Explore Oneida County

A museum in the former R.B. Davis Drug Store and Boarding House, historic buildings, fishing waters, and trails offer different reasons to visit Oneida County. You can focus on culture and history, or plan time by the water and on the surrounding trails.

Museums and architectural history

The Oneida County Museum is housed in the former R.B. Davis Drug Store and Boarding House. The building was constructed in 1914. The Oneida Pioneer Museum displays furniture, photographs, quilts, toys, and clothing, as well as agricultural equipment, musical instruments, military uniforms, medical instruments, and books. The collection ranges from everyday items to work and musical instruments.

The current Oneida County Courthouse was built in 1939 as a Works Progress Administration project on the original site. The brick building is designed in the popular Art Deco style and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Its construction date, architectural style, and listing each give the courthouse its own historical significance.

Presbyterian worship in Malad also has an early history: it began in 1876, when Reverend Duncan James McMillan organized a Sunday school there. The Presbyterian Church in Malad was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

The Evans Co-op Building began as a one-room log cabin in 1865 and later became a branch of the Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI). For a self-guided visit to historic sites in Malad City, there is also a free Historical Walking Tour. Each stop has an information sign, allowing you to explore the sites at your own pace.

Fishing and trails in the area

Devil Creek Reservoir lies 8 miles north of Malad City and is visible from Interstate 15. It offers trout fishing and is heavily stocked with catchable rainbow trout. Most anglers fish from a boat or from the shore around the dam. Deep Creek Reservoir is another fishing spot in Oneida County: it covers 162.7 acres and is recommended for fishing.

Devil Creek is heavily stocked with catchable rainbow trout; most anglers fish from a boat or from the shore around the dam. Deep Creek covers 162.7 acres and is recommended for fishing. You can weigh which of these aspects matters most for your fishing plans.

Malad Summit Campground is set in a dense forest of maple and Douglas fir trees, and it gets snow in winter. From the campground, you can hike, ride horses, and drive off-highway vehicles on nearby trails. The 12-mile multi-use Summit Trail also runs nearby.

Welsh traditions and festival program

The Malad Valley Welsh Festival celebrates the people, traditions, and stories that have shaped the community. At Malad Valley Heritage Square, the program includes historic Welsh cottages, traditional food, live music, storytelling, arts and crafts, language demonstrations, and family activities. The historic Welsh Kitchen serves Welsh cakes, Bara Brith, Cawl, and other traditional recipes. If you are planning your trip around the festival, check the event dates in advance.

To plan your stay, you can start by choosing a focus: museum and architectural history, fishing at one of the reservoirs, or activities on the trails around Malad Summit Campground each lead to different travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Malad City, Owyhee, Jefferson, Fremont, Payette County, Washington, Bear Lake County, Shoshone County.

Return to the main travel overview: Idaho.