Black Mountain to Silver City

The Black Mountain Road provides an alternative route for accessing Silver City, Idaho.   

This route requires high ground clearance and four-wheel drive due to the excessive amounts of rocks in the road.   The drive can be made with a full-size truck, but it is more suited to ATVs and side-by-sides or dirt bikes. It is however a double-track route all of the way, following old mining trails (I believe).

The trailhead is on the east side of the Reynolds Creek valley between the ghost town of Reynolds and Murphy, Idaho.  

If accessing from Murphy, take the old stagecoach road to Reynolds.  This road heads southwest from the west end of Murphy.  It is a gravel all-season road.  The road slowly climbs and reaches a summit.  The Black Mountain parking area is on the west side of the summit on your left: coordinates: 43° 11.99' north, 116° 42.83' west.  

If coming from Walter's Ferry south of Nampa after you cross the Snake River, you can go either left or right.

If you decide to go to the left, then turn right on the first road.  

If you decide to go to the right, then turn left on the first road.

Continue on this road for about 13.9 miles until reaching the old townsite of Reynolds, Idaho.

After passing the cemetery, take the gravel road to the east towards the ridge.  Before reaching the summit, the Black Mountain parking area is on the west side of the summit on your right: coordinates: 43° 11.99' north, 116° 42.83' west.  

The Black Mountain area is within the BLM's Black Mountain Horse Management Area for wild horses.  The BLM maintains this herd at about 30-60 animals.   These photos were taken while sitting on our ATV.  They basically ignored us.

Safety notice:

Any large, wild animal can be dangerous.  Wild horses are no different.  These are wild animals, and the herd stallion can be very protective of his ladies.  Do not approach.  I have watched stallions go crazy, rearing, and whinnying when we were a good 1/4 mile away. 

Drive south on the jeep trail exiting the parking lot and stay on the main trail until reaching the main summit.  There will be several gates to go through; just make sure to leave the gates the same way you found them.  They are needed for grazing allotment management.

After a long up and down drive, along a very rocky road, after about 9.9 miles you will reach: coordinates: 43° 04.96' north, 116° 44.49' west.  This is known as "Slacks Corner".  

Continue on the main road; there is a long, rocky uphill ahead.  At coordinates: 43° 04.06' north, 116° 44.74' west take the road to the right.

Continue on this road along a fun section following the rim of the.  At coordinates: 43° 04.34' north, 116° 46.82' west take the road to the left and drop downhill until reaching Jordan Creek.  

Coordinates: 43° 02.45' north, 116° 44.41' west.   Turn left (east).

Coordinates: 43° 02.41' north, 116° 45.95' west.   This is the location of the ghost town Dewey.  There was a grand Victorian style hotel here, but it all burned.  All that remains are evidence of the mines.

Continue east to coordinates: 43° 01.55' north, 116° 43.98' west.  There is a restroom facility at this intersection.  This is the location of the ghost town Ruby City.  

Silver City is about another mile on the main road following Jordan Creek upstream.  Note that the Idaho Hotel in Silver City was originally located here in Ruby City and was relocated.  I have never understood how this was accomplished.   

FYI:  The Idaho Hotel is still a working hotel for those seeking additional adventures.

Below is Silver City

Can you imagine freighting-in that huge mirror over the bar on a horse-drawn wagon over very rocky roads?

When the time arrives to leave, there are multiple options, but they all start by returning downstream back to the junction where Ruby City was.

You can continue downstream and retrace your route back to the Black Mountain Trailhead.

If you have a street legal vehicle then you can turn right here and drive the main road all of the way back to the highway.

If you have a street legal vehicle then you could just continue downstream along Jordan Creek and the road will take you past the ghost towns of De Lemar and Wagontown and then eventually reach Jordan Valley, Oregon.

Images from the ghost town of De Lemar

If you have an ATV or a dirt bike, you may wish for a more adventurous trip home.  This is a trip for the very experienced rider.

Turn right and take the road to the top of New York Summit. New York Summit is coordinates: 43° 02.13' north, 116° 43.33' west.   At the summit, there is a parking area on the left and a jeep trail takes off from there.

After 1.0 miles reach coordinates: 43° 02.85' north, 116° 44.02' west.   Take the trail to the right.

After 2 miles reach coordinates: 43° 03.85 north, 116° 44.61 west.   Take the trail to the right.

After 0.2 miles reach coordinates: 43° 04.04' north, 116° 44.74' west.   Continue going straight.

Arrive back at Slacks Corner.  This time, take the jeep trial to the right.  This route is a two-track jeep trail but it is much more challenging than any other portion of this trip.

After leaving Slacks Corner there are several nice wide spots in the trail for taking a break.  Hint, you never want to be the riders in the rear on a dusty trail. 

Time to hit the road again.

After 1.9 miles reach coordinates: 43° 06.03 north, 116° 43.11' west.   Take the trail to the right.

After 2.4 miles reach coordinates: 43° 06.80' north, 116° 41.45' west.   Take the very rocky uphill trail to the left.

After 0.25 miles reach coordinates: 43° 07.01' north, 116° 41.32' west.   Take the trail to the left.

After 5.75 miles reach coordinates: 43° 10.99' north, 116° 39.38' west and intersect with the Murphy to Reynolds Road.   Take the road to the left and drive back to the trailhead.