Idaho Travel Council | Page 59

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