The Middle Fork at its confl uence with the Salmon River

S A L M O N - C H A L L I S N A T I O N A L F O R E S T

IDAHO

23.259.419.08/01

USDA Department of Agriculture • Forest Service

Intermountain Region • Ogden, Utah

With the mighty Salmon River at its heart, the 4.3-million-acre Salmon-Challis National Forest is a study in contrasts. A distance of almost two vertical 

miles separates the climber atop Mt. Borah (12,662 feet), located on the southern 

end of the Forest, from the river rafter fl oating the lowest portion of the main 

Salmon River Canyon (2,800 feet), on the northern end of the Forest. And everywhere, the Forest offers unsurpassed scenery and outdoor adventures. The rich 

history of Native Americans, explorers, pioneers, and miners all took place on this 

landscape shaped by millions of years of volcanic events, earthquakes, glaciers, wind, 

water, and fi re. Here, much of the land remains only lightly touched by civilization, 

and native plants and wildlife thrive. Each spring, snowmelt from the high mountain 

slopes feeds the rivers, bringing renewed life to this incredible landscape.

East Central

With a river at its heart . . .

IDEast CentralAHO

Salmon-Challis National Forest
RIVER

RECREATION

Two National Wild and Scenic Rivers fl ow through the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River carries boaters into pristine, primitive landscapes where every bend of the river brings 

amazing scenery. The alert traveler will be rewarded by sightings of birds and 

other wildlife along these rivers. The world-class whitewater of the Middle 

Fork provides a truly wild fl oat trip.

Humans are drawn to the Salmon River for many reasons. They enjoy the 

challenge of negotiating surging rapids in a 

rubber raft. They celebrate when they hook 

an elusive trout. They relax while fl oating 

quiet water in the depths of a river canyon. 

They capture the river’s unique beauty with 

the camera lens, or simply fi nd solace in the 

music of the river. On its long journey to join 

the Snake River, the Salmon River fl ows for 

400 miles. The river passes through portions 

of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, slowly 

eroding and sculpturing the face of the land 

as it gives life to an arid country. Visitors to 

the river are witness to what eons of time 

and fl owing water have accomplished.

The recreation section of the Salmon Wild and Scenic River runs from North Fork, past the 

mouth of the Middle Fork, to Corn Creek, where the 

river enters the Frank Church - River of No Return 

Wilderness. The 79-mile section of the river from 

Corn Creek to Vinegar Bar boasts one of the deepest canyons in North America, where crashing rapids 

alternate with long quiet stretches. Jetboats also navigate the waters of this section of the river.

Feeling the pulse

of the river . . .
HISTORY

human and natural

Evidence of the raw, rugged history of the 

West is clearly visible in and 

around the Salmon-Challis 

National Forest. Here remnants of the lives and societies 

of Native Americans, gold and 

silver miners, missionaries, 

boatmen, explorers, pioneers, 

trappers, and mountain men 

are scattered across the land. 

You can follow the Lewis and 

Clark Trail to the place where 

the American fl ag was fi rst 

unfurled west of the Rocky 

Mountains. A rich geological 

history is also found here, 

from natural arches along 

remote trails, to large areas 

affected by volcanic upheavals, 

to mountain ranges built by 

the action of plate tectonics. On October 28, 1983, a 

magnitude 7.3 earthquake 

centered near Challis formed 

a six-foot high scarp that still 

stretches for several miles 

along the western slope of 

the Lost River Range. This 

earthquake disrupted groundwater fl ows as far away as 

Yellowstone National Park, 

where it affected the eruptions of Old Faithful Geyser. 

Geologists estimate that an 

earthquake of similar magnitude has occurred in this area 

every 3,300 years for many 

millennia.

A steady beat of change . . .

Native Americans - Peel tree

Late 1800’s, horse-drawn grader

1940’s - Dredge

Late 1800’s

Lewis and Clark Trail

1980’s - Earthquake fault, 1983 Bayhorse charcoal kilns

Late 1800’s - Tombstone

1880’s - Custer, Idaho
THE NEIGHBORHOOD

SCENIC BYWAYS

are regularly traveled 

major roads that offer 

unique combinations of 

recreational adventures 

and scenic attractions. 

Arteries to a 

wondrous

neighborhood . . .

Located along the network of Scenic Byways, Backcountry Byways, and scenic routes in 

and around the Salmon-Challis National Forest is 

a vast spectrum of scenery and points of interest. Scores of opportunities exist to explore, hike, 

or camp near these roads and highways. You can 

drive along the high ridge dividing the SalmonChallis from the Bitterroot National Forest. A 

trip to Stanley, Idaho, will take you to the only 

place in the United States where three National 

Forest Scenic Byways converge; the Sawtooth, 

Ponderosa Pine, and Salmon River. Nearby are 

impressive natural and historic wonders, including Mount Borah, the highest point in Idaho, and 

an earthquake interpretive site at the foot of 

the mountain. Or visit the Yankee Fork’s historic 

mining district on the Custer Motorway, with its 

interpretive center near Challis. Silver and molybdenum mines, a unique fl oating gold dredge, ghost 

towns, and other historic structures are all within 

the mining district.

Salmon River Scenic Byway

Custer Motorway
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, 

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET 

Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, 

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

For more information . . .

Salmon-Challis National Forest ..................................(208) 756-5100

www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/recreation

River Information:

Middle Fork Ranger District ........................................(208) 879-4101

North Fork Ranger District ........................................(208) 865-2700

Float Note:

Both the Middle Fork and the section of the Salmon River below 

Corn Creek require boating permits, the recreation section from 

North Fork to Corn Creek does not. Permits are allocated 

through a lottery system with applications accepted from December 1 to January 1 for the lottery for the following fl oat season. 

Call 888-758-8037 after October 1 for the latest lottery information. Outfi tter and guide services are also available for the Wild 

and Scenic Rivers. 

Other Information:

Challis Ranger District ..................................................(208) 879-4100

Leadore Ranger District ...............................................(208) 768-2500

Lost River Ranger District ...........................................(208) 588-3429

Salmon - Challis Ranger District ................................(208) 756-5100

Yankee Fork Ranger District .......................................(208) 838-3300

Idaho Parks & Recreation:

Historic Yankee Fork Mining District .........................(208) 879-5244

Idaho Fish & Game Department, Salmon Offi ce .....(208) 756-2271 

Salmon Valley Chamber of Commerce .....................(208) 756-2100 

Challis Chamber of Commerce ..................................(208) 879-2771

Arco Chamber of Commerce .....................................(208) 527-8977 

Idaho Outfi tters and Guides Association .................(208) 342-1438

Craters of the Moon National Monument ...............(208) 689-3155

• Travel only where permitted and obey travel regulations. Don’t 

enter the Wilderness on your ATV.

• Respect the rights of others.

• Educate yourself and others about private land boundaries.

• Avoid non-durable surfaces, stream sides, and waterways.

• Drive your ATV safely and responsibly.

Salmon-Challis

National

Forest

Stay alert and drive with caution on mountain roads. Weather conditions, dust, potholes, ruts, sharp curves, and lack of visibility 

can be dangerous. Make sure your vehicle is 

designed for the kind of roads you will be 

traveling. Call ahead for road conditions.

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North Fork

Salmon

Leadore

Challis

Clayton

Stanley

Ketchum

Mackay

Arco

Howe

Salmon

River

River

River

Salmon River

Lost

Big

Pahsimeroi

Lemhi

Bayhorse

Lake

Mackay

Reservoir

Mosquito Flat Reservoir

Josephus Lake

Middle

Fork

Salmon

River

Loon

Creek

Yellowjacket

Lake

Iron

Lake

Panther

Creek

North

Fork

Salmon

River

Wallace

Lake

Salmon

River

River

Salmon

River

Redfish

Lake

Meadow Lake

Mill Creek

 Lake

Borah Peak

 12,662'

Highest Peak

in Idaho

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

East Fk Salmon River

East Fork Big Lost River

Little Lost River

Salmon River

NATIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVER M DI DLE FORK WILD AND SCENIC RIVER

SALMON WILD AND SCENIC RIVER

Craters of the

Moon

National Monument

To Twin Falls, 76 mi

To Boise, 130 mi

To Idaho Falls, 67 mi

To Missoula, 117 mi

Sawtooth

Scenic Byway

Salmon River

Scenic Byway

Lewis and Clark

Back Country Byway

Ponderosa Pine

Scenic Byway
SEASONAL RECREATION

Spring approaches hesitantly on the SalmonChallis National Forest. In the valleys and on 

the lower slopes of the mountains, new plant life 

begins to stir by April. But cold rains and snowstorms are still frequent, the winter snowpack 

remains unmelted, and camping and hiking are 

limited by cold nights and poor access to roads 

and trails. In late May and early June, however, 

visitors will begin to notice wildfl owers, and will 

often see deer and elk fawns trailing their mothers through budding aspen groves and conifer 

forests. On the rangelands near Challis, new foals 

join a wild horse herd.

Early summer brings warm days that begin to melt the mountain snows. As the snowpack melts, creeks and rivers rise swiftly, in some 

years bringing fl ooding. Be aware that although 

days may be warm, streams are still very cold. 

Hot weather usually begins by the end of June, 

but snow may linger in the high elevations well 

into July. Nights are cool at most elevations, and 

thunderstorms are frequent. Snow in the high 

elevations is not unknown at this time of year, so 

be prepared for any type of weather during your 

outdoor experience. As trails dry out and open, 

hikes into the Lemhi and Salmon River Mountains 

followed by a soothing soak in hot springs such 

as the one at Warm Springs Creek, are a wonderful way to spend a weekend. Warm temperatures 

also bring thermal wind currents, which attract 

high gliders to King Mountain on the Lost River 

Ranger District.

Autumn usually arrives in the mountains by the fi rst week of September, even before the leaves 

of aspen and gooseberry have turned to gold and crimson. The deep canyons of the Salmon River are busy 

with the rush of late season boaters and fi shermen. 

The days are still warm, native trout and salmon are 

migrating upstream to spawn, and black bears fatten 

on wild berries for their winter hibernation. The eerie 

whistling calls of elk echo through the forest. Birds are 

on the move; ravens descend to lower elevations, while 

sandhill cranes and ospreys migrate out of the area.

The fi rst heavy winter snows usually arrive by mid-November. A few late elk hunters brave 

the cold, while skiers, snowmobilers, and ice fi shermen enjoy the forest on clear days between storms.

Higher elevation roads and trails are inaccessible 

in winter. Ice builds up along the riverbanks. At 

Deadwater, on the main Salmon River below North 

Fork, a rock shelf stretching across the river begins 

to capture fl oating ice. In some years, this ice jam 

may stretch upriver for over 25 miles to the town 

of Salmon. While bear and some small mammals 

hibernate, others are active, and mountain sheep, 

elk and deer move to south facing slopes and lower 

elevations to forage for food. Many bald eagles and 

other raptors winter in the valleys, feeding on carrion, rabbits, and smaller birds.

Circulating through the seasons . . .
Much of the Salmon-Challis National Forest 

is untrammeled by man, with 80% of its 

land either roadless or in the Frank Church - River 

of No Return Wilderness. Both the Middle Fork 

and the Main Salmon River fl ow through portions 

of this 2.4-million-acre Wilderness. Navigating the 

wild, treacherous river below the confl uence of 

the Middle Fork was a challenge for boatmen of 

the past, who delivered goods and passengers in 

wooden scows to miners and homesteaders. Since 

traveling back upstream was impossible, the scows 

were then dismantled for use as building material, leading to the nickname “River of No Return.” 

Today’s Wilderness is a wonderland of abundant 

wildlife, pristine lakes, and breathtaking scenery. 

The Salmon-Challis administers 1.2 million acres of 

“The Frank,” sharing its vast boundaries with the 

Boise, Payette, Nez Perce, and Bitterroot National 

Forests. 

LEAVE NO TRACE

• Plan ahead and prepare properly.

• Camp and travel on durable 

surfaces.

• Pack out what you bring into the 

forests.

• Properly dispose of what you 

can’t pack out.

• Leave natural things where and 

how you found them.

• Minimize the use 

and impact of 

campfi res.

WIILDERNESS

A wild pristine 

treasure

surrounding the 

heart . . .

• Minimize the use 
Lightning is nature’s fi re-starter. In the summer 

of 2000, lightning triggered an unprecedented 

number of large wildfi res on the Salmon-Challis 

National Forest. The result of those fi res will be visible for years, and where the fi re burned intensely, 

revegetation will take many years. In areas where the 

fi re burned more moderately, signs of new life stimulated by the fi res are visible. The natural introduction 

of wildland fi re can benefi t a landscape.

Visitors will discover:

• Fire is a natural occurrence that can trigger rejuvenation of a forest ecosystem. 

• Some cones and seeds need fi re in order to 

germinate. 

• Fire thins forest undergrowth and removes 

excess plants and trees.

• Large trees can survive cooler, low intensity fi res.

• Most forest fi res burn in a mosaic pattern, leaving 

islands of unburned vegetation. 

• Fire can improve rangeland and stimulate the 

growth of grasses and forbs.

• Some wildlife actually need fi re-adapted areas to 

thrive.

• Too much fi re prevention eventually damages 

forest health. 

• When all fi res are suppressed, fuels build up and 

fi res become 

larger and 

more destructive.

• Intense fi res 

can destroy 

habitat 

needed by 

wildlife to survive and raise 

their young.

FIRE

Remember . . . 

• Fire can cause loss of life and damage to 

property and natural and historic resources. 

• Under the right conditions, fi re can benefi t 

the forest. 

• Only fi re management experts should prescribe and monitor fi res needed for forest 

health.

Be Careful . . .

Use fi re wisely to avoid starting a destructive 

wildland fi re.

• Make sure your campfi re is dead-out before 

leaving your campsite. 

• Extinguish cigarettes, break matches, use 

spark arresters on equipment, and park your 

vehicle over bare ground.

• Use of fi reworks is prohibited on the 

National Forests. 

Key to the cycle of life in the forest . . .