All the United States Idaho

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Idaho

77 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Idaho

Updated September 1, 2026
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Top Cities
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  1. Arco
  2. Boise
  3. Ketchum
  4. Leadore
  5. Mullan
  6. Salmon
  7. Shoshone
  8. Stanley
  9. Sun Valley
  10. Twin Falls
  11. Wallace

Unusual Attractions in Idaho

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See All 77 Things To Do in Idaho

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

6 Stone-Cold Stunners in Idaho

It turns out that no one really knows how Idaho got its name. It's been thought that the name came from Shoshone, but in truth it may have just been made up by a somewhat shady politician. Regardless of what you call it, the Gem State is sparsely populated and unapologetically wild, and full of wonders—especially geological ones.

View Itinerary

Explore Idaho

Nature 13
Geology 10
Mines 7
Rivers 6
Rocks 6
Trails 6
Mountains 6
Native Americans 5

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Recent Idaho Activity

Stories About Idaho

A fossil leaf of the extinct plant Ginkgo adiantoides, which lived more than 11 million years ago in what is now Idaho.

The Best Clues to Life on Mars Could Be in These Idaho Fossils

Well-preserved ancient plants and other finds at the Clarkia fossil beds hint at what kind of evidence any Martian life may have left behind.
by Robert Patalano, Atlas Obscura
In the American West, preventing wildfires is becoming all the more crucial. Meet one of the helpers.

Why NASA Is Watching Where Idaho’s Parachuting Beavers Landed

The mini-paratroopers have a new role to play today.
by Danielle Hallock, Atlas Obscura
Wood River Valley, site of a roughly four-mile move of an entire house—while its residents were in it.

Podcast: A House Move Like No Other

Author Dave Eggers shares the story of a unique family and one of the strangest, slowest moves in history.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
Screenshot of the wilderness surrounding Buffalo Lake, which is located within the “Zone of Death.”

In the Yellowstone National Park Zone of Death, You Might Legally Get Away With Murder

A 50-square-mile patch of Yellowstone National Park in Idaho might just be the perfect place to commit a crime, thanks to a legal loophole.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
A sea lamprey that’s clearly ready for its close-up—and for a new appreciation of its role in its native ecosystems.

Sea Lampreys, Long Reviled, Are Finally Getting Some Respect

Once dismissed as "ugly," this sucker-mouthed fish plays an important role in its native ecosystem.
by Ted Williams, Atlas Obscura

Podcast: Museum of Clean

Keeping history squeaky-clean.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura

Podcast: Trailing of the Sheep

What happens when thousands of ovids take over an Idaho town.
Sponsored By GoUSA TV
Hells Canyon National Recreational Area, which runs mostly along the border of Idaho and Oregon, encompasses more than 650,000 acres.

Come Hell or High Water, Mail Arrives Weekly in This Remote Canyon

Jill and Jim Koch have been delivering mail by boat to Hells Canyon for decades, following a century-old route.
by Michelle Harris, Atlas Obscura
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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