Historic Wallace – Northern Idaho’s Best Kept Secret for Skiing

Wallace on a sunny winter day

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Exploration. Adventure. Culture. Those are the things I personally look for when skiing & snowboarding. Growing up a Midwest kid, I’ve always looked for mountains and ski-towns that were different and untainted… Special gems that are less corporate and more pure. The town of Wallace along with Lookout Pass Ski Area and Silver Mountain Ski Resort fit that requirement to a tee. Who knew nestled in the Idaho panhandle something so special and pure existed. We learn the deep history of Wallace Idaho & why we think it’s the perfect basecamp for a ski trip.

 

How Did We Find Wallace?

road trip to Wallace Idaho
Photo By: Local Freshies®

Traveling from Lake Tahoe to Whitefish, MT, most of the road meanders its way through small hills and massive valleys. The one exception is a section of I-90 in Northern Idaho where the Bitterroot Mountains rise. They looked massive and were slathered with snow. I mentally filed away this mountain range for a later trip, as I knew I had to return someday.

Powder and Uncrowded Slopes

backcountry skiing Lookout Pass splitboarding Wallace Idaho
Proof that it was thigh deep in the Lookout Pass Backcountry

Planning for our Local Freshies® winter road trip, I pulled up the Bitterroot Mountain range and did some research. Two ski resorts sat in these peaks with thousands of acres of terrain! They both receive over 300″of snow annually and are far enough away from the Pacific Ocean to accumulate dry, less dense snow. In fact, one of them is annually one of the snowiest in Idaho. From what I could tell, both Lookout Pass and Silver Mountain looked amazing. On the map, right smack dab in the middle was a small town named Wallace. It looked like the perfect home base to hit both resorts. And once we visited, we came to find out it has one of the best places to try out some backcountry skiing too! With plenty of awesome hotels to stay at and mountains to ride, it was official – Local Freshies® was heading to Northern Idaho.

 

The Hills Became Mountains

historic train crash in Wallace Idaho

With the sun shining, we left Tahoe and drove up through Oregon and into Idaho. The scenery was beautiful but lacked the grandiose mountains we craved. Passing through Coeur d’Alene, the large valleys began to narrow, inlaid with winding roads. The hills quickly transformed into magnificent peaks blanketed by the color white. Approaching the town of Wallace, road signs appeared stating “Historic Wallace.” I’ve never read a sign that actually stated “Historic” in the name of a town. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Walt Disney once said “…and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” We arrived in town early and were eager to find out the history of Wallace Idaho and what was behind this name.

 

Why Is Wallace Called “Historic” Wallace?

North Pacific Depot a real life glimpse into the history of Wallace Idaho
North Pacific Depot – Photo by: Local Freshies

Pulling into town, the first beautiful building we saw was the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum. This remarkably preserved building seemed like a good place to learn the history of “Historic Wallace.” As we stepped into the museum, we were greeted by Shauna Hillman. We asked about Wallace and the historic moniker. She smiled with pride and said it’s because Wallace is the only town in the US where the ENTIRE TOWN is on the national historic registry. Wow… But how does an entire town earn that designation?

 

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The Only Stoplight On I-90

Back in 1978, Wallace was slated to be razed by the Department of Transportation, placing I-90 right through the middle of it. The community knew if this happened, it was the end for this special place. To fight the government, the residents worked tirelessly and had the ENTIRE town put onto the national historic registry. This classification halted the I-90 construction for over 17 years! During this period, Wallace was the only traffic light for the 3,000 mile expressway, from Boston to Seattle. Just imagine doing 55 mph, potentially for thousands of miles, and running into a traffic light. Amazing that this little hamlet could halt the government and hold strong as a community! Today, I-90 is complete but as an elevated ramp on the side of the valley instead of through Wallace, keeping the entire town dating back to the late 1800’s exquisitely preserved and intact.

Main Street in Wallace Idaho in winter
Photo by: Local Freshies®

Looking from the outside, it doesn’t seem like your typical mining town. When you envision a place focused on digging and removing minerals, you think clapboards and old wooden structures, like Virginia City, NV. A more temporary place, built for a purpose but not for families and generations to come. Instead, Wallace was built to last. Each building was constructed out of brick and masonry, which was not widespread at that time. Shauna suggested we head over to the mining museum to learn more about the town’s unique past.

 

Fighting The Man… That’s What Wallace Is About

Mining Museum showcasing a bit of history of Wallace Idaho Large Drill bit
Photo by: Local Freshies®

A couple of blocks down we met Tammy Copelan, the Exec. Director of the Mining Museum. As she walked us through the exhibits, we could feel there was something different about this mining history. In Nevada, the mining tycoons created an environment where silver was king and lives were worth less while in the Silver Valley in Idaho, the workers united and actually held power. They unionized and fought against the “man.” In fact, the miners blew up a mine AND assassinated a governor with explosives just to get their points across. Talk about banding together in an era where these uprisings were unheard of, especially where the workers prevailed.

There was a theme forming about this place – an air of strength, unity, and pride. We said our goodbyes and headed to dinner, meeting up with with her husband Dave, from the Wallace Chamber, for a bite to eat.

City Limits… Great Food and Awesome Beers

City Limits Pub & Grill Wallace Idaho
Photo By: Local Freshies

Small towns have perks. Everyone knows each other and Wallace makes sure to roll out the red carpet for visitors. As we step into the City Limits Brewpub, we were surprised at how big the interior is. TVs at the bar play hockey and lots of tables filled the inside. The walls are adorned in locally sourced pine, and in the far corner, a gentleman waves at us. It’s Dave! In a town this size, it must be easy to notice new faces. Sitting down, Dave gave us some recommendations on local favorites as we ordered food and beers. We enjoyed tasting all their beers, and a few of the more unique brews stuck with us.

 

Beers Of North Idaho Mountain Brew

North Idaho Brewing Company in Wallace Idaho
Photo by: Local Freshies®

Loft Honey

Named after the bar at Lookout Pass Ski area, this beer could be considered “dangerous” since it tastes light but has an ABV of nearly 8.5%. It packs a BIG wallop for such an easy-drinking beer.

Citra Peak IPA

If you’re looking to expand your horizons in the IPA world, this may be your go-to beer. It is a non-IPA drinker’s IPA. It holds slightly tangy notes but doesn’t smack you upside the head from the hops.

Pulaski Porter

Ed Pulaski was a forest ranger that saved over 40 people during the Great Fire. Just like Ed, this beer is smokey but finishes velvety smooth.

Cripple Creek

When the brewery opened, the miners in the area were used to more “domestic” beers with lower content. After a couple of these, some say they’d walk home a little wobbly-kneed from the undetectable higher ABV. Since Cripple Creek runs right under the brewery, what better name for a beer?

 

Build It and They Will Come

Historic Downtown Wallace Idaho Center of the Universe
A great example of the amazing architecture in Wallace – Photo by: Local Freshies

While we wait for our food, Dave goes into why Wallace was so well constructed. In 1890, a massive fire came through the town and burned all structures but one to the ground. With access to the richest silver district in the nation along with other precious minerals, Wallace was in the perfect place to attract mining companies. To make themselves stand out, the town made the decision to re-build with brick and mortar instead of wood. This was an influential decision and eight mining companies made their Headquarters here until the 1980s. Even today, there is active mining in the area. Preserving their history while continuing to mine, Wallace has transformed themselves into a great visitor destination, combining all that they are for the ultimate experience.

Homemade Raviolis to Die For

As the plates arrive, our attention is diverted to the food. We may be a few hundred miles away from the ocean, but the “Steamers” appetizer is an amazing choice. Normally, steamed clams are in a thin-wine sauce but at City Limits, it’s the perfect amount of butter and goodness. The sauce accentuates the flavor of the clams instead of taking away from it.

Wallace City Limits Brew Pub & Grill Food Collage

If your looking for something a bit more unique, the homemade raviolis are a must try. Instead of the typical small-rounded pasta, they give you three HUGE raviolis that your grandmother would make. You can order them filled with cheese or house-made sausage as well as options for the sauce. Our version was the house-made sausage wrapped in a buttery sauce with chunks of bacon. The perfect comfort food on a cold winter’s day. If that seems a bit too heavy, the Reuben is a great sandwich option. The toast was crispy enough to give a crunch but the meat was the star. They made sure not to put on too much “special” sauce and let the tender meat take over the show.

With our stomachs full, it was time to prep for tomorrow… Lookout Pass, here we come!

Wooden art of Lookout Pass at Wallace Brewing

This leg of our trip is sponsored by:

14 thoughts on “Historic Wallace – Northern Idaho’s Best Kept Secret for Skiing

  1. Thank you for spending time in Wallace. Please plan to visit in the summer. This is fine Year-round destination.
    Your words are kind and true, we love visiting with our visitors and guests.
    Sincerely,
    Shauna

  2. Thanks for the kudos to our wonderful town and community; and, the amazing outdoors of Northern Idaho. We hope to hear from you again soon. I’ll be sharing. Safe Travels!!

    Cheers,

    Heidi Lee
    Proprietor ~ 1313 Club Historic Saloon & Grill

  3. Wallace seems like a lovely low tourist place. Im always in search of great interesting places to visit such as Camden Maine, Deadwood sd, Prince Edward Island… Is Wallace a good place to visit during the summer?

    1. Only if you like biking, hiking, 4wheeling, floating the river, festivals, and eating and drinking at some of the coolest places in the woods. Wallace is really a year round town. Careful cause you might sell it all and move here. I did.

    2. Wallace is an awesome place to visit in the summer. Highlights for a number of visitors are the Route of the Hiawatha Scenic Bike Trail http://www.RideTheHiawatha.com operated by Ski Lookout Pass, and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. Both use old RR track rights of way to allow for an easy pedal through history. The Pulaski Trail Hike in Wallace is very cool. The Mining museum is a must as are the Silver Mine Tours where you get to go into an old Silver Mine. To learn more stop by the Historic Wallace Chamber of Commerce or google their website.

      1. The fire was not in the 1890’s, it was in 1910 and Timothy Egan’s book “the Big Burn” is an excellent read about the fire and the history of Wallace.

  4. Dante’s Peak starring Brosnan uses Wallace as a set. Brosnan would go fly around in a BMW Z4 and was caught by the ISP speeding excessively and was jailed in Wallace too. Actually, that jailing didn’t happen I’m kidding.

  5. Great Article, My mind is always on Wallace . My family and I travelled across country and stopped due to bad road construction, What an awesome surprise. Everyone was so friendly and the town businesses so awesome. So familiar to northern mountain communities in Canada and the Kootnies. Great History. I really can’t wait to go back and stay a week so that I can explore everything. I love everything about Northern Washington, Idaho and Montana. Wallaced has always been my #1 rest stop. Just a gem of a town and one of the best things about driving along the I-90 freeway. I want to live there. Charm, history, class and pure American culture. Beating out the Big Box and strip mall culture. Please stay unchanged.

    George From British Columbia

    1. Hi George,

      Thanks for the kind words and we totally agree with you. That place is a rare diamond in this day of age of mountain towns becoming McMansion filled. Definitely on the top of the list of one our favorites that we’ve visited on our road trips.

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