Burke

Burke is an abandoned mining settlement in Shoshone County, Idaho, situated in a narrow canyon at about 3,700 feet elevation. Surviving stone and brick buildings show the unusual construction methods needed to fit structures into the tight valley floor only about 300 feet wide.

Burke was founded in 1884 after the discovery of silver and lead deposits and grew rapidly through mining activity. The town experienced labor conflicts, major fires, and avalanches that slowed its growth until the last mine closed in 1991.

The name Burke reflects its origin as a mining settlement adapted to a narrow canyon space. The way buildings were stacked and trains passed through the hotel lobby shows how residents made use of extreme spatial constraints.

The narrow canyon and remote location require access via a winding road east of Wallace, with cellular signals typically unavailable in this area. Visitors should expect deteriorating buildings, warning fences, and restricted zones while exploring the site carefully.

The Tiger Hotel was constructed with a tunnel running through its lobby so trains passed directly through the entrance hall, an unusual solution to extreme space constraints. This design allowed railroad transport and hotel operations to coexist in an extremely limited footprint.