Gorges, Graves and Mining Towns: An Idaho Drive from Council to Sheep Rock

Idaho’s Seven Devils Mining District held some of the richest copper ore in the world, attracting no shortage of fortune-seekers in the 1800s and 1900s. On this driving tour from Council to Sheep Rock, you’ll see what remains of the mining towns that sprang up, and learn why every mining tunnel eventually became a dry wishing well.

This tour chronicles the historical events that occurred along an ancient trail, now a modern road. Along the way, you’ll hear about the challenges that early pioneers faced while taking in some of the most dramatic scenery in the Western US. You’ll drive through the tiny, remote town of Cuprum and see where the now-extinct towns of Landore, Decorah and Helena were located, where thousands of people once lived and worked. You’ll be transported back in time to an era in which no feat seemed too big, including elevating a railroad to greater heights than any rail line in the country. I’ll show you what remains of that railroad and, once you’ve seen it, you too will wonder how anyone could have proposed such an idea. I’ll also tell you stories of early sawmills, ore smelters, children lost to a diphtheria epidemic, and a pioneer doctor.

Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Take in Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America
• See the locations of stage stations along a road that saw up to 100 freight and ore wagons pass by every day
• Hear about Albert Kleinschmidt, the man who changed the story of mining and built a road that has intimidated travelers for generations
• Find out about Arthur Huntley, the rancher whose $50 loan brought him riches beyond his dreams
• Stand at what was once the western edge of the continent, where enormous land masses pushed up mountains and created a geological marvel unlike any other on the planet
• Pass by Bear Creek, Indian Creek, Lick Creek, and Horse Mountain
• Pay your respects at the gravesites of characters that shaped the area

This tour starts in Council, Idaho and consists of good roads that can be driven by most cars. The first 29 miles are on a paved road, and the remainder is on gravel-surfaced roads. The tour covers about 65 miles if all side attractions are visited. It’ll take most of a day to experience it all.

The music featured on this tour is by the “Highway 95” band. I did the singing and wrote all but one of the non-instrumental songs. That's me on mandolin, except on Overgrown Waltz, and all instruments on “The Grave of a Stranger” and “The Devil's Curse.” Other musicians are Kathryn Wert (rhythm guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals), Dennis Maggard (banjo & lead guitar), Wendy Carson (rhythm guitar, harmony vocals), Denny Minshall (electric guitar on Wayfaring Stranger), and my wife, Anna Fisk, on Bass.