The year-round Silver Mountain Resort is located in Kellogg, right off I-90, and features North America's longest gondola. The 3.1-mile scenic ride takes you from Kellogg to the Mountain House on the mountain and provides access to hiking trails. The gondola may operate seasonally. In addition to outdoor activities, mining history also shapes the town—from guided underground tours to museum exhibits. Before your trip, check whether the gondola will be operating during your travel dates.
Silver Mountain and Winter Activities
During the winter months, the resort offers skiing, snowboarding, lift-served snow tubing, and snowshoeing. When planning your trip, keep three time frames distinct: the resort is open year-round, the listed sports activities are offered during the winter months, and the gondola may operate seasonally. This helps distinguish the resort's general offerings from the activities specifically associated with winter.
Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes
The paved Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is 72 miles long and passes through Kellogg. It is suitable for hiking, road cycling, e-biking, and inline skating; in winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are also available. The trail therefore accommodates several types of travel and includes explicitly mentioned winter activities. Unlike the seasonal offerings at Silver Mountain, the trail is a separate outdoor highlight that passes through Kellogg.
Underground Mining History
The Crystal Gold Mine is in Kellogg, Idaho, 900 feet underground. It is one of the first hard-rock mines in the Silver Valley. After operating in the 1880s, it remained closed and forgotten for more than a hundred years. The guided underground tour explains the mining techniques of the era, including the use of hand chisels and one- and two-handed hammers. Alongside the historical context, the tools and methods of mining at the time are also a focus.
Visitors can also see colorful smithsonite stalactite crystals on the walls, wire silver in the quartz vein, and visible gold. These mineral features complement the history of mining with a close-up look at what the mine contains.
Mining and Smelting Museum
The Shoshone County Mining and Smelting Museum features exhibits on mining history. It is located at 820 McKinley Avenue in Kellogg, Idaho 83837, and is housed in the Staff House. The building was constructed in 1906 as a residence for Stanley Easton.
The mine and museum offer different ways to explore the same regional subject: the mine focuses on underground mining methods and minerals, while the museum features exhibits on mining history and the Staff House. If you are considering Kellogg as a destination, you can view outdoor activities, mining history, and the history of the building as distinct highlights.
Discover more destinations: Wallace, Mullan.
For the broader travel overview: Shoshone County.
