Custer

Custer is a ghost town in Custer County, Idaho, with preserved buildings from the 1800s arranged along a single main street. The buildings include a restored schoolhouse, the Empire Saloon, and several private cabins that show how the settlement was laid out.

The settlement was founded in 1879 as a gold mining site and reached around 600 residents by 1896. It was abandoned by around 1910 when mining operations slowed down and people moved elsewhere.

The Empire Saloon keeps its original structure with a poker table marked by bullet holes, showing how people spent time together during the mining era. You can see how the space reflects the social life that once happened here.

Visitors reach the town via a nine-mile gravel road from Highway 75 at Sunbeam. Guided tours are available during the summer months, and the site offers basic visitor access to the historic buildings.

The Challis National Forest manages this National Register site, and a volunteer group called Friends of Custer Museum maintains public access to the buildings. This partnership between the forest service and volunteers keeps the site open for visitors.

Location: Custer County

GPS coordinates: 44.38750,-114.69583

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:42