Discover Mullan: History, Trails, and Parks

Mullan combines an impressive local history with wooded park landscapes and diverse trails. Those planning a trip with culture, outdoor activity, and regional discoveries will find several distinct focal points here: a museum in a historic building, the history of Mullan Road, Shoshone Park at the foot of Runt Mountain, and trails for cyclists, hikers, and snowmobilers. This combination helps you choose the right vacation apartment or vacation home based on your personal daily plans.

Discover History in the Townscape

The Captain John Mullan Museum is located in the IOOF building at 229 Earle Street in Mullan. The exhibition includes historic furnishings, vintage clothing, photographs, and newspapers. It also features mining artifacts, as well as memorabilia from the local school, sports, and fire service sectors and from the local drugstore. For families and anyone looking for a tangible connection to the past, the museum thus offers a variety of topics in one location.

A central historical trail is Mullan Road. It ran through what is now the town of Mullan and was the first road across the Rocky Mountains. In northern Idaho, it is important because of its significance for transportation development, early exploration, settlement, military activities, engineering, mining, and the history of Indigenous peoples. Today, Mullan Road runs along Shoshone Park as a hiking and snowmobile trail.

Other places also tell stories of the past. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is located at 104 Hunter Street in East Shoshone Park in Mullan. Its building was originally constructed as a schoolhouse and converted into a church in 1892. The Old Mullan, also known as Pioneer Cemetery, is considered the oldest cemetery in Mullan and dates back to 1897. It is situated on a wooded hillside and adds a quieter setting to the historical impressions.

Trails for Active Days of Travel

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes runs as a paved trail through the Idaho Panhandle between Mullan and Plummer. Along the trail, there are twenty developed access points and twenty scenic rest areas with tables. This allows you to incorporate the trail’s significance into your daily planning without treating the entire route as a single, uniform travel program.

The Route of the Hiawatha is also located near Mullan. The cycling and hiking trail is 15 miles long, descends downhill, and includes ten tunnels and seven high trestle bridges. The route is located approximately six miles east of Mullan. If you want to focus your stay on longer trails and distinctive structures, this information is helpful when planning your accommodation and excursions.

Shoshone Park and Other Activities

Shoshone Park is a wooded park with a stream, reservable kitchen shelters, and a historic cabin belonging to Captain John Mullan. It is located at the foot of Runt Mountain, a peak in the Bitterroot Mountains, and approximately three miles east of Mullan via Friday Avenue and the road that continues into Larson Road. The West Kitchen Pavilion in the park was built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Another specific option is Mullan Pool. Open swim hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Aerobics classes take place on weekday mornings: Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Outside regular operating hours, the pool can be used for private rentals and pool parties.

Choose Accommodation Based on Your Travel Itinerary

When searching for a vacation rental in Mullan, it is worth deciding on your preferred focus first. Those who primarily want to experience local history can include the museum, Mullan Road, the church, and the cemetery in their plans. For active days, the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, the Route of the Hiawatha, and the trail at Shoshone Park are available. Families can combine different interests and adjust the duration of individual excursions to their own travel schedule. For comparing additional destinations, Kellogg and Wallace are also available.

For the overarching travel overview: Shoshone County.