Salmon-Challis National Forest is located in east central sections of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. At 4,235,940
acreThe acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (6,618.66 sq mi, or 17,142.24 km
2) it is one of the largest
national forestsNational Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
in the lower 48 states and also has most of the land area of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, which is the largest wilderness area south of
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Borah PeakBorah Peak is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Idaho. It is located in the central section of the Lost River Range, within the Challis National Forest in eastern Custer County. The peak is named for William Borah , a prominent U.S...
, the tallest mountain in Idaho, is also found here. The Wild and Scenic
Salmon RiverThe Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return. It flows for through central Idaho, draining and dropping more than between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National...
weaves through the rugged terrain of the Sawtooth Mountains and
Sawtooth National Recreation AreaThe Sawtooth National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area located in central Idaho, within the Boise, Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests. The recreation area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and includes the Sawtooth Wilderness...
, while it flows for over 75 miles (121 km) through the forest. The
Big Lost RiverThe Big Lost River is a major river in the U.S. state of Idaho, about long. It starts in the Rocky Mountains and flows in a generally southeast direction into the Snake River Plain. True to its name, the Big Lost River's surface flow does not reach any larger river, but vanishes into the Snake...
has its headwaters within the national forest.
Challis National Forest, the more southerly of its two parts, lies primarily in
Custer CountyCuster County is a rural mountain county located in the center of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1881, it was named for the General Custer Mine, where gold was discovered five years earlier . The population was 4,342 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have fallen to 4,166 by 2007...
, but also has major areas in
LemhiLemhi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1869, named after Fort Lemhi , a remote Mormon missionary settlement from 1855-58 in Bannock and Shoshone territory. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 7,806...
and
ButteButte County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1917, and its county seat and largest city is Arco. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 2,891...
counties, as well as smaller areas in
ClarkClark County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2000 Census the county had a population of 1,022 . The county seat and largest city is Dubois...
and
BlaineBlaine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 21,376. The county seat and largest city is Hailey. The county is home to the Sun Valley ski resort....
counties. It has a total area of 2,463,471 acres (3,849.17 sq mi, or 9,969.31 km
2). There are local
rangerNational Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices located in
ChallisChallis is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 909 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Custer County.-History:...
,
ClaytonClayton is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 7 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from early resident Clayton Smith, who is alleged to be the owner of a bawdy house.- History :...
, and
MackayMackay is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 566 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mackay is located at , at an elevation of 5,905 feet ....
.
Salmon National Forest, which lies to the north, is primarily located in Lemhi County, with spillover into
ValleyValley County is a rural county located in west central Idaho in the United States. Established in 1917, it was named after the Long Valley of the North Fork of the Payette River, which extends over 30 miles from Payette Lake at McCall south to Cascade to Round Valley.The valley was formerly a...
and
IdahoIdaho County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 16,267. The county seat is Grangeville...
counties. It has a total area of 1,772,469 acres (2,769.48 sq mi, or 7,172.93 km
2). There are local ranger district offices located in
LeadoreLeadore is an incorporated city of the State of Idaho in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. The population was 70 in the 1990 census and is currently at 90 from the 2000 census.-History:...
,
North ForkNorth Fork is an unincorporated community in Lemhi County, Idaho.Its name is derived from confluence of the south-flowing North Fork of the Salmon River with the north-flowing main Salmon River, which makes a near-right angle turn here to flow westward across the state to Riggins...
, and
SalmonSalmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,122 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County...
.
The combined forest headquarters are located in
Salmon, IdahoSalmon is a city in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States. The population was 3,122 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Lemhi County...
.
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