The Beautiful Abandoned Spot In Idaho That’s Hidden In Plain Sight
It’s no secret that there is a simple, whimsical nostalgia to trains and rail travel that dates back to old steamers of the 1800s and on up to the modern locomotive – the clickity-clack of tracks underway, the gorgeous landscape panoramas in the distance, the excitement of every whistle. Nearly every Idahoan has grown up with a railroad in their backyard or fallen asleep to the sound of distant cars lumbering over the tracks!
While train travel is no longer an option in the Gem State, there’s a unique beauty to be found in old railbeds, their remnants, and even the ornate train stations that still stand proudly in many cities. (Don’t believe me? Check out our Historic Train Depot Road Trip here!) One particularly magnificent sight? An abandoned railroad that boasts a century’s worth of history, a worldwide reputation that still stands the test of time, and a heartbreaking story of beauty and tragedy.
This stunning stretch of railbed is positively legendary for its towering trestles, which soar above multiple canyons in the high Camas Prairie of Central Idaho. The manmade wonder blends seamlessly with the colorful prairie to form a sight that is nothing short of breathtaking.
Yet, today the remains of this now-abandoned line stand despite all odds.
While no longer in use, this gorgeous piece of Idaho history is well worth a visit to capture a few photographs of the impressive trestles.
Opposite sides of the railroad were built simultaneously by the two begrudgingly cooperating companies, literally meeting in the middle with a huge sigh of relief.
Ed Suominen/Flickr
Jennifer/OnlyInYourState
Incredibly, the timbers for every mile of this glorious second subdivision stretch were cut on-site from nearby pines.
Here, the curvaceous Half Moon trestle arcs in a graceful bend at 141 feet above the ground. This famous stretch also includes six tunnels and eighteen trestles that allow the track to wind up one side of Lapwai Canyon, switch back on itself, and continue up the hill to the top.
The treacherous, rocky Lawyer's Canyon is especially beautiful in its disrepair. A steel viaduct had to be build to run 1, 520 feet across the canyon, with the height topping 280 feet. As the steel was being hauled over the canyon to build this very trestle, it had to be carried across the newly-built - yet still unfinished - portions of the railroad, testing the line's stability. With every groan and ache of the girders, no doubt builders were holding their breath.
A gradual decline became particularly noticeable in 1975 after the building of the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, which allowed Lewiston to become its own inland seaport, thus bypassing the railroad.
Jennifer/OnlyInYourState
In 2000, the railroad was abandoned completely.
Jennifer/OnlyInYourState
Rotting wood, sun-damaged metal - weakened and pitted with holes -, and even human activity has made this historic line a dangerous, albeit beautiful, historic reminder.
Jennifer/OnlyInYourState
Most experts agree that the Camas Prairie Railroad is unlikely to be transformed into a rails-to-trails route, or even play host to an attraction of any kind due to finances. But there's still hope.
Jennifer/OnlyInYourState
Most experts agree that the Camas Prairie Railroad is unlikely to be transformed into a rails-to-trails route, or even play host to an attraction of any kind due to finances. But there's still hope.
You can visit the railroad and check out the splendor from a distance, and even get up close to photograph the trestles themselves - but climbing or hiking along the rails in any way could be fatal. Stay safe, Idaho!
A special shoutout to Jeff Zenner Photography for contributing some of the awesome photos above!
Have you ever seen any portion of the Camas Prairie Railroad in person? For another phenomenal sight in the Camas Prairie, Idaho’s annual canola bloom is unexpected, colorful, and positively mesmerizing.
