Does Idaho, Arizona or Utah have better mountain ranges?
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This is how I see it. Within a 9 hour radius of Sandpoint, we have all of Washington's Mountains to the Olympic National Forest as well as Washington's wine country; the stretch from Vancouver & Whistler to Banff & Jasper National Park, and Calgary; all of Western Montana, from Glacier to Great Falls down to West Yellowstone; all of Idaho's Mountains, down to Sun Valley; the heart of Oregon's Cascades and Wallowa Mountains as well as all of Oregon wine country.
Last summer, we explored Western Montana. Nearly two weeks. Usually never more than 2-3 cars on the road that I could see. Though not in Idaho, it was just as accessible.
Mountains to last a lifetime and then some. The most dramatically beautiful mountains in the world (taking into account the vast area), all in our "backyard." Best of all, with minimal population...
I have been all over the west and think Idaho actually edges out Colorado for grand mountain scenery, Idaho is the most mountainous state in the lower 48 and has some if the wildest mountain areas left in the lower 48, then add in our thundering rivers and alpine lakes and nirvana comes to mind. Colorado is of course beautiful, but Idaho just has more going on when talking mountains. It would take more than a lifetime to explore all of Idaho's mountain ranges. MT and WY are also beautiful with jaw dropping mountains, but again in my humble opinion, they still both pale when compared to the immensity of Idaho's mountain ranges. A hike to Shipp Island Lake in the Bighorn Crags in the River of No Return Wilderness would put any doubters mind to rest
I have always felt similar about Utah and Arizona, in that they offer more beautiful desert canyonland scenery opposed to alpine mountain scenery.
Idaho also has amazing desert canyonlands, among the most unique and scenic in the west and is one of the largest collection of sheer walled canyons in the world, this area is south of Boise. Much of this canyonland area is now protected Wilderness and an area of the Owyhees is a World Heritage Site. Here is a killer pano: [url=http://www.worldwidepanorama.org/worldwidepanorama/wwp604/html/KatyFlanagan-402.html]World Heritage - The Tules, Owyhee Canyonlands - Katy Flanagan - 31/119 - World Wide Panorama[/url]
In the end, scenery is subjective. People are passionate about their views.
I completely agree I live in Idaho so you might think I'm just saying this because its my home but I'm not because I have been to all the other states around Idaho I lived in salmon Idaho for 14 years and I still go up in the mountains to hike or fish and camp and I still stop and look at the beauty of the mountains and white water rivers I would say Alaska might be better but none is better in the lower 48 because I have went to Alaska to fish. I think Montana is beautiful like the big sky country it is close but not.
Every mountain state has it's pretties.
The Mission Mountains in the Flathead Lake country of Montana are about as beautiful as mountains get.
But for sheer numbers of beautiful mountains, I honestly think Idaho tops them all. The coolest thing to me is every region of the state has it's own specialties, including cinder cones, huge bone dry chains that run on forever, ranges that are completely forested, ranges with glaciers, and a range that looks like petrified white clouds hanging just above the far horizon. And they all come in different colors.
Of the three I gotta go with Utah. The Wasatch range is pretty spectacular. The mountains in Idaho are pretty and the mountains in Arizona are too but the mountains in Utah are the only ones that have that towering effect like the the rockies around Ouray or Glenwood in CO.
Of the three I gotta go with Utah. The Wasatch range is pretty spectacular. The mountains in Idaho are pretty and the mountains in Arizona are too but the mountains in Utah are the only ones that have that towering effect like the the rockies around Ouray or Glenwood in CO.
Of the three I gotta go with Utah. The Wasatch range is pretty spectacular. The mountains in Idaho are pretty and the mountains in Arizona are too but the mountains in Utah are the only ones that have that towering effect like the the rockies around Ouray or Glenwood in CO.
The Wasatch are a fault block range as are the Lost River's, the Lemhi's, and the Pahsimeroi ranges in Eastern Idaho and these Idaho mountain ranges are often considered the finest example of fault block mountain ranges in the lower 48. The vertical rise from the valley floor to the top of the peaks is as impressive or more so then the Wasatch which actually extend into SE Idaho by Bear Lake.
The Bitteroots which separate portions of Idaho and Montana are also grand. The Pioneers, the Centennials, the Sawtooth's, the Trinity, the White Clouds, the Clearwater, the Salmon River Mountains, the Seven Devils, the Selkirks; are all exquisite and these are just a short list of the ranges in Idaho.
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