Sawtooth Mountain Guides

08/26/2026

Climbing with SMG guide Marc Hanselman will take you to new heights. He’s an expert instructor with a strong sense of adventure.

Photos by Marc Hanselman

08/24/2026

Doing the math for how many more steps he took getting to the top. We love sharing the mountains with all ages!

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08/16/2026

Letting the cool waters wash away the heat of summer. The coming months are some of the best for hiking and climbing in the Sawtooths. Find an adventure that suits you on our website www.sawtoothguides.com

08/12/2026

Fall climbing courses at City of Rocks are right around the corner. Sawtoothguides.com has the details of all upcoming courses.

Sawtooth Mountain Guides specializes in guided climbing, hiking, backcountry skiing, avalanche education, ski mountaineering, family programs, and custom corporate trips in the Sawtooths and surrounding mountains near Stanley and Sun Valley, Idaho.

08/01/2026

The smiles say it all. The boat ride back across Redfish Lake is a refreshing icing on the cake after a memorable hiking, climbing, or camping trip with SMG in the Sawtooths.

07/29/2026

A spring summit memory to cool you off on a hot summer day.

07/23/2026

About 80% of people in North America and one-third of humanity cannot see our home galaxy due to urban skyglow.

Idaho’s gold-tier Dark Sky Reserve designation guarantees atmospheres so dark that you can see intricate dust clouds in the Milky Way with the naked eye. For humans the dark sky supports better sleep cycles, but if you stay awake to stare in awe at the magic of the cosmos, it awakens a sense of wonder and connection to universe.

Minimizing excessive artificial light spillover preserves the undisturbed circadian rhythms of native animals throughout the Sawtooth National Forest.

This stunning night timelapse was taken by SMG guide during a climbing trip. SMG hiking, climbing, and skiing locations all present the opportunity to look up and be in awe of the dark sky filled with bright stars.

07/16/2026

Into the Lost Rivers - a rugged, remote and breathtaking range containing seven of Idaho’s nine 12,000 foot peaks and the tallest peak in Idaho.

The range consists of heavily folded and faulted Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, primarily limestone, dolomite, and sandstone. The layers were deposited in shallow ancient seas between 600 and 300 million years ago. About 50 million years ago, magma intruded older sediments and blanketed parts of the region with extensive volcanic rock.

If you’re ready for a challenge, join SMG guides on a peak summit and learn about the unique geological history first hand.

https://sawtoothguides.com/trips/mount-borah/

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07/06/2026

Alpine summits where the possibilities are endless and wildflowers bloom through snow patches. Backwoods Mountain Sports is our go-to shop in Sun Valley to supply gear for any mountain adventure.

Photos: Matt Scrivner

07/03/2026

It’s special to spend time in the mountains with clients who become friends as they return year after year. Cindy and SMG guide .labamba just completed an 18 mile day hike connecting Alice and Toxaway lakes. A beautiful time of year for an alpine loop!