually, meaning it can be a challenge to avoid the crowds — something you're probably aiming for if you're headed to a national park in the first place. If you're looking for rugged outdoor beauty without the tourist traffic, Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains are a fantastic alternative.

The lesser-known mountain range is lesser only in popularity; the Sawtooths' grandeur is the stuff of legend, with snow-capped peaks and deep valleys that stretch across central Idaho and reach an impressive 10,751 feet (roughly 3,277 meters) in elevation at the summit of Thompson Peak. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area sits on 756,000 acres of land within that range and only sees around 600,000 visitors a year. In comparison, Grand Teton National Park spreads across 310,000 acres, meaning you're far more likely to find yourself alone on one of the Sawtooth recreation area's 300 alpine lakes and 700-plus miles of trail.

Literature lovers will also enjoy the area's connection to one of the country's most revered writers. Ernest Hemingway was famously fond of the mountain range, to the degree that the U.S. Forest Service named a special section within the recreation area the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness in 2018. Whether it's history or natural wonders you're after, the Sawtooth Mountains have plenty to offer.

One of the Grand Teton's most popular attractions is Jenny Lake, a 12,000-year-old body of water that is one of the highlights of that national park. But the Sawtooth Mountains' Redfish Lake is arguably just as stunning and pristine. Home to the spawning grounds of bright red sockeye salmon that give the lake its colorful name, Redfish Lake is a paradise for visitors to go fishing, kayaking, and swimming, all while looking up at the forested hills and serrated peaks the Sawtooth range is known for.

Redfish Lake has a boat ramp and plenty of amenities for visitors, including parking, campgrounds, toilets, picnic tables, and drinking water. The surrounding area is also home to several hiking trails that cater to every level of hiker: Fishhook Creek Trail is a great, family-friendly way to access the backcountry, and Alpine Trail from Redfish Lake to Alpine Lake is a trail that's only for experienced hikers. 

Fees for campgrounds and day-use areas range from $7 to $175 depending on the recreation type and site, with the higher figures usually accompanying annual passes. Permits are required in the Sawtooth Wilderness area, but luckily, they can be picked up free of charge at any trailhead. Make sure you keep an eye on announcements from the U.S. Forest Service, as trail closures due to wildfires do happen on occasion.

While Redfish Lake is one of the jewels of the Sawtooth Mountains, the entire Sawtooth National Recreation Area is worth exploring. The recreational area is just 161 miles east of Boise, making it accessible to travelers. Stanley, Idaho is an even better base for exploration, as it sits within the recreation area itself.

Beyond hiking and canoeing, some of the most popular activities in the area are rock climbing, hunting, and horseback riding. If you're just looking for great views without all the hiking, the Sawtooth Scenic Byway is one of the best northern U.S. road trips you can go on, being a route that works its way through the Boulder Mountains and leaves you at the start of the Sawtooth range. Elk, antelope, and deer populate the area, so wildlife photographers won't be left wanting, either.

The best time to visit depends on what you're looking for; wildflower blooms are best seen in late spring after the snow thaws, and those looking to do some skiing and snowshoeing are going to want to wait until the winter months. Whatever season you decide to go in, you'll undoubtedly come away from the experience feeling like Hemingway did, who allegedly told his hunting companion, Lloyd Arnold, of the Sawtooth Mountains, "You'd have to come from a test tube and think like a machine not to engrave all of this in your head so that you never lose it."