About Elk City, Idaho

Elk City is a small isolated community in the central mountains of Idaho.  There is one way in and the same way out.  For the last 50 miles of the drive you follow the south fork of the Clearwater River upstream to reach town.  Gold brought the first migration of folks to town in the 1860’s.  The town went from boom to bust several times before the turn of the century and has totally burned to the ground at least once. Gold dredging during the 1930’s (just like on the TV show GOLD RUSH) brought another boom until WW II started. Timber/logging came next with the construction of a lumber mill (now closed and totally disassembled) just outside of town.

The town boasts a permanent population of around 200 hardy souls (when the temperature hits -40 you have to be hardy).  We have a gas station/grill, saloon, laundromat, hotel, general store, post office, elementary school, Forest Service Office, VFW and a small medical clinic open one day per week, so you must get sick on the correct day.  Don’t blink twice on the drive through town or you will miss it.  We also have a very well maintained grass/dirt airstrip if you would like to fly in.  There are high mountain lakes, stocked fish pond, hot springs and beautiful scenery in the National Forest to explore all within a 30 – 40 minute drive of town.  Many of our trails and old logging roads are open to ATV’s, snowmobiles and mountain biking, so bring the toys and head for the mountains!