Idaho Northern — Cascade Branch (Payette River)

ID · Horseshoe Bend → Cascade

A river-canyon railroad that ran tourists until 2016 — and is still waiting.

Heads up: Out of service, not abandoned — the railroad still owns and maintains it. Get permission.

The Idaho Northern Railroad was built in the early 1910s to push north from the Boise Valley through Emmett and up the Payette River canyon to the timber country around Cascade and McCall. It became part of the Union Pacific system and for decades hauled logs and lumber out of the mountains.

In 1993 the Idaho Northern & Pacific took over the line. From 1998 to early 2016 it also ran the Thunder Mountain Line, a tourist railroad that ran scenic and dinner trains along the river between Horseshoe Bend, Banks and Cascade.

Ridership fell, and in 2016 the Emmett–Cascade section was placed out of service. It has never been formally abandoned. The owner keeps the crossings legal and does occasional maintenance, so the rails are still in place alongside Highway 55 and the North Fork of the Payette.

⚠️ Before you go: every railroad on this map is private property. A line that looks abandoned may still be owned by a railroad, used to store rail cars, or put back into service at any time — sometimes with no warning. Before going near any track, make sure it's truly abandoned (no recent use, rails not polished, no signals or cars stored on it) and that you're allowed to be there. Never assume a track is dead.

📷 Photos & stories from riders

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