Sawtooth City

Idaho's ghost towns burned fast — placer gold camps that lasted a season, then timber towns the forest is still swallowing.

Sawtooth City (also Sawtooth) is an abandoned mining camp in Blaine County, Idaho, United States. Located at 43°53′48″N 114°50′25″W (43.8965718, -114.8403490), it sits at an altitude of 7,342 feet (2,238 m), along Beaver Creek near its confluence with the Salmon River in the Sawtooth Valley of Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Sawtooth City was founded after a mine was opened in the area on July 2, 1878; discoveries in the Sawtooth City area grew out of discoveries to the south. Its peak was between the years 1880 and 1886. A community cemetery is located northeast of the camp site.

Calling it Sawtooth City was either optimism or a very good joke — boomtowns were never modest about their ambitions.

The on-the-ground condition of Sawtooth City is unverified — it's listed here with unknown status. That could mean standing buildings, or an empty field. Go prepared for either, and consider sharing what you find so the record improves.

Nobody has confirmed the access situation, so treat any visit as reconnaissance: verify land ownership first, and be ready to admire from the road.

Here's the honest truth: access to Sawtooth City is unverified. We couldn't confirm whether the site sits on public land, private property, or something in between — so verify land ownership and local rules before visiting, and respect private property at all times.

Ghost-town etiquette is simple: take only photographs. Removing artifacts is illegal on public lands and disrespectful everywhere else — and on federal land it can be a serious offense.