Roadside Attractions

Sign at Wrangler Drive-In
U.S. Route 20 - Fairfield, Idaho

As you drive across Idaho, roadside attractions should be a part of your itinerary. These sights - sometimes quirky and strange, sometimes surprising and interesting - give you a flavor of the state. Include some of these natural and man-made features along the way to add to the enjoyment of your trip. Some are photo stops or an opportunity to get out of the car to stretch your legs, while others will take some time to see.

Visiting strange roadside spots can be fun, but just studying the names of towns on the map can be downright entertaining. For example, how big is Small, Idaho? Just how cold does it get in Chilly, Idaho? And, how is the attitude of folks who live in Moody, Idaho? Some of the other unusual names of towns in Idaho include: Atomic City, Bliss, Bone, Crouch, Dingle, Gay, Gross, Hope, Mace, Ozone, Riddle, Santa, Slickpoo, Squirrel, Sweet, and Yellowjacket.

So, have some fun and learn some things. Here are a few of the roadside attractions for you to consider:

45th Parallel - The posted imaginary line of the half-way point between the North Pole and the Equator A popular photo opportunity and rest stop located 2.5 miles north of New Meadows on U.S. Route 95, just north of the State Route 55 junction.

Cataldo Mission - Cataldo Mission, the Mission of the Sacred Heart, is the oldest building in all of Idaho. The building was constructed between 1850 and 1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe. The buildings and other features are located in the Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park. This site provides an educational experience unlike anywhere else, giving visitors an inside look at the relationship between Jesuit missionaries and the tribal people among who they settled. A great roadside attraction. Located off Interstate 90 at Exit 39, 20 miles east of Coeur d’Alene or 10 miles west of Kellogg. Admission to the park which also has an interpretive center, picnic facilities, fishing opportunities and easy hiking trails is $4 per car. Information: (208) 682-3814

Clear Springs Trout Farm - Ever buy trout for dinner at the supermarket? Well, chances are the fish were raised in one of Idaho’s 80 commercial trout farms that produce 41 million pounds annually, about 70 percent of the total domestic trout production. The largest of these Idaho farms is Clear Springs Trout Farm, located outside Buhl, Idaho. To visit, take U.S. Route 30 southeast out of Buhl and turn north on Clear Lake Road. After crossing the Snake River, follow the signs to the Clear Springs Trout Farm Visitor Center. Admission is free. Information: (208) 543-4316

Clearwater Fish Hatchery - An educational roadside attraction. Tour this hatchery (or one of its four satellites), operated by the Idaho State Department of Fish and Game, where Chinook and coho salmon, steelhead trout and rainbow trout are raised. Adult Chinook salmon can also be seen at the hatcheries from early June through late August. The main hatchery is located at Ahsahka, Idaho 45 miles east of Lewiston on U.S. Route 12. When you arrive at Orofino, turn left across the bridge entering town, immediately turn left on State Route 7 for about 4.5 miles, cross the bridge over the North Fork of the Clearwater River and take a left across the railroad tracks and enter the hatchery. Free admission.

Dog Bark Park - Located 15 miles northwest of Grangeville at the north end of Cottonwood on U.S. Route 95, this interesting stop is the home to Toby (12-feet tall), and Sweet Willy Colton (30 feet tall), two of the world’s largest, man-made beagles. You can see these dogs, as well as other chainsaw sculptures of other animals and demonstrations of the carving techniques. Free admission. Oh, by the way, you can stay in the 30-foot beagle overnight, if you want. It’s a bed and breakfast! There is a sleeping loft in the muzzle and a full bath underneath the tail! For information or reservations: (208) 962-3647

Drive-In Restaurant Sign - The Wrangler Drive-In located on U.S. Route 20 at Fairfield, Idaho has a sign out front proclaiming that the restaurant is the "Home of the Original Roadkill Pattymelt" (see photo above). We make no dining recommendations, but suggest it only as a fun photo opportunity. Information: (208) 764-2580

Eastman Drugs - The oldest drug store in Idaho, Eastman Drugs features an old-fashioned soda fountain. Located in Soda Springs next to the geyser off State Route 30 north of Montpelier, Idaho. Make this roadside attraction an ice cream stop. (Note: See Soda Springs Geyser, below)

Elk Mountain Farm - Anheuser-Busch operates this 1800-acre farm located north of Bonners Ferry off State Route 1 near Porthill on the Canadian border. The farm grows hops for the company’s beer products. For information, call (208) 267-7714

Enaville Resort - This historic landmark (over 125 years old) is tucked away, but is quite easy to find. Take Interstate Route 90 east from Coeur d’Alene for about 30 miles, and turn north at the Kingston exit (43). The “resort” is just over a mile from I-90 at the town of Enaville. In days gone by, it was a BIG attraction for miners and loggers. It was a bar, a hotel, a house of ill repute, and a railroad layover, with business names like Josies and The Snakepit. Today, it is interestingly cluttered with memorabilia and stuff from the past. This museum atmosphere will keep you busy for a while, and if you choose to eat, the food is not bad. A unique roadside attraction.

Idaho National Laboratory -This facility housed the first nuclear power plant, the Experimental Breeder Reactor 1, located here in 1949. It operated until 1963 and nearby Arco, Idaho was the first city to be lit by nuclear power. It is now a National Historic Landmark, open for tours in the summer months. Free admission. Located off U.S. Route 26, east of Arco. Information: (208) 526-0050

Largest Tree in Idaho - Idaho has lots of big trees, but none larger than the giant western red cedar found in the Perkins Cedar Grove. This magnificent cedar is 18 feet in diameter, and stands 177 feet tall. It is estimated to be 3,000 years old. Located southeast of Bovill, Idaho off State Route 8 near Elk River, Idaho, the 80-acre Perkins Cedar Grove is located on Forest Service Road 382 just outside Elk River.

Oasis Bordello Museum - In the business of pleasure until 1988 when everyone quickly departed ahead of a pending raid, the facility has been turned into a museum. It reminds us of Wallace’s colorful past. Entry to the first floor is free, with the main attraction, a tour of the upstairs brothel costing $5 per person. This unique look back is located east of Coeur d’Alene at 605 Cedar Street in historic Wallace, Idaho. This is a special roadside attraction.

Old Idaho Penitentiary - 2445 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise. The “Old Pen”, a fortress-like structure useful for more than 100 years, was first built in 1870 and added to using prisoner labor over the years. Tour the aged facility and see solitary confinement cells, death row and the once-used gallows. $4 adults; $3 seniors/children. Information: (208) 368-6080

Paul Bunyan Statues - Like HUGE roadside attractions? A 25-foot statue of legendary Paul Bunyan can be seen on the front lawn of Heyburn Elementary School on Main Street in St. Maries. Like Paul Bunyan statues? A second one, about 20-feet tall, can be found at Paul Bunyan Pak-Out (Burgers), 602 Northwest Blvd. in Coeur d’Alene.

Note: If you simply like oversized replicas of stuff, see the giant Red Rocking Chair in front of Furniture West In Moscow, or the huge Mug of Root Beer atop the Frostop Drive-In in Ashton, or the really big water tanks painted like Cans of Soda near Osgood, or the giant Cowboy in Wendell or the big Cowboy in front of Bass Western World in Coeur d‘Alene, or the roof that resembles a humungous Miner’s Hard Hat in Kellogg. As roadside attractions, these ought to satisfy you!

Payette National Forest Smokejumper Base - One of only four Forest Service smokejumper training bases in the United States. The complex includes smokejumper training unit, paraloft, Payette National Forest dispatch office and the McCall air tanker base. During the summer months 70 smokejumpers, 3 smokejumper aircraft and 2 air tankers are based in McCall. Tours of the facility are available weekdays at 11:30am and at 2:30pm, during July and August, and at 10:30am and at 1:30pm the rest of the year. Located at the McCall Airport. Free admission. For information: (208) 634-0390

Rainey Creek Country Store - Looking for an delicious roadside attraction? This country mercantile is famous for its ice cream served up on unique square cones, and it serves thousands every year. It can be found on U.S. Route 26, east of Idaho Falls, at the town of Swan Valley, and it is worth the stop.

Soda Springs Geyser - Soda Springs, Idaho lays claim to the only man-made geyser in the world. Who knows? Discovered in 1937 by a man drilling for water, the geyser has been capped and is set to do its thing every hour on the hour, unless the winds are too strong. The geyser, featured in Ripley’s “Believe It or Not”, shoots its sparkling water more than 100 feet in the air. The phenomenon is found in the town of Soda Springs, north of Montpelier, Idaho off U.S. Route 30. Free admission. It‘s a man-made roadside attraction. (Note: See Eastman Drugs, above)

Valley View Lavender Farm - Stop by this working farm to view fields of lavender or to sample or purchase lavender products such as candles, bath and beauty supplies or lavender plants for your garden. From Buhl, Idaho, go one mile west on U.S. Route 30 to 1325 East Road, turn right, go one mile and turn left at the purple mailbox. Closed Sunday and Monday. Call (208) 543-4283 for information.

Wildflowers Galore -Spring and summer wildflowers are a frequent sight along Idaho roadways. Sometimes thriving in lush fields and, at other times, offering up their beauty from cruel circumstances, Idaho wildflowers provide travelers with awesome photo opportunities. A roadside attraction that requires a camera.

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