The Challis National Forest, with over 2,516,191 acres, is one of the larger National Forests within Idaho. This Forest is managed by the Forest Service, US. Department of Agriculture, for a variety of uses. The emphasis is on recreation, wildlife, livestock grazing, mining, timber production, and other services that surrounding private, State, and Bureau of Land Management lands cannot provide. Stretching nearly 125 miles east and west and by 92 miles north and south in east-central Idaho, the Challis National Forest includes a diversity of landscapes ranging from the rugged exposed heights of Borah Peak in the Lost River Range (at 12,662 feet elevation, Idaho's tallest mountain) to the lower canyon of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River at 3,790 feet elevation. The Forest is divided into two sections. The west section of the Forest includes the Salmon River Mountains from U.S. Highway 93 at Challis to State Highway 21 at Stanley. The west section has two Districts, with offices in Challis and Clayton. The east section of the Forest covers the western Lemhi, Lost River, White Knob, northern Pioneer, and northern Boulder Mountain ranges. The east section also has two Districts, with offices in Challis and Mackay.

Nonfederal lands within the National Forest boundaries include 6,400 acres of State of Idaho lands and approximately 11,500 acres of private lands. While all of the National Forest System Lands are open and available for most recreational activities, there are some areas with special restrictions. These include the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Middle Fork Wild and Scenic River.

Recreational Opportunities - The Forest's scenic beauty offers unlimited recreational opportunities any season of the year! Whether you are a rafter, hiker, camper, horseback rider, snowmobile rider, cross country skier, big game hunter, or fisherman, the Challis National Forest can provide the recreational experience you are seeking! There are over 1,600 miles of trails criss-crossing the Forest, including the Knapp Creek-Loon Creek Trail and the Mill Creek Lake Trail which have been designated as National Recreation Trails.

The Forest contains 1/3 of the 2,353,739 acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, the largest wilderness in the US. outside of Alaska. The Forest also contains two areas designated as Research Natural Areas. All of these areas offer unique recreational opportunities for hikers and horseback riders to enjoy nature's solitude amid some of Idaho's most spectacular scenery.

Developed camping is available for those who prefer to drive to their campsites. There are 26 developed campgrounds on the Forest with over 260 individual campsites. Each campground has its own special attraction, such as the raft launching site for the Wild and Scenic River of the Middle Fork at Boundary Creek, fishing and boating on Mosquito Flat Reservoir at Mosquito Flat, hunting and high mountain lake fishing at Starhope, family picnicking and camping at Mill Creek, or visiting the historic ghost towns of Custer and Bonanza near Pole Flat. The Forest also has picnic sites available for family or group activities on a reserved basis. Dispersed or primitive camping is available throughout the Forest at no charge. Visitors are asked to pack out their litter and garbage.

Viewing scenery, mountain climbing, backpacking, horseback riding and packing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing are other activities available on the Forest. Snowmobile trails are being developed to the Stanley Basin and commercial rentals and trips are available at Stanley. Firewood and Christmas tree permits may be obtained from the Supervisor's Office and the District Offices. All offices have a series of interesting pamphlets and field guides that describe the above activities. This information is available free of charge to help you enjoy your visit to the Challis National Forest.

Over 30 miles of off-road vehicle trails on the Lost River District of the Challis National Forest are the result of hard work and cooperation between the Forest and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. These two agencies have worked together to develop quality trails, protect the natural environment, and promote the safety and enjoyment of our recreation users. The Forest also has cooperative agreements with the Friends of Custer Museum and the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge Association for the restoration, maintenance, interpretation, and public enjoyment of these historic sites on the Challis National Forest.

SALMON NF

The Salmon National Forest covers more than 1.8 million acres of land in east-central Idaho. The Forest is bordered by the Bitterroot Range of the Continental Divide on the east, and includes part of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness on the west. It reaches to Gilmore Summit on the south and Lost Trail Pass on the north.

The Forest's physical features-- harsh climate with a short growing season, geologic conditions which create unstable soils, rough topography, and miles of streams with anadromous fish spawning habitat-- create a highly complex land management situation.

The Salmon National Forest is widely known for hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities. Deer, elk, bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and moose all inhabit the Forest. Several species of trout abound in streams and lakes, and salmon and steelhead trout make annual runs on the Salmon River as well as numerous tributaries.

Administratively, the Salmon National Forest is divided into four Ranger Districts: Cobalt, North Fork, Leadore, and Salmon.

The area is isolated. Highway distance to major towns (Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana) is around 150 miles, and the airport offers charter fights only.

The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Sheepeaters, a local band of the Shoshone Indians, who lived along the Salmon River. Their name derives from the bighorn sheep, which was part of the band's diet. There are no known descendants of this band. The Flatheads and Nez Perce Indians spent winters in the Salmon River country. Lemhi Indian Reservation, established in 1875, was home for 700 Shoshone, Bannock, and Sheepeater Indians. Chief Tendoy was the leader of the reservation. The town of Salmon was also the birthplace of Sacajawea, famed guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which passed through here in 1805. Later, a number of trappers, traders, and missionaries came to the area from 1819 to 1865. Kit Carson and Jedediah Smith were among them. The discovery of gold in Napias Creek in 1866 brought permanent residents to the area.

Gold strikes were responsible for the towns of Shoup, Gibbonsville, and Leesburg. Other mining activities resulted in the establishment of Gilmore and Cobalt. Salmon was originally started as a supply center for Leesburg. A considerable number of Civil War veterans and Chinese were engaged in mining activities.

Cattle raising was the main economic pursuit after mining decreased. Other agricultural commodities of the late 19th century were sheep, dairy products, garden produce, fruit, and grain.

Congress established the River of No Return Wilderness in July 1980. The name was later changed to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The wilderness encompasses 2.36 million acres (slightly larger than Yellowstone National Park) and is the largest designated wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska. It extends 97 miles along the Salmon River and includes portions of six National Forests.

The Salmon River, designated by the same Act as a Wild and Scenic River, offers excellent floating and kayaking, as does one of its major tributary streams, the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

The Forest has over 1,200 miles of trails, roughly half of which are in the wilderness. Those outside the wilderness offer all types of trail opportunities including hiking, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding. There are several Nationally designated trails including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, Nez Perce National Historic Trail, Divide-Twin Creek National Recreation Trail, and Bear Valley National Recreation Trail.

Winter activities include snowmobiling and cross country skiing on or off marked trails, and alpine skiing at Lost Trail Ski Area.

The Forest has limited developed facilities such as campgrounds, picnic grounds, and boating sites. Most facilities are of a primitive nature, as the primary emphasis of the Forest is on dispersed activities such as trails, wilderness, boating, hunting and fishing.

The Forest Service is charged by Congress to manage National Forests for a variety of public benefits ":Multiple Use" is the key phrase. During your visit to the Salmon National Forest, you may encounter evidence of many management activities such as logging for the local timber industry, grazing by sheep and cattle, and a variety of wildlife improvement projects. There is ongoing mining activity in the area. A high-grade deposit of cobalt is located on the Forest and may be developed in the future.