Silver City, Idaho was once a prosperous silver mining town back in the 1800's. Today, it is supposed to be a ghost town. However, it has made me reconsider my definition of "ghost town" because some people actually live there. There are even a few businesses, including the Idaho Hotel.
Over the years, most other "Old West" towns either revamped and remodeled over the years to look nothing like they used to. If they didn't adapt to the changing times, there was usually a reason. Either they burned down, or they became tourist traps, keeping their history as a shtick to entice tourists looking to step into the days of cowboys and outlaws.
Silver City has done none of that. Stepping into town today is much like the way it would've been back in the mining days of the 1800's. Lots of old wooden buildings, "Old West" architecture, and streets of dirt.
Though people still live there, you get the feeling that they're people that live off the grid. There aren't a lot of amenities in the town, and you're not getting to and from an actual town from Silver City very easily either. Getting to the town requires you to drive a long, not-well kept up, narrow dirt road full of pot holes.
The travel is very slow going, switchback after switchback. The road is so narrow, two cars do not fit easily past each other. so I recommend honking your car horn at each switchback to avoid a head on collision. Once you leave pavement on Silver City Road on your way in, you still have about 20 miles left to go on this rough road. It may be slow going, but the weirdness of the road and its surroundings and "off the beaten path" feel adds to the adventure.
So, leave quite a bit of time to get through that final stretch. Also, remember you're visiting a town that hasn't changed much in over a 100 years, so the trek is worth it. While there isn't a lot to do there, how often can you say you've stepped into an authentic town from cowboy days that has barely changed. It's a window to another time.
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