The Mackay Mine Hill Tour is well worth the trip to Mackay but don't think that's the only riding there. Far from it.
In fact, if you go to Mackay, located in Idaho's beautiful Lost River Valley, and just do the Mackay Mine Hill Tour that would be comparable to:
going to Disneyland and only riding the Matterhorn or Splash Mountain ride.
going to Las Vegas and only going to New York New York.
going to Sea World and just watching the Shamu show.
going to Seattle and just seeing the Space Needle.
going to, well, you get the idea.
Any of those is great fun, but there's more, much more to enjoy.
The same goes for Mackay and the Lost River Valley.
Now, hopefully having made our point, we sheepishly admit that's pretty much what we did when we decided to go off-roading in Mackay in late April. Sort of. In our defense, we were somewhat limited in our exploring that day due to persistent snowdrifts and snowbanks that blocked some of the trails. Much of the high country was still blanketed in many spots with a winter coat of snow.
Still, what we did explore and see was well worth the trip. Some may think Mackay and the Lost River Valley are a bit off the beaten path when compared to other four-wheeling hot spots but it is worth any effort to get there because the riding is amazing and the scenery awesome.
Planning A Return Trip
Our day of riding consisted of riding the Mackay Mine Hill Tour-at least the parts we could, where the snow wasn't blocking the trails-and then crossing U.S. Highway 93 and riding up Pass Creek Road to Pass Creek Summit (elevation 7,637 feet) and then a few more miles beyond that. We did trailer from Mackay to Pass Creek Road.
We've already planned to head back to the Lost River Valley to explore the many more miles of trails we didn't even come close to touching. That includes Copper Basin, which is basically over the mountain from the Mine Hill Tour, Antelope Pass and Starhope Canyon, just to name a few that are on our radar. We've snowmobiled these areas and know what's there and are anxious to get back in either our side-by-side or on our ATV-or both.
An excellent map is available showing all the trails open to four-wheeling in the Mackay area. The map was made possible by a grant from Yamaha's OHV Access Initiative, along with several other sponsors, and is available online (see "Getting Started" in the itinerary) or in town.
While we were limited somewhat from exploring as much as we wanted due to the snow, we did luck out and hit a window of good weather in late April between spring storms for a day of riding. It was jacket weather in the morning and long sleeves by the afternoon.
The riding could best be described as high desert and mountain riding. The roads were all open at the lower elevations-it was just higher up where we ran into the snow. One section of Pass Creek Road that had been blocked by a huge snowdrift had just been cleared earlier in the week we rode.
Mackay Mine Hill Tour
On the Mackay side of the highway, we were able to ride about half, maybe a little more, of the Mine Hill Tour, seeing eight or so of the marked points of interest. The Mine Hill is described as the "most significant part of the Alder Creek Mining District." Many of the original buildings and mining structures are still standing and in reasonably good shape. Others, not so much. As explained on a map detailing each stop on the tour, nearly a million tons of ore have been mined since it was first discovered in 1879. That includes gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. The Mine Hill Tour is self-guided and easy to follow.
Once you leave Mackay (about 6,000 feet in elevation), you steadily climb to the mountains. The highest point on the Mine Hill Tour is about 8,500 feet. The routes are designated on the map, allowing visitors to choose their mode of transportation for the tour as parts of the tour can be accessed via car or pickup. Another route is designated for all transportation except low clearance vehicles.
The red route is for ATVs, hikers, horses, etc., as it is steep and rocky in spots and has a vehicle width limit of 50 inches. This route also offers the most miles of trails-24-of the three available. We were able to ride a small portion of the lower elevation section of the red route but ran into snow higher up.
One of the exceptional features of the Mine Hill Tour is how well each point of interest is marked, along with the description of what you're viewing on signs at each stop. The map also provides a brief description of each stop. One of the most interesting and impressive stops was No. 8, the Aerial Tramway Headhouse. Parts of the original tramway are still standing, which was very interesting, but you're also on the edge of the mountain and from there you get excellent views of the Lost River Valley (including Mackay) and the Lost River Range across the valley. Another interesting stop was No. 3, the Cossack Tunnel and Compressor Building. At that stop is one of the mining tunnels, which has since been blocked off but you're still able to walk in the tunnel a few feet.
Exploring Side Roads
In addition to the Mine Hill Tour, we did do some exploring on other forest roads in the area. One of those roads gave us a great view of Mackay Reservoir as we looked down Black Daisy Canyon. We had to turn back on just about every side road we took, though, again due to deep snow.
The area where the mines are features several different canyons and drainages, which adds to the ruggedness of the area as well as the beauty.
After the Mine Hill Tour, we rode back to Mackay where we ate lunch before loading our side-by-sides into the trailer and heading to Pass Creek Road. You can legally ride your ATV/side-by-side on the streets of Mackay (as well as Arco, another Lost River Valley town which is ATV-friendly). Just follow the signs-which tell the posted speed limit as well as which roads are open to ride.
Pass Creek Road leads from U.S. Highway 93 up and over Pass Creek Pass. Before getting to the summit, you travel through a tight, narrow canyon along Pass Creek. It's very scenic with some pullouts where you can camp and/or picnic. We left Pass Creek Road and did go along Coal Creek for a little ways. It was in this area we saw a huge herd of elk as well as a moose. Wildlife is abundant in the Lost River Valley and we weren't disappointed. We also saw deer, antelope and a couple of eagles that day.
In all, we logged about 60 miles of riding between the Mine Hill Tour and Pass Creek Road. That may not be a lot of miles but it was quality riding.
We will be going back this summer to get the full experience of riding in the Lost River Valley and magnificent Mackay. Actually, we might have to make more than one return trip to accomplish that.
Elevation
5,891-10,800 feet
Full Service Town
Mackay
Nearest Airport
Idaho Falls, ID (94 miles)
Getting Started
Lost Rivers Economic Development 208-588-2693 or www.thelostrivervalley.com
Getting There
Mackay is located in southcentral Idaho on U.S. Highway 93 at the base of the Lost River Mountain Range. The town of 517 people is about 95 miles west of Idaho Falls.
Getting Around
BYO4 Bring your own four-wheeler
Bedding Down
There is a handful of lodging and camping options in Mackay. Contact the chamber for a complete list. There is also camping available in the nearby mountains.
Eating Out
Again, there is a handful of dining options in Mackay. We ate lunch at the Mine Hill Grill. Consult the chamber for a complete list.
