If there’s one thing you learn by researching Idaho’s history, it’s that the Gem State was founded on stamina, sweat, and vision. The sheer desire to carve a living out of the landscape dates much further back than the Gold Rush. The remnants of the men and women who helped form the state we know and love today left their mark on history and on the landscape itself, often literally. Wagon ruts, petroglyphs, and ruins dotting the state are all unique places to explore, offering glimpses into the past that can’t be found in history books.

One such place is perhaps the most overlooked of all, but it’s hidden away in the heart of one of Idaho’s most historic regions: the Salmon River Valley, birthplace of Sacajawea and landmark town for the Corps of Discovery. Here, you’ll find the remnants of a cave system that is fascinating, to say the least – and few people know about it. These caves tell the story of Dugout Dick: the Salmon River Cave Man.

To those who knew him best, Idaho's most down-to-earth curmudgeon was 96 years old and lived in a hole - to others, he was Idaho's one-man tourist attraction: the "Salmon River Cave Man."
Marc Moss/Flickr
Richard "Dugout Dick" Zimmerman was the last of Idaho's "river-canyon loners," a group of unique outlaws and Wild West hermits consisting of famously un-famous names like Beaver Dick, Cougar Dave, and Buckskin Bill.
He and his peculiar, hermit-like caves, which he painstakingly dug by hand into the hills alongside the Salmon River, caused quite a stir back in the day.
Linda Paul/Flickr
That's right. Dugout Dick lived on a hillside above the Salmon River from 1948-2010, where he built his first home in the side of the mountain. Over the years he built even more of these "ice caves," living in each at various points and renting out others until his passing.
Marc Moss/Flickr
A curious, eccentric, and musical local, he certainly left a unique and tangible mark on the Salmon River Valley, one of Idaho's most rugged and cherished landscapes.
Unfortunately, few people who drive by this stretch of riverway even know that there is a unique history here, or what artifacts and memories lie buried beneath what is now volcanic dirt and hardened rock.
Marc Moss/Flickr
Truth be told, Richard "Dugout Dick" Zimmerman didn't actually own the land where he built his dugouts. Essentially, he was a squatter. But nevertheless, the BLM gave Dugout Dick a lifetime lease on the land he had occupied for decades. The former cave sites can be seen from Highway 93, despite being nearly 18 miles from the center of town.
They've been labeled as both eyesores and unique pieces of history by locals. But either way, by the 1980's, Dick's dugouts had become a local landmark in Salmon.
Linda Paul/Flickr
After digging directly into the hills, the cave entrances were formed and repurposed from whatever materials Dugout Dick could haul across the river on a makeshift cable: car doors, barn scraps...
Marc Moss/Flickr

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As Dick would have told you, he ran away from Michigan decades prior, and living off the land in Idaho - gardening, building, and enjoying the quiet of nature - was a dream come true.
Marc Moss/Flickr
He carved switchbacks into the mountainside with his bare hands.
Marc Moss/Flickr
And bored refrigeration units into the dirt walls to use the earth's natural cooling system.
Marc Moss/Flickr
The dugouts had no electricity or plumbing, however; he got his water from a small spring trickle out of the mountainside.
Altogether, he built over a dozen of these dugout caves, renting them to hardy passerby who were up for the challenge.
Marc Moss/Flickr
Even as he aged, he enjoyed giving tours of the caves to visitors, proudly showing off newspaper clippings about the renowned Salmon River Cave Man.

Later in life, he had to endure multiple nursing home stays, but he eventually hitchhiked his way back to his home along the river, where he lived out his remaining days to the ripe old age of 96.
Unfortunately, after Dugout Dick's passing, the BLM bulldozed and filled in the historic caverns, as per their agreement with Dick during his lifetime.
Courtesy of AtlasObscura
The odd collection of shelters is no more, and gone are the fragmented remnants of his pieced-together, foraged lifestyle. All that remains is a single cabin and a memorial tribute to this unique pioneer who lived off the land.
Today, you won't be able to decipher from the hillside that the caves still exist, buried beneath the earth. But the history remains.
Marc Moss/Flickr
But the story still doesn't end there. The one thing Dugout Dick might've told you if you had paid a visit 20 years ago? These caves are haunted by the spirit of his own former sweetheart, Bonnie. So while seeing the remnants of these "hermit caves" is worth the trip, there might just be a little extra spook in it for those willing to get a bit closer.

Talk about one of the most interesting characters and interpretive areas in Idaho! Have you ever visited this site or heard the stories about Dugout Dick? What did you think?

For more weird Idaho history, check out these crazy Idaho headlines. Article disclaimer: some of these stories may be sensitive to some readers. 

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Dugout Dick & Related Info

Jennifer | December 14, 2022

What are some things to do in Salmon, Idaho?

Salmon is a vibrant small town at the edge of some of Idaho's most vast and rugged wilderness. As the town where Lewis and Clark crossed into Idaho, the Salmon River Valley is full of historic places and wild, untamed beauty that captures the heart of the Wild West as it once was. There are countless things to see and do in Salmon, Idaho, including:

 

What is the most unique town in Idaho?

Wallace, Idaho often tops list for being one of the most unique small towns in Idaho due to its fantastic history, numerous quirky festivals, and vibrant landmarks. In fact, its official distinction as the "Center of the Universe" is just the start of everything this fun little town has to offer!

Although the lineup changes regularly, here are a few of Wallace's annual festivals and celebrations:

  • Fall for History Festival
  • Oktoberfest
  • Center of the Universe Celebration
  • Wallace Home Town Christmas
  • New Year's Eve Torch Light Parade
  • Mountain Brewfest
  • Jackass Day
  • Depot Day
  • Wallace Huckleberry Festival
  • Gyro Days/Lead Creek Derby
  • Idaho Statehood Day
  • Mountain Archery Fest
  • Art n' Garden Days
  • Wallace Jeep and ATV Jamboree
  • Under the Freeway Flea Market
  • Wallace Extreme Ski Jor

 

The small town of Wallace is also BIG on history, and is home to a number of historic buildings. Actually, the entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places! The large number of original and still-standing 19th Century buildings gives Wallace one of the largest concentrations of Victorian commercial architecture in the entire state of Idaho.

 

 

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