Elk Bend, Idaho
Encyclopedia
Elk Bend is an unincorporated community
in Lemhi County
, Idaho
.
Elk Bend was originally established in the mid-1960s as a collection of real estate development
projects. These projects were named the Salmon River Estates (Unit 1 and 2), with Salmon Meadows and its annex added later. While land was purchased and held on to for years, most development of the community didn't occur until the early 2000s, when residents who had previously bought land in the area reached retirement age and built houses and manufactured homes to retire to.
Elk Bend is loosely organized around its local volunteer fire department, and as such, locals use their designated fire unit numbers over the real estate development codes for their communities. Unit 1 and 2 share the same areas and names as their real estate designations, but Salmon Meadows Annex and Salmon Meadows are designated Units 3 and 4 respectively.
In local commercial development, Elk Bend has a local RV park/store
, and the Sportsman Lodge and Bar in Unit 1. Each real estate unit is also served by separate water and sewage facilities, with different rules and organizations around each of them (for instance, using those services in Unit 2 makes you a collective shareholder in the company, Unit 1 is privately owned, and Units 3 and 4 provide seasonal rates). The rest of the community needs are filled through Salmon
to the north, or Challis
to the south.
Local 7-digit landline phone numbers start with 894. There is no cellphone coverage.
Elk Bend is also credited as being the home of Dugout
Dick, who had built a series of dugouts in caverns which he had hand carved himself throughout his life. The dugouts have since been collapsed and closed since his death, but his old cabin alongside where the dugouts used to exist has since been turned into a tourism site.
US 93
serves the community, connecting it with Salmon located 21 miles to the north and Challis located 38 miles to the south.
The elevation of Elk Bend is 4380 feet (1335 m) above sea level.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Lemhi County
Lemhi County, Idaho
Lemhi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1869, named after Fort Lemhi , a remote Mormon missionary settlement from 1855-58 in Bannock and Shoshone territory. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,806...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
Elk Bend was originally established in the mid-1960s as a collection of real estate development
Real estate development
Real estate development, or Property Development, is a multifaceted business, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of improved land or parcels to others...
projects. These projects were named the Salmon River Estates (Unit 1 and 2), with Salmon Meadows and its annex added later. While land was purchased and held on to for years, most development of the community didn't occur until the early 2000s, when residents who had previously bought land in the area reached retirement age and built houses and manufactured homes to retire to.
Elk Bend is loosely organized around its local volunteer fire department, and as such, locals use their designated fire unit numbers over the real estate development codes for their communities. Unit 1 and 2 share the same areas and names as their real estate designations, but Salmon Meadows Annex and Salmon Meadows are designated Units 3 and 4 respectively.
In local commercial development, Elk Bend has a local RV park/store
RV park
A recreational vehicle park or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in alloted spaces known as "pitches"...
, and the Sportsman Lodge and Bar in Unit 1. Each real estate unit is also served by separate water and sewage facilities, with different rules and organizations around each of them (for instance, using those services in Unit 2 makes you a collective shareholder in the company, Unit 1 is privately owned, and Units 3 and 4 provide seasonal rates). The rest of the community needs are filled through Salmon
Salmon, Idaho
Salmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,122 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County...
to the north, or Challis
Challis, Idaho
Challis is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 909 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
to the south.
Local 7-digit landline phone numbers start with 894. There is no cellphone coverage.
Elk Bend is also credited as being the home of Dugout
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
Dick, who had built a series of dugouts in caverns which he had hand carved himself throughout his life. The dugouts have since been collapsed and closed since his death, but his old cabin alongside where the dugouts used to exist has since been turned into a tourism site.
US 93
U.S. Route 93
U.S. Route 93 is a major north–south United States highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln County, Montana, where the roadway continues into Roosville,...
serves the community, connecting it with Salmon located 21 miles to the north and Challis located 38 miles to the south.
The elevation of Elk Bend is 4380 feet (1335 m) above sea level.