Toughest trail in Idaho

Boulder City, founded in 1881 as the second city in the Wood River Valley, ranks among one of the best preserved mining towns in south-central Idaho, though heavy winter snows continue to take their toll year after year. This makes it an excellent destination for adventurers — hardy adventurers. The ghost town lies about seven miles off Idaho 75 up a rocky, narrow, winding road that can be reached by four-wheel drive, ATV or horseback but is most often accessed on foot. Those driving regular vehicles will definitely want to stop driving by the time they reach the first creek crossing. Hikers can cross it via a ragtag bridge constructed of log beams with lumber and tree branches laid on top. From here, you’ll gain 2,300 feet of elevation as you trudge up a road that is covered by shale and a thin layer of water in some spots. But there’s plenty to see along the way, including a couple of cabins, a beautiful waterfall that spills over green moss on Boulder Creek and vast mountainsides of rock colored in shades of rust by the minerals. Miners hauled their take out via donkeys over the 11,000-foot pass north to the Challis area for the first two years. Then in 1883, when the railroad came to Ketchum, they began hauling it in wagons down the narrow, winding road along Boulder Creek, chaining trees to the backs of wagons to slow them down. #idaho #mining #gold #silver #adventure #history #sxs #jeep #4x4 #offroad