Salmon-Challis National Forest

Challis National Forest
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, U.S. 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 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.

Salmon National Forest
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 that create unstable soils, rough topography, and miles of streams with anadromous fish spawning habitat—create a highly complex land management situation.

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 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.