Atomic City, Idaho is easy to miss driving through the southeast corner of the state. Sitting at the edge of the sprawling 890-square-mile Idaho National Laboratory complex, this modern-day ghost town has a shocking nuclear history that drove residents away in the 1950s and continues to keep visitors at a distance. Here, in 1961, the country’s first fatal nuclear explosion took place – not even a decade after a dangerous reactor meltdown nearby left the town paralyzed with fear. Today, while not fully abandoned, Atomic City stands desolate and scarred by the radioactive fatalities of the past with only a handful of residents remaining as a living legacy of the tragic events.

But while most people stay far, far away from this nuclear town, the haunting remnants of the community nevertheless draw visitors every year – one of whom documented Idaho’s bleak modern ruins in his book Wilderness to Wasteland. The book captures the chilling, dystopian afterlife of America’s most polluted and contaminated places via poignant photography. But perhaps even more humbling than the photos is an in-depth look at the history of this forgotten town itself.

Welcome to Atomic City, Idaho. Population: 25
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Matt Lavin/Flickr
The town is a mere shell of its former self and the product of the long-gone Atomic Age of the 1950s. A venture down the main road will reveal a once-booming community eerily devoid of traditional small town happenings.
Set in the heart of Idaho's most desolate, uninhabited desert landscape, only a few dozen residents remain.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Matt Lavin/Flickr
The obscure desert town is now a collection of old houses, a solitary store, and the Atomic City Raceway. Little else remains besides a never-ending expanse of high desert terrain.
But Atomic City isn't alone in the desert. It's also located just a few miles away from the sprawling Idaho National Laboratory nuclear complex.
Nathan Strain/Google
The town was originally called Midway, its name was changed after the INL - a nuclear waste treatment and research complex - was built nearby and inspired the change.
Before the world's first functional nuclear power plant, the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1, was built onsite, the town boomed.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Chris Dodds/Flickr
The era was marked by the groundbreaking unraveling of the atom puzzle in the early 1940s and was quickly followed by the dropping of the first atomic bomb in 1945, ending WWII.

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But after a series of radioactive disasters and the country's first immediately fatal nuclear disaster took place right here in Idaho, many townspeople abandoned the area just as quickly.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Scott O'Dell/Flickr
The details of the disaster are gruesome. Three men lost their lives in the incident. But the fate of the town was sealed when the highway was also rerouted to go around Atomic City, an economic blow that drove all but a few rooted homeowners out.
In 1955, the EBR-1 in nearby Arco suffered the world's first partial meltdown.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Self-guided tours of the EBR-1 are still available today. Here, you can see "the hot cell," which is sealed from the outside world and protected by multiple layers of thick glass. A historical marker at a nearby pull-off states: "Since 1949, more nuclear reactors - over 50 of them - have been built on this plain than anywhere else in the world." Arco isn't too far from Atomic City, and is famous for being the first city lit by atomic energy: one hour on July 17, 1955.
Six years later, an ill-fated event took place at the nearby SL-1 reactor less than five miles from Atomic City. It was fatal. In fact, so devastating was the incident that the victims had to be buried in lead coffins encased with concrete.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Todd Kopriva/Flickr
The SL-1 reactor was part of the Army’s plan to establish portable nuclear power at various remote bases during the height of the Cold War - a time when nuclear energy was hoped to be the fuel of the future.

The Atomic City nuclear accident on January 3, 1961 was frightening, to say the least. While no more fatal nuclear accidents have occurred to date at the INL, multiple radioactive accidents have taken place over the years.
But despite attempts at restoration, the area has yet to fully recover from the environmental and energy errors of the past.
Atomic City - Idaho's Nuclear Wasteland
Tom Kelly/Flickr
Author of Wilderness to Wasteland, David Hanson, writes, "It seems frightening yet somehow appropriate that the most enduring monuments America will leave for future generations will be the hazardous remains of our industry and technology."

Atomic City is just one of the dozens of sites covered in the book.

Where were you when the SL-1 explosion rocked this town? Have you ever visited the area around the INL?

Idaho is a beautiful state, but we’ve had our fair share of disasters over the centuries. These historic natural disasters in Idaho are a few of the most devastating we’ve seen.

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Atomic City, Idaho & Related Info

Elisa Regulski | September 30, 2019

What other abandoned places are there in Idaho?

There are so many fascinating and creepy abandoned places in Idaho. If you’re feeling brave, take a visit to the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. This spooky spot, located in Boise, has seen thousands of inmates. The prison closed in the early 1970s, but some claim it still buzzes with paranormal activity. Visitors can take a guided tour through the property and hear stories from its terrifying past. For another bone-chilling adventure, visit Pioneer Boothill Cemetery. Over 3,000 bodies have been buried here, but only 300 gravestones are still legible. People say you can still feel the energy of the deceased all around you.

Are there any hiking trails to abandoned places in Idaho?

The Pulaski Tunnel Trail, located inside the Panhandle National Forest, leads to one of the most unique abandoned places in Idaho. This 2-mile hike is full of breathtaking views. Vibrant forests and crisp breezes will greet you everywhere you go. Continue along the path, and you’ll soon reach the remnants of an abandoned silver mine. The story surrounding this place is tragic.

What ghost towns can you find in Idaho?

There are several unique ghost towns in Idaho. Wickahoney, located in Owhyee County, is one of the most fascinating. This town was once a popular spot along the stagecoach route to Nevada. Today, all that remains are the ruins of buildings. Some of the partial dwellings date all the way back to the 1880s. If you loved this excursion, you should pay a visit to Gilmore in Lemhi County. This quiet place was abandoned during the Great Depression and people rarely come to visit. The area is full of rotting old wooden buildings. It will really make your imagination run wild.

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Atomic City, ID 83221, USA