Idaho’s rich mining industry brought thousands of prospectors looking to strike big. Entire towns were born from once humble mining camps, but they didn’t always live to see long-lasting success. In fact, most towns deteriorated as people left once the gold or silver ran out, including the little-known ghost town featured here. Once a lively stagecoach stop between prosperous mining camps, Wickahoney is nothing more than dilapidated ruins left to feel the effects of time and nature.
The southwest corner of the state is home to some of Idaho's wildest scenery, including vast amounts of sagebrush and basalt canyons. It's in this remote region that you'll find the long-abandoned ruins of a town called Wickahoney.
Now a total ghost town, Wickahoney is located in southern Owyhee County. Although very remote, the town is easy to find as long as you have some patience and a reliable vehicle that can handle dirt roads.
To find Wickahoney, take ID-51 south from Bruneau for approximately 27 miles. Turn right onto Battle Creek Road and continue for another seven miles until you reach a fork. Turn left and continue for another five miles to the site.
It doesn't look like much now, but Wickahoney was once a lively little stagecoach stop on the route from Mountain Home, Idaho to Mountain City, Nevada. The route was mainly used to bring supplies to the mines in northern Nevada.
The stagecoach station also acted as a post office for the small community that resided in Wickahoney. Consisting of lava rock, a shingled roof, and wooden porch, the post office was in use from 1895 to 1911. Today, what remains of it is a fascinating reminder of what once was, and what could have been.
The stagecoach stop was Wickahoney's one source of economic success, and it didn't last long. A new stagecoach route through Elko, Nevada replaced the Wickahoney route, and as a result, the community was doomed to dissolve.
What's left of Wickahoney has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, and it makes for a fantastic adventure back in time. If you do plan on visiting Wickahoney, come prepared for the remote conditions and be sure to pack plenty of supplies including food, water, and fuel.
