Entry No. 74 — the Coeur d'Alene file — filed under: derelict mine
Silver Leaf Mine
The Silver Leaf Mine is a historic underground mine located in the Lakeview Mining District of Bonner County, Idaho. Developed in the early 20th century, the site was primarily worked for silver, lead, zinc, and gold across several tunnels. Today, the mine is completely inactive, leaving behind overgrown tailings piles, collapsed adits, and remnants of old mining roads within the Kaniksu National Forest.
The story
The Lakeview Mining District on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille was built on hard rock and high hopes. In the early 20th century, prospectors drove tunnels deep into these granite ridges in search of silver, lead, zinc, and gold [1.1.2]. By 1931, the Silver Leaf Mines Corporation held six patented claims perched at over 4,000 feet inside the Kaniksu National Forest, carving out multiple underground adits to tap the district's lead-silver veins.
The boom eventually ran out of momentum, leaving behind an underground lattice of rotting timber and subterranean groundwater. Today, the Silver Leaf site is completely inactive, marked only by overgrown tailings piles, collapsed adits, and crumbling haul roads swallowed up by thick timber.
No tourist board maintains this place, and that is precisely the point. Sitting on public U.S. Forest Service land, it remains a raw, uncurated ruin of North Idaho's extraction era—a quiet corner where you can trace early industrial history before the brush buries it entirely.
What it's like
Navigating the unpaved Forest Service roads into the Kaniksu National Forest feels like stepping off the map. When you arrive, there are no gift shops, handrails, or historical plaques—just quiet woods, gray mine tailings spilling down the mountain slope, and rusted iron scraps scattered in the undergrowth. Keep your feet firmly on the surface; the underground workings are structurally unstable, flooded, and dangerous to enter. Pack offline maps, a full tank of fuel, and solid hiking boots, as cell coverage drops long before you reach the site.
The move: Take a scenic drive or hike along the forest service roads near Lake Pend Oreille to safely view and photograph the historic mine's exterior remnants and beautiful mountain surroundings.
📍 Before you go The mine is located on public land within the Kaniksu National Forest, making the surrounding forest roads accessible, but the underground workings themselves are structurally unstable and highly dangerous to enter.
- 📍 Silver Leaf Mine
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Silver Leaf Mine, Idaho 83811, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Conjecture Mine — Pair your visit with another historic Lakeview district site just 1.3 miles away, where a 200-foot inclined shaft once pulled silver and lead from the rock.
- Bellville Mine — Drive three miles across the district to scout the quiet, forgotten surface footprint of an abandoned lead and zinc prospect.
- Coeur d'Alene Astronomy Club star parties (Farragut State Park) — Swap the dense timber canopy for open dark skies at Farragut State Park on Lake Pend Oreille during scheduled astronomy club star parties.
- Commonwealth Mine — Head south toward the Hayden Lake district to explore the overgrown surface remnants of a historic 300-foot copper and silver mine.
Good to know
Can you enter the Silver Leaf Mine underground tunnels?
No. The underground adits are abandoned, flooded, and structurally unstable. Entering subterranean workings is extremely hazardous and strictly discouraged.
Where is the Silver Leaf Mine located?
It sits on public land within the Kaniksu National Forest in the Lakeview Mining District of Bonner County, Idaho, at an elevation of roughly 4,062 feet [1.1.1].
Is there an entry fee or permit required to visit?
No. The mine sits on public U.S. Forest Service land, making the surrounding forest roads freely accessible to drive or hike.
What metals were extracted from the Silver Leaf Mine?
Miners primarily targeted silver, lead, zinc, and gold across several underground tunnels during the early-to-mid 20th century.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: westernmininghistory.com · idahogeology.org
last checked: 2026-07-20