Historic Towns Preserve Mining, Frontier History

Three Idaho destinations preserve different parts of the state’s past. The Snake Pit in Kingston, widely regarded as Idaho’s oldest restaurant, has served travelers since the Silver Valley’s mining-boom era and remains a working roadhouse. In Murray, the Sprag Pole Bar & Museum pairs a free collection of mining and frontier exhibits with a casual restaurant. Silver City, a remote former mining town, retains dozens of historic buildings and still draws families descended from its early miners, though it is largely quiet outside the summer season.