Get your motor running for some great snowmobiling

Rev it up and let'er rip. Snowmobiling is a great way to get your kicks in Idaho's powder, and there are plenty of places to do it.

Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation oversees a trail-grooming program that includes thousands of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, plowed parking areas, warming huts and restrooms.

You can access it all for a $32.50 Idaho Parks and Recreation sticker on your sled.

There also are several rental outlets throughout the state, and outfitters that can guide you on a snowmobile adventure if you don't own a machine.

To find them, check the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Web site at www.ioga.org or do an Internet search for snowmobile rentals in the town you plan to visit.

However you roll, there are great places to glide down thousands of miles of groomed trails or carve some tracks in Idaho's mountains.

Here are some places to check out:

IDAHO CITY

If you're on the east side of the Treasure Valley, this snowmobile area is just minutes away and has more than 250 miles of groomed trails and several parking areas along Idaho 21.

The terrain is a mix of gentle, forested slopes with steeper, open play areas near the summits of nearby mountains that rise to 8,200 feet.

Idaho City has fuel, food, lodging and whatever else you need for your snowmobile adventure.

Getting there: Take Idaho 21 to Idaho City. Parking lots are at Mores Creek Summit about 10 miles north of Idaho City, and the Whoop-em Up parking area 20 miles north of Idaho City.

GARDEN VALLEY/LOWMAN

This is another snowmobiling area that is easy to reach from the Treasure Valley.

You can go from the Valley to the trailhead in about an hour, and there are about 135 miles of groomed trails and links to the trail system maintained by the Smiths Ferry grooming program.

In addition to groomed trails, there are some play areas and links to other trail networks.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 north to Banks and east on the Banks-to-Lowman Highway to Garden Valley or Crouch. It is about 50 miles from Boise. You can continue on the highway to Lowman.

SMITHS FERRY

This popular area includes the Wellington Snow Park, which is a jumping-off point for about 400 miles of trails, 250 of which are groomed, with access to McCall, Cascade, Ola and other areas.

Wellington Snow Park features a lodge-like warming hut with a big fireplace, which is a social gathering spot before and after you ride.

There's lodging and food across the street at the Cougar Mountain Lodge.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 60 miles north of Boise to Smiths Ferry. Look for the park's entrance sign on the left side.

CASCADE/DONNELLY

These two communities are jumping-off points for nearby trail systems.

They are good, central locations that provide access to local trails and link to other areas in different directions.

Donnelly also features Tamarack resort, which offers guided tours for people who don't own sleds.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 about 77 miles north of Boise to Cascade or about 87 miles to Donnelly.

FAIRFIELD

This area offers a good combination of groomed trails and open play areas. The rolling hills surrounding Fairfield make the area a great snowmobiler's playground. With much of it open sagebrush country, you can go almost anywhere when there's adequate snow coverage.

There's also good access to high-elevation areas in the nearby Soldier Mountains. There are several plowed parking lots and warming huts in the area.

Getting there: Take Interstate 84 east and then north on U.S. 20. Fairfield is about 105 miles from Boise.

MCCALL

This is one of the most popular snowmobiling areas in Idaho thanks to a large network of groomed trails and hundreds of miles of mountainous backcountry.

The area is well-equipped for sledding because it has lodging, restaurants, snowmobile dealers and mechanics.

There are several developed parking lots to access different areas. Snowmobiles are the easiest way to visit backcountry destinations where the roads aren't plowed for cars, such as Burgdorf, Warren and Secesh, where you can take a soak in a hot spring, get a meal or a stay at a backcountry lodge.

Getting there: Take Idaho 55 about 100 miles to McCall.

STANLEY

Snow, scenery and the Sawtooths pretty much sum up Stanley. It has a long winter season, and lots of trails and terrain make this area great for snowmobiling.

The area is at about 6,400 feet in elevation, one of the highest jumping-off points in Central Idaho, and there are more than 40 peaks that sky above 10,000 feet. There are nearly 200 miles of groomed trails for touring and access to backcountry play areas.

One word of caution: Check the Department of Transportation's road report - at 511.idaho.gov or call 511 - for road conditions before you go. Idaho 21 between Lowman and Stanley sometimes closes because of avalanche danger.

Getting there: Take either Idaho 21 or Idaho 55 north to the Banks-to-Lowman Highway at Banks, then go east on Idaho 21 to Stanley.

Roger Phillips: 373-6615