Idaho Resorts: Tamarack Resort
#PNW . Idaho . Mountain Biking . Outdoor Recreation . Running . Trailer Camping . Travel
Idaho Resorts: Tamarack Resort & Lake Cascade Day 2 Activities
We planned a full second day, as we often do when heading out of town for a three-day trip. And Tamarack, like a lot of Idaho resorts, has plenty to keep you busy for days. Yet even with all the activities for our only full day at Poison Creek and Tamarack, we had plenty of time to unwind and relax back at camp and on the lake shore.
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Running Tamarack: Be Prepared for 5,000-Foot Elevation!
After some beach time, I went for a 5k run from Poison Creek across West Mountain Road into Tamarack Resort, past the golf course (not currently maintained) and up around the hotel complex that sits on a slight rise overlooking the lake. The hotel has comfortable accommodations ranging from single hotel rooms to full apartments with balconies.
Tamarack had a difficult start; after the initial phases of construction and development, the project came to a screeching halt. Private owners banded together to keep the ski lift and other basic amenities operational, but the golf course is no longer maintained, and the massive lodge and commercial complex has sat half-constructed for years. Earlier this year, though, the Resort found a buyer, and construction on the central lodge has started up again. Before too long, Tamarack will look more like Sun Valley, Park City, or other Idaho resorts and less like it does now. Never mind the ongoing construction and former investment woes; Tamarack is a fun place to visit, no matter the season. And whether you rent a cabin or camp next door, there’s plenty to do year-round.
I ran past the half-built structures, wrapped in fresh Tyvek paper and sporting new metal and shingle roofs. Construction crews moved scissor-lifts and other machinery around the complex, a sure sign the project will now eventually be completed. Home prices in Tamarack are steep; the completion of the resort will only drive those further up as the Resort expands and develops more services, shops, and restaurants. Tamarack has always been a beautiful spot in Central Idaho; the latest investment and change in ownership will kick-start the next phase, bringing more vacationers and tourists to the area. All that to say now is the time to make an offer on property if you’re thinking of buying a summer cottage or winter ski destination home in the mountains of Idaho. Or at the very least, plan your summer or winter getaway with one of Tamarack’s luxury properties through VRBO Vacation Rentals.
Mountain Biking Tamarack: The Perfect Use of the Ski Lift in Summer
This time of year is the perfect time to mountain bike Tamarack Resort; it’s not cold and icy like it was a few months ago, yet it’s not so hot that the open sections of single track and the connecting forest service roads become unbearable. We got some free passes up the chairlift, so between my mountain bike and the lift tickets, we only had to spring for a couple of mountain bike rentals. Resort staff load and unload the bikes, making the ride up and off the lift easy and fun. (The resort also maintains and runs a zip line toward the summit, an activity you can book through the rental facility at the base of the mountain).
Dozens of tracks criss-cross the mountain, occasionally overlapping forest service access roads and former logging routes. The single track is steep and fun, well-designed and maintained for some of the best mountain biking trails in the area.
On our first few runs, we cut down the mountain on the narrow, winding single track, occasionally stopping to catch our breath and steady ourselves for some even steeper turns. After a few trails, we followed a forest service road down to another section of trails on the opposite side of the ski run and chair lift. We took turns taking spills, but mine was the most avoidable (and most embarrassing): I hopped on Javier’s bike to test the hydraulic brakes and bounced the front fork a few times. I gripped the front brake at just the wrong time and the back end came up and over me, throwing me to the ground before crashing down on top of me, bruising a left rib or two. Michelle and Javier got a good laugh, especially after I had cautioned them about going over the handlebars. (“Don’t worry guys; it’s a right of passage to fly over your handlebars, and it’s less painful than it looks!”).
That pool does look refreshing. I will say the bike rack is quite interesting.
Yes! Bike rack is actually the chairlift from the ski hill. When there isn’t snow the mountain is used for mountain biking.
What a beautiful place – the swimming pool with the mountain view – breathtaking
It is one of my favorite places I need to see every year! Beautiful and relaxing!
Oh my goodness! This place looks absolutely beautiful and so relaxing!
Oh, it is! If you are near, it is worth a visit!
That looks amazing!! Love the beautiful scenery <3
Oh its gorgeous! Fun fact: one of the homes has bullet proof glass in the bedroom, because Pres. GW Bush stayed there.
oh my, take me there now!!! How I need to spend a couple of weeks in a resort like this one, that would be amazing…
Ha ha! I hear you! Can we have a reset on 2020?
I think everyone is just dreaming of the times that they can go back to vacationing and planning things.
Yes, that’s what we are doing! Dreaming! Planning! and more Dreaming!
What a gorgeous place! It’s great that there are so many fun activities for all ages and abilities.
Yes, it’s lovely. You can be as active or relaxed as you want!
What a beautiful place this is, it looks these kids enjoyed a lot.
Oh, yes the kiddos love it there!
It’s so cool that you can take your bike up the mountain, on the teleski. I don’t think I’ve seen this before. Tamarack sounds like a lovely place to go on a nature break, especially after they will finish all the building sites around.
Yes, isn’t that neat! It’s becoming more of a popular thing to do here in the states. It’s a wonderful way to use the mountain and lift in the summer months when there is no snow.
What a fun family vacation! It’s so beautiful there. And I’m so glad all those buildings aren’t going to waste and someone is going to finish them!
Oh, yes it’s becoming more popular. I am not sure if that will change with the slowing down of the economy.