Social City Guide: Sun Valley

Cody Haskell’s oversaturated photos of Sun Valley’s finest landscapes are the second-best way to experience the country’s very first ski resort, and the terrain surrounding it. (Actually going there IRL is, of course, the first.) His archive is Sun Valley 101.

Followers: 3,812

Gwen Walters is Sun Valley’s defacto “foodie in residence.” Her reviews pop up in Sun Valley Magazine, and her blog’s a good primer on the local culinary scene.

Followers: 1,660

Sun Valley’s universally gorgeous, and yet each photographer captures it so differently. Tal Roberts has a knack for capturing the community in motion—skateboarders, hikers, motorcyclers, his friends—as they go about their lives.

Followers: 2,411

Since opening up in 2007, the contemporary gallery has established a reputation for bringing fine art to the area. Owner L’Anne Gilman and her team rotate emerging and mid-career artists in their elegant space. And dogs are welcome.

Followers: 683

For the rest of this summer, teenager Maggie Sfingi can still call the SV area home—in the Fall, she’s heading to USC to study photography. Her soft-focus portraiture has earned her a big local fanbase. Being a high schooler has never seemed more cinematic.

Followers: 4,113

It’s easy to want to hit up every outdoor destination Amanda Passey geotags on her feed. Granted, she takes photos while speed flying—it’s a hybrid sport of piloting a small fabric wing down a mountain, almost like skiing and paragliding at the same time.

Followers: 3,319

For lifestyle coach Danny Walton, every day is an adventure as he paddle-boards rivers, plans local festivals and events and scrambles up and around the valley. If you want some guided thrill-seeking, he’s your man. And his dog Nesta’s something of a local celeb.

Followers: 1,583

While photographer Sara Sheehy is often somewhere else, she’s a true SV local, and her blog will fan those wanderlust flames. Start with her list of the best summertime hikes.

Followers: 754

Brewmaster Paul Holle opened up Sawtooth on 11/11/11, and it has grown to be one of the most influential sources of craft beer in the area, not to mention a must-visit during happy hour.

Followers: 1,169

This one’s for the cyclists out there: Rebecca Rusch is a seven-time world mountain biking champion who blazes her own trails in the valley. Another reason to follow along? She’ll show you where the real outdoor enthusiasts shop, eat, and get together.

Followers: 12.6k

While this 1200-square-foot mountainside cabin isn’t necessarily a person, it’s certainly a fixture in the community. Locals and visitors alike rent the place, and we’ve found some great travel recs through Winter Tux’s tagged photos. Call it the Instagram rabbit hole research method.

Followers: 2,295

It’s not too hard to take a beautiful shot of the valley. But finding a way to capture what it means to live there day in and day out? Not so simple, but legit portrait photographer Hallie Kathryn has an extra-unique perspective: she’s 18, which means you get a glimpse into the often-private world of high school, including track meets, days on the lake, and festivals and parties.

Followers: 5,926

Treefort Music Fest comes to nearby Boise just once a year, but 365, the feed serves as a calendar of upcoming shows.  Another way to plug in to the sounds of SV? @RadioBoise, friends of the festival.

Followers: 8,696

The photographer’s sunrise photos make a hard case for waking up at dawn. His sunsets aren’t so bad, either. Through his portraits of his adventure-minded pals, you can get a sense of life in the valley.

Followers: 1,910

The motto of White Cloud Communication, the marketing firm Cassie launched last year, is, “Life is better under the open sky.” It may well be her own mantra, too. Her last inside Instagram was 17 weeks ago.

Followers: 1,308