It's hauntingly beautiful and dare I say a little creepy. It's a view into Idaho's past. The bustling city that once housed over 2500 residents is still home to 75 buildings. The only thing missing in this Idaho ghost town is an actual living person.

This is a city strait out of Southwest Idaho's mining past and is often overlooked as a destination to visit....and it's only located about 70 miles southwest of Boise, between Jordan Valley, and Bruneau. Silver City is an easy drive from Boise for a day visit with the family or to do some hiking around a town that once was a true metropolis in Idaho. At it's peak in the late 1800s Silver City had over 20,000 residents, making it one of Idaho's and the northwest's largest cities at the time, but today it's home to only a handful of year residents.

There are still over 70 buildings standing just as they once did over 100 years ago. One of those buildings is the old Idaho Hotel, standing as it did 100 years ago, the only difference is that now it is rumored to be haunted. That will continue to be a rumor for me, because I will not be trying to prove or disprove, because I don't like ghosts and I don't think they like me.

Silver City used to be a very busy mining hub and was one of the first Idaho cities to have electricity.

The silver crash at the turn of the 20th century sent this formerly busy city into a rapid downward spiral to where it is today...A hauntingly beautiful and a little creepy ghost town. One of the true ghost towns in America, that has not been turned into a tourist destination with new updated buildings and  places to buy touristy crap or that didn't burn to the ground and disappear all together.

Keep in mind because it's in the Owyhee mountains, so snow is plentiful and the roads are remote. The roads are closed until the end of May and ignoring the closure signs you can get you a big fine.  Also keep in mind that some of the buildings are privately owned and walking into them is considered trespassing. Don't trespass or cause any damage to the area, let's keep it awesome, so everyone can enjoy it.

 

Check out some of the history behind this former mining town and see why, now as a ghost town it’s such a must-visit.

 

Take and aerial drone tour of Silver City

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