f e a t u r e d
a tt r a ct i o n s
central
Sawtooth Country
Custer was founded in 1878 as a gold mining camp in the Idaho wilderness, but by 1910 it had become a ghost town. Today, the remnants of
this once bustling goldrush town are operated by the National Forest
Service and the Friends of Custer Museum. The site is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
This miner’s camp features many buildings with interpretive sites. In
the late 1870s, an enterprising freighter built a toll road from Challis to
the neighboring town of Bonanza. The new road was ready for use by
September of 1879, and was the only road to the district for ten years.
The Civilian Conservation Corp. reconstructed the road in 1933, and
it was designated The Custer Motorway. This historic mining district
is a great place for anyone to learn about the heyday of mining in the
Salmon River Country.
Challis - Yankee Fork Ranger District
HC 63 P.O. Box 1669
Challis, ID 83226
(208) 879-4100
Grand View Canyon
Grand View Canyon is located 14 miles southeast of Challis on U.S.
Highway 93. After rising over Willow Creek Summit, Highway 93
drops over the edge of the canyon, following the twisting course of
Warm Spring Creek before it empties into the Salmon River in the
valley below. Campers, hunters, hikers and anglers will especially enjoy
this wild area.
Mount Borah
(Pictured Below) The highest mountain peak in Idaho (12,662 feet)
is located 33 miles southeast of Challis in the Lost River Range. On
October 28, 1983, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Borah Peak
area. The earthquake lifted Borah Peak seven feet. The peak was scarred
on the western side and the mark is still visible. Those vigorous enough
to climb to the top will be rewarded with a spectacular view.
Challis Chamber of Commerce
632 E. Main Ave.
Challis, ID 83226
(208) 879-2771
Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural &
Educational Center
(Pictured Below) This 71-acre park is dedicated to Sacajawea and the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Center is dedicated to honoring and
providing education about America’s great historical heroine, Sacajawea,
and her role in the Corps of Discovery. The center is a unique outdoor
experience for travelers to learn about Idaho culture and history. This is
a great family and historical destination.
Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural & Educational Center
Lewis and Clark Street, Hwy 28
Salmon, ID 83467
(208) 756-1188
www.sacajaweacenter.org
Challis Chamber of Commerce
632 E. Main Ave., Challis, ID 83226
(208) 879-2771
Lost River Sinks
Below the rugged peaks of the Lost River Range, melting snowpack
from the extreme heights drain down the valleys and draws to fill the
Big Lost River in decent snow years. The river flows through the valley
beneath Mount Borah, the active Lost River fault zone and into the
Arco Desert. Somewhere below Mackay, the river disappears into the
porous basalt that was left by the last active volcanoes.
The water sinks into the Snake River aquifer and migrates 150 miles
to burst out of the steep canyon walls of the Snake River at Thousands
Springs near Hagerman. The under ground journey takes about two
hundred years.
Mackay Chamber of Commerce
301 E. Custer Rd.
Mackay, ID 83251
(208) 588-26