Land of the Yankee Fork State Park

About the Park

Land of the Yankee Fork has several interesting historical sites including the Challis Bison Kill site, the ghost towns of Custer, Bayhorse and Bonanza, and the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge, and now, the Challis Hot Springs.

The park brings to life Idaho’s frontier mining history. Located in part of the larger Land of the Yankee Fork Historic Area in scenic central Idaho, there is something for everyone in this historic area. The interpretive center near Challis offers museum exhibits, a gold panning station, audiovisual programs, and friendly personnel to provide information on local mining history and area attractions. Visit the nearby ghost towns of Bonanza, Custer and Bayhorse, the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge, the Custer Motorway, and the Challis Bison Jump.

Camping within and nearby the historic area can be found at National Forest, BLM, and the Challis Hot Springs campgrounds. Camping opportunities range from primitive to RV hookups and B&B’s. The elevation at Custer is 6,500 feet.

Bayhorse Oral History

Enjoy an oral history of Bayhorse a unit of Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, the early years. A special cooperative project between the Idaho Humanities Council, the Stanley Sawtooth Chamber of Commerce and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

Learn the history of the Challis Hot Springs, an historic attraction in the region, which in  2022 became a unit of Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.