25 – Custer
From VisitIdaho.org:
Custer was founded in early 1879 by gold speculators. Economically supported by the operations of the Lucky Boy and Black mines, Custer reached its peak population of 600 in 1896. By 1910, Custer had become a ghost town. The Challis National Forest took ownership of the area in 1966, and in 1981, Custer was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Through the efforts of the Friends of Custer Museum, the site was kept open for public enjoyment.
More Information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custer,_Idaho
https://visitidaho.org/things-to-do/ghost-towns-mining-history/custer-historic-mining-town/
Coordinates: 44.38779, -114.69656
Elevation: 7074 ft
Difficulty: 2
What to Expect: No Info
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Stop 4 on the Challis one day out and back Sunday. Cool little town in a crazy pretty valley served by a really nice road. This is barely a 2. The dredge is amazing.
The smoke up here this day was pretty bad
This was my last stop of a long day and I didn’t explore Custer like I wanted to. Snapped these pics and jetted. Plus, I was really curious about the status of the Wapiti fire which doubled in size from 17k acres to 35k acres (August 22) and I wanted to get into Stanley to see what was going on. Stopped at the dredge along the way. I recall the dredge was one of the check-ins from two years ago and I was pleased to know it was on the way to Custer. Pretty massive piece of hardware and technology circa 1940.
Lots of things to look at.
nice town to walk around
they sell ice cream at the saloon!
The massive dredge on the way into the town is amazing, and did a lot of damage!
Really easy wide gravel road on the way up. We got ‘hand cranked’ ice cream from the saloon. Lot’s of cool history to see.
Recommend taking the tour of the dredge and the town very cool for us history buffs!
Custer was one of my favorite sites so far. The Yankee Fork Gold Dredge was a highlight. They charge $5 for a tour and you will be amazed at the technology and machinery. Well worth it and the folks working the dredge tour were really great too. There is a public restroom next to it. Easy access on wide roads in good condition.
We explored the town and there was a lot to walk around and look at. Check out the Empire Saloon for some home made ice cream, sarsaparilla and souvenirs. Great camping in the area as well.
Old mining town.
Cool spot and no dust!