Chesterfield Ghost Town

The weekend following the 4th of July, we had a family reunion at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.  We went up and had a great time with many people tubing the river and playing at the pool.  On Saturday it seemed like everyone packed up mid-morning to go home, but we didn't want to go home just yet, so we spent the rest of the day exploring.

20 miles or so north of Lava is Chesterfield.  I'd seen some information on it, so we drove up to take a look. WOW- what an amazing spot!  There are several buildings that have been restored and countless others are in various stages of disrepair. 

Many of the homes are brick, with a lot of them open for tours in the summer.  There are quite a few  examples of the Utah Mormon pioneer architectural styles. 

I  thought the log cabins were pretty cool too.  For some reason, people like to restore the old red brick buildings, but don't feel the same about the log cabins. 

The Holbrook Mercantile is the headquarters of the town and a good spot to stop for information on what buildings are open for tours, etc.

 North of town there are several old buildings that are slowly decaying. 

I really liked looking back at the townsite, which was built along the old Oregon Trail, and seeing all of the buildings.

Inside the livery stable the light coming through the doors and cracks made me get my camera out once again,

The old chapel isn't open for church anymore, but still is used for youth group devotionals. 

Nearest City: Chesterfield, ID
Location: N° W°
Time Needed: several hours
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly:
Additional Info: The Chesterfield Foundation Website