Black Bear Ghost Town

Shoshone County, Idaho47.5160, -115.8524

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
7 miOsburn, ID
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Next ghost town
0.4 miFrisco
Illustration of a forest landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Black Bear. No free-licensed photo yet.

Black Bear is a ghost town in Shoshone County, Idaho.

On the map

20 mi40 miSt. MariesKelloggThompson FallsBlack Bear
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Black Bear. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Osburn, ID, about 7 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Coeur d'Alene, ID, 46 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Frisco0.4 mi southwest
  2. Burke1.5 mi east
  3. Taft14 mi southeast
  4. Elberton74 mi southwest
  5. Mock84 mi west
  6. Wilcox91 mi southwest
  7. Rodna92 mi west
  8. Fishtrap93 mi west

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Coeur D'Alene Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°3522Jan3822Feb4627Mar5532Apr6540May7145Jun8149Jul8148Aug7142Sep5534Oct4127Nov3222DecJan: 4.1 inFeb: 3.5 inMar: 4.5 inApr: 3.0 inMay: 2.5 inJun: 3.0 inJul: 0.9 inAug: 1.0 inSep: 1.6 inOct: 3.9 inNov: 4.7 inDec: 3.8 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Mullan.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Mullan station (USC00106230), 3.9 miles away. About 36.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationShoshone County, Idaho
Coordinates47.51604, -115.85238
Also known asBlack Bear, Idaho, Black Bear, ID
SourcesWikidata Q118133808

Questions

Where is Black Bear ghost town?

In Shoshone County, Idaho, at 47.5160, -115.8524. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Osburn, ID, about 7 miles west in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Coeur d'Alene, ID, 46 miles away.

Can you visit Black Bear?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Coeur D'Alene Field Office. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Black Bear?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Mullan.

Are there other ghost towns near Black Bear?

Yes. Frisco (0.4 mi), Burke (1.5 mi), Taft (14 mi).

More ghost towns in Idaho

All 29 ghost towns in Idaho · Ghost towns near Missoula · Ghost towns near Spokane