Stanley Historical Museum

The Stanley Historical Museum is located on State Highway 75, near the confluence of Valley Creek and the Salmon River.  Located in historic Valley Creek Ranger Station, the Museum displays photographs and artifacts depicting the early days in the Sawtooth Valley, and offers a glimpse of pioneer life in this not-so-gentle landscape.  The Museum is open daily, 11 am to 5 pm, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The Ranger Station complex was built in 1933 by U.S. Forest Service Ranger Merle Markle and his wife.  It served as a working ranger station until 1972, when Congress established the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.  At that time, the current ranger station, located a few miles upriver of Stanley, was built to replace it.  In 1972, the Sawtooth Interpretive and Historical Association was granted a special use permit by the Forest Service to operate it as museum.

The Museum is a work in progress, and we welcome artifact donations that are specific to early settlement, commerce, and lifestyles in this rugged area.