Other Destinations and Attractions in Idaho

South of Arco in south-eastern Idaho is a lunar landscape created by volcanic eruptions between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago. This region of lava flows can be explored on signposted circular routes.

From Lewiston there are boat trips through Hell's Canyon, the deepest on the American continent (6500 ft), carved out by the Snake River for a distance of 95 mi. along the border with Washington and Oregon.
Hell's Canyon supports wildlife such as bears, bobcats, bighorn sheep, cougars, elk, and mountain goats.

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is part of the Sawtooth National Forest located in central Idaho. It features three mountain ranges, forests and more than 300 lakes. Nature trails include Fishhook Creek Nature Trail and Wood River Adventure Trail.

Sun Valley in southern Idaho attracts skiing enthusiasts throughout the year with its magnificent facilities for winter sports and its excellent tourist infrastructure.

Ketchum is the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway. The great Sawtooth National Recreation Area begins to the north.

Ahsahka is a small town and home to the Dworshak Dam and Fish Hatchery.

The Dworshak Dam Visitor Center overlooks the 717ft/218m dam. Dworshak Dam is one of the highest straight-axis concrete gravity dams in the world.

The Dworshak National Fish Hatchery is located at the confluence of the North Fork and Clearwater Rivers. The hatchery produces steelhead trout and Chinook salmon.

The City of Rocks National Reserve features massive granite rocks that have eroded into the shape of the ruins of an ancient city. In 1843, the site became a landmark for emigrants on the California Trail and Salt Lake Alternate Trail. Many of the pioneers signed their names in axle grease on rock faces, and their signatures can be seen today.

Experimental Breeder Reactor 1, or EBR-1, was the first of 52 nuclear reactors built at the National Reactor Testing Station, now the Idaho National Laboratory. It was the first reactor in the world to generate a usable quantity of electricity in 1951. In 1966, two years after it was replaced by a larger, more advanced version, EBR-1 was dedicated as a Registered National Historic Landmark.Also on display at EBR-1 is a small physics testing reactor, as well as two reactors built in the 1950's as possible power sources for a nuclear airplane.

Silverwood is located just south of Athol. It offers more than 50 rides, live shows, games and attractions in a late-1800s mining town theme park. Rollercoasters, a log flume, steam train and midway games are featured.

Bald Mountain features 19 lifts, 75 runs and 3,400ft/1,040m vertical drop.

The Malad Gorge State Park stands on 652 acres in southern Idaho near the town Bliss. The Malad Gorge was used by Native Americans who piled rocks along the rim to capture bison and other game animals. The Malad River falls into the Devils Washbowlans then onto the Snake River. The historic Kelton Trail runs through the park, providing Western-history buffs with excellent wagon ruts and traces of the Kelton Stage Stop.

The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge is a 2,774 acre refuge which was established in 1965, primarily as a habitat and resting area for migrating waterfowl. Over 300 different species of wildlife can be found on the refuge.

The C.J. Strike Damon Snake River has created a 7,500 acre reservoir. Boating, swimming, fishing and camping are available.

The Thousand Springs Scenic Byway runs from Bliss to Twin Falls. Thousand Springs gushes from the sides of the canyon. Three pools are in an area of hot mineral baths.

The Cassia County Historical Society Museum in Burley features collections of fossils, local history items, tools and wagons of the miners, trappers, loggers and farmers. On the grounds are replicas of a one-room cabin, general store, schoolhouse and barbershop.

Caldwell is a college town with a number of interesting attractions. The town has a number of golf courses, museums, and a planetarium. Orchards and vineyards are also an important part of the community and the economy. Driving through this area in the spring is very pleasant as the trees and vines come into bloom.

The Orma J. Smith Museum is a natural history museum with collections of animal and plant specimens.

The Cambridge Museum in Cambridge (pop. 360) provides information on the area's history from the arrival of the first settlers in 1869 through the 1930's. Exhibits include geology, farming relics, Indian life and pioneer days.

The Coeur d'Alene Mission was built between 1848 and 1853 by the Coeur d'Alene Indians and Father Ravalli, a Jesuit priest. The 18 inch thick walls were constructed of woven straw and mud without nails.

Land of the Yankee Fork Historic Area near Challis began attracting gold seekers in 1870. By 1911, the local towns had become ghost towns. The interpretive center tells the story of the mines and miners from 1860 to 1910.

The North Fork of the Clearwater and the Lochsa rivers provide waters for migratory and resident fish. The mountainous area of the Clearwater National Forest is habitat for elk, moose, whitetail and mule deer, black bear, gray wolf, cougar, and mountain goats.

The Historical Museum at St Gertrude in Cottonwood features more than 70,000 artifacts that chronicle the heritage of the area. Exhibits include weaponry, the Nez Perce, geology and mining, medical equipment and the Chinese in Idaho.

The Gem County Historical Society Museum focuses on life in early Emmett (pop. 5,500), beginning with the Native Americans to trappers, miners, and settlers. Displays include a collection of photographs, and full-size re-creations of a general store, a turn-of-the-century parlor, a laundry room, and a combined doctor and dentist's office.

Bear River Heritage Area is located along the Idaho-Utah border. Visitors will enjoy bird watching at several wildlife refuges; hiking, canoeing, and water skiing; camping and cycling; Bear Lake and numerous natural hot springs.

The greatest amount of Hagerman Horse fossils can be found at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. They date back 3 1/2 million years. The fossil deposits are from a time period called the late Pliocene epoch which existed before the Ice Age.

The Blaine County Historical Museum in Hailey is housed in a building built in 1883 by the pioneering Friedman family. Exhibits include the Chinese who were eventually moved from the area, mining, Basque sheepherders, and political campaign collections.

Rock Creek Station was built to serve the stagecoach and Pony Express, although Oregon-bound emigrants did stop here to purchase supplies or camp. Stricker House, an original six-room log cabin constructed by Herman Stricker burned down in 1900.

The Stricker family built a new home in 1901, which exists today on the southeast corner of the Rock Creek site. In 1916, the original structure was expanded to include an extension on the formal dining room, present kitchen, bath, service entrance, sun porch, and storage area.

Raptor Reef is an indoor waterpark located under a glass retractable roof. Four waterslides, originating from a 60ft/18m tower, a children's lagoon, hot tub and wave pool are highlights of the park.

The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail follows the 1804-1806 journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they traveled from Wood River, Illinois, through portions of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and went to Oregon City, Oregon. It passed through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho. The Trail was the pathway to the Pacific for fur traders, gold seekers, missionaries and settlers.

Exhibits at the County Historical Museum in Jerome include displays of the development of the North Side Irrigation project.

East Kamiah is known as Heart of the Monster and is located south of Kamiah. It is considered the place of creation in Ni Mii Pum mythology.

The First Presbyterian Church in Kamiah was founded in 1871. This was the Nez Perces' first church. It has an adjacent cemetery. It is the oldest continuously used church in Idaho.

Ketchum (pop. 3,000) is located in central Idaho in the Wood River Valley next to Sun Valley. It is a tourist center featuring fishing, hiking, summer and winter sports.

The Anne Reed Gallery features large-scale contemporary photographs. This gallery is strictly virtual now, please visit the website.

The Gail Severn Gallery in Ketchum features 4 exhibition spaces, an outdoor sculpture court and a 2-acre sculpture garden. The gallery represents artists working in all media such as oil paintings, bronze sculpture, photographs, watercolor and mixed media.

Gallery DeNovo specializes in painting, photography, and sculpture from international artists.

Gilman Contemporary is a gallery featuring artists from the US and around the world. Exhibits include contemporary photography, painting and sculpture.

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum was founded in 1971. It is an artistic center featuring both visual and performing art exhibits.

The Heritage and Ski Museum features early skiing equipment, historical exhibits on local Indians, mining, sheep ranching and WW I veterans.

The Kooskia National Fish Hatchery was established in 1969 to rear spring Chinook salmon for release in to the Clearwater River basin. Across from the hatchery is Mill Pond Trail, which follows an old mill pond, and attracts migrating waterfowl and native wildlife such as white tailed deer, beaver, muskrat, pheasant, turkey, Canada geese, osprey and bald eagles. The hatchery and trail are the historic village site of Nez Perce Chief Lookingglass.

The Northern Idaho Indian Agency was originally located at Spalding. It was relocated to Fort Lapwai in 1904. The agency was established in 1862 to prevent clashes between the pioneers and American Indians.

The Activity Barn offers lift-served snow tubing, sledding and cross-country skiing.

Roaring Springs Waterpark in Meridian offers a variety of waterslides, a wave pool, raft rides, Leisure Lagoon and a children's play area.

In the extreme northeast, Idaho borders the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The Mesa Falls Scenic Byway offers fantastic views towards the park.

Established in the old Liberty Theater, the Captain John Mullan Museum illustrates the history of Mullan. Exhibits include historical furnishings, vintage clothing, photographs, newspapers, mining relics as well as local school, sports, firemen, and drug store memorabilia.

The Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge near Nampa was established in 1909 and is one of the oldest refuges in the United States. It provides habitat for large numbers of wintering waterfowl, including mallards and Canada geese. The refuge consists of Lake Lowell and 107 islands in the Snake River.

Two rivers located within Nez Perce National Forest are the Selway and the Salmon Rivers. Fishing, floating, and rafting are available on the rivers. Wildlife inhabitants include elk, moose, deer, cougars, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and bears.

Canoe Camp Historical Site is the location where the the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent 10 days while canoes were built for their journey down the Clearwater, Snake and Columbia Rivers. There is an interpretive sign that marks the spot.

Part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park, Lewis and Clark camped at this site after crossing the Bitterroot Mountains on horseback. The area features fishing and hiking opportunities.

Payette National Forest features more than 2,000 hiking trails that give access to streams, rivers and lakes. There are fishing opportunities; winter activities include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Albeni Falls Dam was built at the site of a natural falls on the Pend Oreille River called Albeni Falls. It was named after an early settler, Albeni Poirier. A unique feature of the dam is the log chute, which was included to handle the river traffic of logs.

Rigby is the birthplace of the television. The museum has several exhibits about Philo Farnsworth, the inventor. Other displays depict the history of Jefferson County with the Ormond Big Game Exhibit and an early photo exhibit.

Over 28 species of waterfowl use the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is located on the Snake River Plain in south-central Idaho, 12mi/19km northeast of Rupert (pop. 5,650). Birds most commonly seen are the Canada goose, mallard, pintail, redhead, gadwall, and wigeon. Tundra swans can be seen as they migrate through in the spring and bald eagles are regularly observed on the refuge in winter.

The Lemhi County Historical Museum in Salmon features Oriental artifacts dating back to Chinese settlers. Other exhibits include Indian artifacts including headdresses and peace pipes as well as tools and domestic items dating from pioneer times.

Located in east-central Idaho, the Salmon-Challis National Forest covers more than 4.3 million acres. The Salmon River and Mount Borah are within its boundaries. Hunting, fishing, white-water rafting, camping and wildlife viewing are available.

Shoshone Indian Ice Caves are large lava ice caves located 17mi/27km north of Shoshone. A museum features Indian artifacts, gems, and minerals of local and world interest.

Spalding is located 10mi/16km east of Lewiston. The village was named for Rev. Henry H. Spalding, who built a mission near the present town of Lapwai. Spalding has several geologic formations that are significant in Nez Perce tradition - Coyote's Fishnet, The Bear and Ant and Yellowjacket.

In the Nez Perce National Historical Park are 24 signposted sites illustrating the history and culture of the Nez Perce Indians. The chief place in the park is Spalding, 11 mi. east of Lewiston.
Some sites within the park are scenic views, some are geological formations and some contain historic places and buildings.

Spalding Site is the location of a second mission built by Rev. Spalding and his wife Eliza in 1838. This Presbyterian mission was home to the Idaho Territory's first printing press, sawmill and gristmill. The Spaldings and many Nez Perce Indians are buried in the mission cemetery.

The Spalding Site is the home to the headquarters of Nez Perce National Historical Park. It is the location of a second mission built in 1838 by Reverend Spalding and his wife. This Presbyterian mission had a printing press, sawmill and gristmill.

The Sawtooth Fish Hatchery near Stanley (pop. 100) was built to rear spring Chinook salmon and collect eggs from steelhead trout. The hatchery consists of an incubation and early rearing room, six small outside raceways, 14 large outside raceways, and an adult spawning facility.

Targhee National Forest is named in honor of a Bannock Indian warrior. The Forest is home to a diverse number of wildlife and fish including moose, trumpeter swans, ospreys and bald eagles. Visitors should not miss Big Springs which is located within the Forest at the headwaters of Henry's Fork and comes from the base of a high plateau.

The Wolf Education and Research Center near Winchester provides public education and scientific research concerning the gray wolf and its habitat in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Visitors can observe the wolves in their natural habitat.

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. The park is located in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.