Trail Overview

This bypass is a way from Mackay up into the Lost River Range without taking the Mackey Mine Hill Tour trail. It goes through the sagebrush on the lower hills between Mackay and the Lost River Range. Just under 2.5 miles, if you want a different route or a slightly quicker way up into the mountains or back down the mountain.

Photos of Mackay Mine Hill Bypass

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Difficulty

In the early spring you may encounter some erosion and/or snow and mud. Generally it's easy travel.

History

Hiding in the shadows of Mt. Borah, Idaho's highest mountain peak (12,662 ft.), and the rest of the towering Lost River Range, this old mining town is often called the "Top of Idaho" for good reason. Mackay is named after John W. Mackay, the Nevada mining engineer who funded the mines located below Mackay Peak near what is now the ghost town of White Knob. Early settlers had already begun inhabiting the valley between the Lost River Range and the White Knob Mountains in the late 1800s, and by 1900 the settlement along the Big Lost River was booming. People came in droves to make their fortunes in "Copper City," as the community was being called. But it wasn't until 1901 that the new town was founded and named Mackay. There is a wonderful museum in Mackay.

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