hmmm.... I believe that Challis bills itself as the gateway to the Frank Church Wilderness, which sports the River of No Return. When they say wilderness in Idaho, they mean it. Don't be venturing out too far into the woods unless you are an accomplished sportsman.

Sorry, I don't know any specific hotels there, but I suspect you will be lucky to find a Best Western. It's not a bad little town - and it's probably one of the biggest you will go through until Stanley. You might want to consider staying in Stanley which is smaller, but has more panache - however, it's a bit further on down the road with pretty much NOTHING in between. Nothingness is the charm of that loop.

Here's a tip for that stretch. I happen to love driving it, by the way. But then, I just love being in the middle of nowhere. But you need to be conscious of the fact that you will be in the middle of nowhere. Take at least some snack food, water and don't let your tank dip too low. You didn't say when you are going, but if you are going in the Winter then you should have a winter survival kit including a shovel, chains, and something to keep warm should something go wrong. The roads will be icy and they don't have handrails. I don't mean to scare you, it is a nice drive and maintained. The roads are not deserted, but there is a reason they are self-sufficient in places like that.

Just a thought - but why not go the other route and hit Craters of the Moon? You can also stay in Sun Valley which will have restaraunts and hotels galore. There is more to do in Sun Valley than you will have time to do.

two more thoughts. Pickles, in Arco, has good food. Also, I have a poor memory for roads and I'm too tired to look at a map right now - but if you can stop at the nuclear power museum, it's interesting.

We're going to be in Missoula, Montana the night before and are staying in Sun Valley the night after. We were thinking of driving straight to Sun Valley and bypassing Challis, but it's a really long drive. Hence, the decision to stay in Challis. We looked up places to stay on the internet and settled on a place called the Village Inn. Thanks for your suggestions.