Campbell’s Ferry
Campbell’s Ferry, Rural Idaho County
- Grant: 1991, 2014
Location: Campbell’s Ferry on the Main Salmon River is accessible by plane or by jet boat from Riggins.
Campbell’s Ferry is perched high on the canyon rim over the Salmon River, 50 air miles from Riggins, within the boundaries of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. The 85-acre ranch was claimed in 1898 by William Campbell who provided ferry service to miners and packers on their way to the Thunder Mountain gold mine. Frances and Joe Zaunmiller later made it their home for 40 years. Frances became famous throughout Idaho for her newspaper columns about life along the river. In 1989, in cooperation with the Trust for Public Land and the U.S. Forest Service, the Idaho Heritage Trust worked out a cooperative agreement to restore the homestead, put protective scenic easements on the property and resell the ranch to a conservation buyer. In 2008 the Idaho Heritage Trust provided engineering help to the owners to help them continue the conservation of the site. The ranch stands as an example of early Idaho River life.
