The Road to the Most Isolated Town in Lower 48 is Through Idaho

To get there, you leave Rogerson, Idaho, and cross the one-lane Salmon Falls Dam. Then you spend well over an hour navigating a narrow dirt road through what I call an otherworldly landscape. It looks like something straight out of a classic Western film. The road winds through canyons, some quite steep, and no guardrails. The town itself is a peaceful place. It’s where the last stagecoach robbery in American history occurred. There is a road going out the other direction, but it’s often filled with snow drifts and you would need high clearance.

When you get into town, there’s a tourist shop on the right and a great greasy spoon on the left.

At last look, the year-round population was 18 souls.

A friend has told me that when his kids are grown, he wouldn’t mind living in Jarbidge, Nevada, because he would welcome the slow pace of life and the security.

The town has parades. I’ve seen videos. None are very long, but neither is the parade!

If civilization ever collapsed, Jarbidge would be a great place to wait out the carnage, as long as you have ample water and food storage. You would also want some ammunition. For self-defense, but perhaps for hunting. There would be no shortage of game, and without civilization, you’ll probably not see many wardens at work. They’ll probably be in a neighboring cabin, riding out the storm.

I haven’t checked the real estate listings, but you can find some space.