Location: Cache Valley Idaho

This old-time mercantile was owned by Mary and Kim Thomas, who took over the business from Kim's parents. The Swan Lake post office was inside and they had a large selection of fabrics and tools for quilting. The owners say that Thomas Mercantile has had the same phone number since…

Locally owned and operated for many years by local entrepreneur Jay Moyle, Papa Jay's grocery is now owned by his daughter, Mary, who continues the tradition of making her dad's famous homemade beef jerky. Jay always enjoyed talking about the history behind the drying of meats, and experimenting with making…

Deer Cliff Inn sits right on the scenic Cub River, and has been family owned and operated since 1940. They serve steak, seafood, local trout, and their famous roasted chicken and honey buttered scones. They also feature entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. Their regular season is from May to October, but…

Originally known as Hull's Crossing because of the placement of the Hull family farms, Whitney was settled by families from Franklin who had need of extra land for crops. Prior to the building of their homes in 1869, they planted the crops and started farming. In 1888, after the railroad came through, the town…

Built in 1930, having a rich history in Preston, Idaho, the Worm Creek Opera House, formerly known as The Grand Theatre, and provides movies and live performances in Franklin County, Idaho. In 1986, the Theatre was a vacant building that had not been used for several years. Under the direction…

The Shoshone Indians used this trail system to cross the mountains between Cache Valley and Bear Lake Valley and on into Wyoming. When Mormon settlers came, they used the trail to take mail between the valleys. A marker commemorating the pioneer mail route is located up Cub River Road (County…

The Oneida Stake Academy was one of many schools founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was started in 1888 in Franklin, Idaho. When the time came in 1889 to build a building for the academy, Preston was chosen as the location because it was centrally…

The old Village Hall and Jail are part of the Franklin Historic District in the small town of Franklin, Idaho.

Whitney was the boyhood home of Ezra Taft Benson who served as Secretary of Agriculture in the Eisenhower Administration, and as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1985 to 1994. The home in which he was raised and the red gambrel roofed barn sill stand on…

The village of Franklin is the oldest European-American settlement in Idaho, having been established in April, 1860 by Mormon pioneers moving northward from Utah. The Relic Hall, a museum of local history, is housed in a log building that was built as a museum in 1937 as homage to the…

The Hatch house is a Greek Revival style house built with local limestone in 1872 by Lorenzo H. Hatch, one of the earliest settlers of Franklin. A carpenter and farmer, he was the first Mormon Idaho legislator and served as mayor and Mormon bishop of Franklin. Since Hatch was the local bishop, he built…

On January 29, 1863, Colonel Patrick E. Connor led a group of California Volunteers from Fort Douglas (Salt Lake City) in search of Shoshone Indians responsible for raids on settlers. The Indians had been pushed out of more and more of their lands in northern Utah, and some of them…

This wetlands area offers song birds, marsh birds, water fowl, and many loons in the spring. Visit this site in spring and summer. Day use or camping fees are required and paid at the west entrance. Boats and watercraft must be inspected for Quagga mussels, before being allowed on the…

This area contains wetland and juniper habitats, expect to see song birds, birds of prey, upland birds water fowl. Some visitors have seen Trumpeter Swans in the winter, as well as Wild Turkey, Eagle and Osprey. Visit this site any season but winter.

This wetlands area offers song birds, shore birds, marine birds, marsh birds, water fowl, and Sandhill Cranes. Visit this site any season but winter. 1 mile east of Oxford, Idaho. Take Westside Highway north, from Dayton or south from Swan Lake.

Previously Riverdale Resort, Bear River Hot Springs features a large outdoor swimming pool and hot tubs fed by natural hot water, including a therapeutic jetted tub. A waterslide pool and children’s pool make this a good family outing. A gaming room and snack bar complement the changing and locker rooms….

Lava Hot Springs is a community rich in western history. The abundance of natural resources in the region such as the odor-free mineral hot springs, plentiful wildlife, and water supplies attracted many Native American tribes who welcomed the opportunity to bathe, rest and worship in an area regarded by all…

In the early 1900s the Hopkins family homesteaded the site where this hot springs was developed, and for many years it was known to locals as Hopkins Hot Springs. You can read about the interesting history of this family and the original uses of the site at the front desk…

This site offers song birds, birds of prey, marine birds, marsh birds, and water fowl. There is also camping and restrooms available here. Visit this site any season.

Natural hot water flows year round through the large swimming pool and hot pools at Downata Hot Springs. The clubhouse provides changing room and lockers plus a café and game room. A zero depth water playground with water toys is popular with children. Two large hydrotube rides thrill all ages….