Walking Tour of Yellow Pine – Yellow Pine Harmonica Festival

A self-directed tour through the Village of Yellow Pine

The tiny village of Yellow Pine is an unincorporated community in Valley County, central Idaho. In the past decade, its winter population has fluctuated from 20 to 40 souls. Today, Yellow Pine remains active year-round. Yellow Pine and the surrounding mountains and rivers are also long-time draws to hikers, kayakers, hunters, fishers, snowmobilers, and other backcountry enthusiasts. Walk through the village at your own pace. Just follow the map.

Yellow Pine Golf Course: Yellow Pine boasts the most challenging 18-hole course in Idaho. Elk have the right of way on the un-fairways. The first 9 holes were laid out by John Hansen and “Rockslide” – by hurling a softball to mark the next hole! Those first 9 holes were refined and 9 more added over the years, by club pros John Hansen and Bud Boyd. There are two annual golf tournaments!
Yellow Pine Fire District: This building was constructed by local volunteers and used by our volunteer fire department.
Yellow Pine School: The present one-room school was built in 1936, replacing an earlier log structure. The first school was held in a tent in 1920 with eight students. In the early 1930’s, lessons paused when the ore trucks rumbled by. The largest enrollment was 27 students the school year of 1941-42. The school received electricity in 1964. In later years the students made the “University of Yellow Pine” sign. The school district closed the school in early 2001, when attendance dropped to one student. It is now the Yellow Pine Backcountry Museum.
Yellow Pine Community Hall: The diesel plant and generators that powered the town up until the 1960’s was housed here. Originally it was a Forest Service building, later it was turned over to Valley County. It is currently used for meetings, potlucks, and other gatherings.
Information Kiosk: The kiosk stands in the center of town. Community Events, Fire Information, etc. are posted for the public. The festival information booth is located here.
Yellow Pine General Store: Built in the late 1920’s, from roughhewn logs. At one time the post office was housed in a lean-to on the north side of the building. Many years ago there was local telephone service and the telephone office and operators were also in the building.
Yellow Pine Tavern: Built by Murphy and Mary Earl in 1940, it has been in the Earl family until 2022. The log bar top originally extended further back than it does today. There were outhouses, an icehouse and a generator shack out back. The story goes that Murphy Earl and Blondie McGill were flying into Chamberlain Basin where McGill had cattle interests. They landed in Yellow Pine and were unable to buy a drink as there were no bars open. Being saloonkeepers from Idaho City and Boise, they decided to remedy that situation and build a bar.
Silver Dollar: Known by names like the Stumble Inn, the Mahogany Bar, and the Silver Dollar Bar. The earlier bar top was embedded with silver dollars, mementos from big poker winners and from hunters. The bar top was lost to the area when the building sold in the early ‘50’s. The present bar top was locally made of strips of local mountain mahogany.
Yellow Pine Lodge: Built by Faye Kissinger. At its grand opening in 1932, it had only one story and was not completed, but it had a dance with a local orchestra and a large bonfire in the street. Current owners Robert and Darlene Rosenbaum offer rooms and, occasionally, the best cinnamon rolls.
The Corner: In the 60’s it was the Corner Café & Store. Subsequently known as the Corner Bar, “Home of the Ugliest bar top in the world”. It was built by Faye Kissinger in the early 1930’s. The brick was made locally by Kissinger. It is currently owned and operated by the Aldrich’s.