By Dallin Saurey

CLAYTON, Idaho—When I heard this little place had a population of seven, I was not looking forward to the parade. How many entrants could there possibly be?!

Clayton, Idaho (about a three-hour drive from Rexburg) is a semi-ghost town. Back in the day, it had a booming silver mining industry.  Today, an original building is used as a history museum detailing the discovery of silver in the upper Kinnikinnick Creek area, in the Idaho panhandle, in the 1880s.

The machinery used in Clayton from 1881 until 1904 did not include a smelter, so the ore was sent to Smelterville, Idaho to “get the lead out.” The museum has multiple videos and books about the process.

Now, the population is supported by the nearby Thompson Creek Mine and Three Rivers Stone Quarry, which employ an average of 100 people according to a very informative article by Henry Chenoweth on ghosttowns.com.

According to Chenoweth, Henry Ford owned a small mining claim in Clayton in 1926. Henry Ford also used the claim for lead, then a component in car batteries. He sold that claim to the Clayton Silver Mine. It shut down in 1986, because the price of silver dropped too low.

The information in the Clayton History Museum includes nearby recreational activities. Clayton and other ghost towns on the Salmon River have year-round fishing for trout and whitefish. Steelheads run every spring and fall in this river, making it a fisherman’s paradise.

When my friend and I fished that section of the river in the summer of 2018, the fish were biting like crazy. People float or raft the Salmon River because of the rapids. You can enjoy watching birds and wildlife on the mountains beside the Salmon River across highway 75 from Clayton. The Elk and Deer walk through town like they own the place!

Deadman’s Hole (East of Clayton) is another popular fishing spot on the Salmon River, where anglers try their luck at catching steelhead. It also has primitive camping spots to set up tents and watch wildlife roam. My uncle fishes in this spot for the fall and spring runs of steelhead. Driving by this fishing hole sparked an interest in me to go try it out one of these days.

Another wonderful place to visit near Clayton is Bay Horse Lake. My mom and dad went on an eight-mile Razor ride to Bay Horse Lake from Clayton. You can also drive your own vehicle to the lake. It is 16 miles on dirt and gravel roads from highway 75. Bay Horse Lake offers a wonderful opportunity for rainbow trout fishing. They even have spots to go camping at an elevation of 8600 feet. This fishing/ camping area also accommodates horseback riding, hiking, and photography. For all you need to know before you go, click on this link  https://idahocampgroundreview.com/campgroundhome

If you ever want to go hiking into a lake, try hiking into Jimmy Smith Lake and do a tent (no trees for hammocks) camp. You can catch rainbow trout year-round and enjoy the White Cloud mountains. This  6.3 mile hike is still on my to do list. It is East of Clayton off highway 75 as well. https://www.blm.gov/visit/jimmy-smith-lake-trailhead

I heard from  Mike Demick and Caryll McConell  of the Salmon Fish & Game office that it is too steep and narrow for horses and four-wheelers. The Thompson Creek Mine takes the responsibility to keep the trail clear for hikers. It was last spring that they improved the trail.

There is a large vacation rental with a beautiful yard and a private kitchen in Clayton. It currently has 3 beautiful antique bedrooms. The Silver Street Mercantile store will be converted into a large family room by June of 2022. They estimate it will sleep about 10 people, or you can rent the bedrooms for less. (Contact information: marilynsaurey@gmail.com  208-351-5483) Hopefully other residents will be rolling out a few Air BnB’s by the next July.

Clayton hosts a wonderful Fourth of July parade every year with entrants from all over Idaho. When I went in 2021 there were about 24 pit-roasted barbecue pork sides, a large dinner and desert with covered dining. They did a horseshoe tournament. The Duck races cost a dollar a duck. The first-, second-, and third- place finishers got a cash prize. They also did live music during the barbecue by Spike Coggins and Jukebox Charlie. Multiple families played volleyball including every age and skill level. Clayton’s rural fire department did a firework show. I’ve never met such a tight knit community.