While Idaho is still one of the country’s least populous states, there’s no denying that word is spreading of everything the Gem State has to offer. Fortunately, there are still countless places to get away from it all, whether by getting lost in the wilderness or finding yourself in the countryside. Either way, you might not see another person for miles – and sometimes, that’s just the type of day trip you need to refresh and recharge!
If a visit to the mountains or Idaho’s lake country isn’t in your schedule, a winding rural or backcountry drive is another fantastic option for escaping the crowds and drinking in some natural Idaho beauty. The next time you need to escape for a quiet, relaxing drive in the country, the historic Bone Road is about as lonely and unexpectedly isolated as they come – with a little personality thrown in that is perfectly delightful.
It's a remote area with a storied, but obscure history just as forgotten as the landscape itself: the stretch of seemingly empty desert between the Blackfoot Reservoir and Iona near Idaho Falls.
Joshua Wells Photography/Flickr
The Bone Road: a gently winding and forgotten piece of Idaho's history that takes its rare visitors on a journey through the charming rural beauty of Eastern Idaho.
Over 100 years ago, a man by the name of Orin Bone left his mark in Eastern Idaho. He settled southeast of Idaho Falls around 1910, he found a need for a general store, so he moved a schoolhouse from Birch Creek to Bone, and named it the Bone Store.
The store itself has quite the rambunctious history. Bar brawls, dances, broken windows caused by rowdy customers being thrown through them…
There are only two dozen or so permanent residents who reside in Bone. Most of them brave the harsh winters and commute via snowmobile. In fact, Bone is a little-known haven for groomed snowmobile trails in winter.
Miles upon miles of groomed sledding trails traverse the rolling hills from Blackfoot on the west to Palisades Reservoir on the east and Soda Springs on the south.
And that same village store - a tiny, once-hopping establishment - is just about the only visible sign of the community, and the only real place to catch glimpse of another person for miles.
Along with a ceiling full of signed dollar bills and branding marks burned into the century-old wood building, the store displays a black-and-white photo of Orin Bone, who - with his wife and five daughters - continued to operate the combination grocery store/post office until he retired to California in the 1930s. You can stop here for some homemade soup or drop on in for some conversation and billiards. Or both.
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The unkempt road - so obscure that even Google's streetcars have never been down it - is relatively known to those in the immediate area. In fact, there's a marathon dedicated to the rough and exposed trail.
Dozens of towering windmills dot the landscape; hidden creeks bubble up unexpectedly behind sagebrush buried rocks. Puffy clouds dot the endless blue skies that stretch in every direction, reaching towards the distant mountains and rolling hills.
Idaho National Laboratory/Flickr
The 40-mile road itself is a rough one, but not too rough for the average vehicle. And spring brings out the best that this part of the countryside has to offer - all the way to the reservoir.
For an extra adventure to a local secret, keep heading south to the Oneida Narrows!
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Who's up for a drive?
Joshua Wells Photography/Flickr
We’re all about getaways, road trips, and Sunday drives! While you’re out and about, take a peek at some of the stops on our Spring Wildflower Trail – you’re sure to love the splashes of color!
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