It may be best known for producing an eye-watering 27 billion spuds a year, but America’s Potato Capital also happens to be an extremely underrated destination. Sandwiched between Montana and Oregon, Idaho can lay claim to an impressive 114 named mountain ranges, interspersed with virgin forest and lava plateaus, and 3.9 million acres of wilderness – more than anywhere else in the continental USA. As such it is a true hikers’ paradise, with the awe-inspiring Sawtooth Mountains; Hells Canyon (America’s deepest river gorge) and the black, barren Craters of the Moon among the many natural wonders on offer. Other highlights include the pleasant state capital, Boise, with its 25-mile Boise River Greenbelt trail, and Sun Valley, the nation’s first destination ski resort and birthplace of the chairlift.
