Idaho State Highway 75

State Highway 75 begins in Lincoln County at Shoshone at a junction with US-93 on Greenwood Street at an elevation of just under {{convert|4000|ft|-1}} above sea level. The highway heads northward, and ascends the Big Wood River valley, into Blaine County, past the Magic Reservoir to the west and crosses US-20 at Timmerman Junction at {{convert|4884|ft|round=5}}.

It continues northward as the Sawtooth Scenic Byway{{cite web| url=http://www.visitidaho.org/scenic-byways/sawtooth-scenic-byway/ |publisher=Visit Idaho |title=Sawtooth Scenic Byway |access-date=October 24, 2015}} to pass through the Big Wood River communities of Bellevue, Hailey, and Ketchum. Sun Valley is accessible via a spur route junction in Ketchum at Third Street, which becomes Sun Valley Road.

Seven miles (11 km) north of Ketchum, the highway passes by the headquarters of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area at {{convert|6250|ft|0}} and the Boulder Mountains to the north, with peaks over {{convert|11000|ft|-1}}. SH-75 climbs past the Galena Lodge to the Galena Summit at {{convert|8701|ft}}, then descends to the scenic viewpoint about a mile later at {{convert|8400|ft|round=5}}, overlooking the Sawtooth Mountains to the west and headwaters of the Salmon River in the Sawtooth Valley.

Highway 75 descends the grade and reaches the upper end of the valley floor at new Sawtooth City at {{convert|7190|ft|round=5}}, and then enters Custer County. It runs northward down the valley with the Salmon River to Obsidian and Stanley, with the Sawtooths to the immediate west and the White Cloud Mountains to the slightly more distant east. The turnoff to picturesque Redfish Lake is about {{convert|5|mi|0|spell=in}} south of Stanley.

At Stanley, the highway intersects with the northern terminus of State Highway 21, the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway from Boise, through Idaho City and Lowman.{{cite web |url=http://www.visitidaho.org/scenic-byways/ponderosa-pine-scenic-byway/ |publisher=Visit Idaho |title=Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway |access-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906142613/http://www.visitidaho.org/scenic-byways/ponderosa-pine-scenic-byway/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |url-status=dead }} The junction is at {{convert|6250|ft|round=5}} and Highway 75 northbound becomes the Salmon River Scenic Byway, continuing north for a mile, then veering east and descending with the twisty river towards Clayton. Both then head north towards Challis, where the route terminates and rejoins US-93 just south of the city limits,{{cite web| url=http://www.visitidaho.org/scenic-byways/salmon-river-scenic-byway/ |publisher=Visit Idaho |title=Salmon River Scenic Byway |access-date=October 24, 2015}} at an elevation of {{convert|5004|ft}}.

In 1824, while searching the mountain wilderness of present-day Idaho, known then as Columbia District, for beaver, Alexander Ross came up the Wood River and discovered Galena Summit on September 18. Leading a large brigade of Hudson's Bay Company trappers, he wondered if he could get through unknown mountains and rocky defiles that obstructed his passage back to his base of operations at present Challis. Unwilling to turn back he pressed on to explore Stanley Basin and the difficult canyon beyond. When he reached Challis on October 5, 1824, he had traveled the route now followed by State Highway 75 from Bellevue to Salmon through mostly unexplored land.

The road itself dates back to at least 1926, when it was designated U.S. Route 93. The former U.S. Route 93 Alternate, running through Arco,{{cite web |url=http://www.usends.com/mapguy/MapPgs/mapx93.htm |publisher=USends.com |title=Map of US highway 93 |access-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210153401/http://www.usends.com/mapguy/MapPgs/mapx93.htm |archive-date=December 10, 2015 |url-status=dead }} was redesignated {{Time ago|1977}} in 1977 as U.S. Route 93, and this route was given its current state highway designation.U.S. Route 93 Alternate Idaho's US Highways

SH-75 has a spur route connecting Ketchum to Sun Valley, running northeast for {{convert|3.6|mi|km}}, as Third Street in Ketchum and then Sun Valley Road. In 2020, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) proposed abandoning the spur route, transferring ownership at the request of Blaine County due to urban growth along the corridor.{{cite web |title=ID-75 Spur Abandonment |url=https://itdprojects.org/projects/id-75-spur/ |publisher=Idaho Transportation Department |accessdate=January 17, 2022}}{{cite web |date=February 25, 2020 |title=Letter of Intent: Removal of State Highway 75 Spur |url=https://zgcpj2sylc51eof8mwqh1t6a-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ID-75-Spur-Abandonment-Request.pdf |publisher=Board of Blaine County Commissioners |via=Idaho Transportation Department |accessdate=January 17, 2022}}

{{jcttop|state=ID|length_ref={{cite web |url=http://itd.idaho.gov/highways/milepointlog/logs/stateHW/SH_75_MPLog.pdf |publisher=Idaho Transportation Department |title=State Highway 75 Milepoint Log |date=May 15, 2015 |access-date=October 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011116/http://itd.idaho.gov/highways/milepointlog/logs/stateHW/SH_75_MPLog.pdf |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}}}

{{IDint

|county=Lincoln

|location=Shoshone

|mile=73.659

|road={{jct|state=ID|US|93|US|26|city1=Twin Falls|city2=Boise|city3=Richfield}}

|notes=Southern terminus of SH-75/Sawtooth Scenic Byway; highway continues as US 93 south/US 26 west

}}

{{Jctint

|state=ID

|county=Blaine

|cspan=3

|location_special=Timmerman Junction

|mile=102.124

|road={{jct|state=ID|US|20|dir1=west|city1=Fairfield|dir2=east|city2=Carey|city3=Boise}}

|notes=

}}

{{Jctint

|state=ID

|location=Ketchum

|mile=128.363

|road={{jct|state=ID|SH-Spur|75|dir1=|noshield1=yes|name1=Sun Valley Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{Jctplace

|location_special=Galena Summit

|mile=157.954

|place=Elevation {{convert|8701|ft}}

}}

{{IDint

|county=Custer

|cspan=2

|location=Stanley

|mile=189.378

|road={{jct|state=ID|SH|21|dir1=west|name1=Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway|city1=Boise}}

|notes=Northern terminus of the Sawtooth Scenic Byway; southern terminus of the Salmon River Scenic Byway

}}

{{IDint

|location=none

|mile=244.325

|road={{jct|state=ID|US|93|name1=Idaho Byway|city1=Challis|city2=Salmon|city3=Arco}}

|notes=Northern terminus of SH-75/Salmon River Scenic Byway

}}

{{jctbtm}}

{{reflist|2}}

{{Attached KML}}

{{commons category|Idaho State Highway 75}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011116/http://itd.idaho.gov/highways/milepointlog/logs/stateHW/SH_75_MPLog.pdf Idaho Transportation Dept.] – Milepost log – State Highway 75
• [http://lb.511.idaho.gov/idlb/cameras/route.jsf?route=16%3A66 Roadcams] – State Highway 75
• [http://protophoto.com/subject.html?subject_id=222 Proto Photo.com] - Scenic Route 75
• [http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps920003-23818.html David Rumsey Map Collection] – Historic road map (1937) – Idaho, Montana, Wyoming – Texaco (Rand McNally)
• [http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~212065~5500205:Shell-Highway-Map-of-Idaho--8-DD-19 Idaho highway map (1956)] – Shell (H.M. Gousha)

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Category:Transportation in Lincoln County, Idaho

Category:Transportation in Blaine County, Idaho

Category:Transportation in Custer County, Idaho

Category:U.S. Route 93

Category:Bellevue, Idaho