| Why now The Gem State is home to seven National Park Service sites, making it a great place to enjoy the events celebrating the National Park Service’s centennial month. |
| What to do Yellowstone is Idaho’s most famous park, but the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve ($10 admission), three hours east of Boise, is worth a visit for its lunar landscape of lava fields and cinder cones. NASA even tests equipment there, notes Ted Stout, the park’s chief of interpretation. Hike to one of the lava-tube caves—they stay naturally cool, and some even contain ice throughout the summer. Or take a ranger-guided walk to Indian Tunnel, where you’ll see an 800-foot-long tube, says Stout. |
| Kick your adrenaline up a notch on a whitewater rafting trip with Row Adventures on the Middle Fork Salmon River, three hours northeast of Boise. Along with charging through more than 80 rapids, travelers on the five-day expedition pass through spruce forests, pine-covered mountains, and pools of water so clear you can spot rainbow trout swimming below. There are also land excursions to see ancient Native American pictographs and old pioneer dwellings. |
| How to save After Aug. 15, Row’s trip prices drop from $2,230 a person to $2,025, a 10% savings, and go down even further just before September, when the package costs $1,715—23% off high-season rates. Admission to Craters of the Moon is free Aug. 25 to 28 in honor of the National Park Service’s Founders’ Day and centennial celebration. |
| Local's tip Row Adventures guides can add many special elements to a tour, so ask about cooking classes, yoga breaks, and early-morning fishing trips. |