Skull Canyon and Mine

Tucked into the sagebrush wilds of Clark County, Idaho, Skull Canyon winds into the Bitterroot Range, revealing dramatic limestone walls formed over 325 million years ago. Even if you're not a geology buff, it’s hard not to be captivated by the canyon's sculpted rock faces, with hardy desert plants gripping the walls and weathered formations that look like the backdrop of a lost frontier.

From the outset, the road into Skull Canyon is unconventional. The narrow two-track cuts straight through the field of an old ranch once run by the Kaufman family in the 1890s. That alone sets the tone for the remote and untamed experience that lies ahead. Ben Lyons, the Kaufman’s foster son, is said to have stumbled upon a cave filled with human skulls here, giving rise to the canyon’s foreboding name. Whether the remains were from ancient tribal conflicts or something else entirely, the canyon’s eerie energy fuels the imagination. One look at the steep, shadowy walls and it’s easy to picture this place as a hiding ground or sacred refuge. A dispersed camping site is nestled within the canyon.

Eventually, the canyon releases you into the rolling, open foothills of the Lemhi Range, where the trail splits and options for further exploration or remote camping open up. One such fork leads you up toward the old Skull Mine, also known as the Weimer Mine, a relic of Idaho’s boom-and-bust mining days. First tapped in the 1880s, this rugged site produced lead, silver, copper, and zinc, with ore once shipped to the smelters at Nicholia and Hahn. Today, the mine lies dormant, but remnants of its past remain scattered across the slope.

The climb up to the mine is steep, washed out, and littered with loose, soccer-ball-sized rocks. It’s the kind of pitch where you’ll want to air down and lock in 4Lo.

Whether you come for the old mines, the ghostly legends, or the canyon’s raw beauty, Skull Canyon is a place where Idaho’s wild past and rugged terrain still echo loud and clear. Bring a capable rig, a sense of curiosity, and maybe a friend, because Skull Canyon is the kind of place that might leave you with more questions than answers.