The U.S. state of Idaho borders six other U.S. states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. Idaho also shares a short border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.
The landscape is rugged, with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. For example, at 2.3 million acres (930,000 ha), the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area is the largest contiguous area of protected wilderness in the continental United States. Idaho is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons. The waters of the Snake River run through Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in the United States. Shoshone Falls falls down cliffs from a height greater than Niagara Falls.
By far, the most important river in Idaho is the Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia River. The Snake River flows out from Yellowstone in northwestern Wyoming through the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho before turning north, leaving the state at Lewiston before joining the Columbia in Kennewick. Other major rivers are the Clark Fork/Pend Oreille River, the Spokane River, and, many major tributaries of the Snake River, including the Clearwater River, the Salmon River, the Boise River, and the Payette River. The Salmon River empties into the Snake in Hells Canyon and forms the southern boundary of Nez Perce County on its north shore, of which Lewiston is the county seat. The Port of Lewiston, at the confluence of the Clearwater and the Snake Rivers is the farthest inland seaport on the West Coast at 465 river miles from the Pacific at Astoria, Oregon. [1]
The vast majority of Idaho's population lives in the Snake River Plain, a valley running from across the entirety of southern Idaho from east to west. The valley contains the major cities of Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, and Pocatello. The plain served as an easy pass through the Rocky Mountains for westward-bound settlers on the Oregon Trail, and many settlers chose to settle the area rather than risking the treacherous route through the Blue Mountains and the Cascade Range to the west. The western region of the plain is known as the Treasure Valley, bound between the Owyhee Mountains to the southwest and the Boise Mountains to the northeast. The central region of the Snake River Plain is known as the Magic Valley.
Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak, 12,662 ft (3,859 m), in the Lost River Range north of Mackay. In 1983, an earthquake there caused two fatalities. [2] [3] Idaho's lowest point, 710 ft (216 m), is in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into Washington. The Sawtooth Range is often considered Idaho's most famous mountain range. [4] Other mountain ranges in Idaho include the Bitterroot Range, the White Cloud Mountains, the Lost River Range, the Clearwater Mountains, and the Salmon River Mountains. The only active glacier in Idaho is at Borah Peak. [5]
Salmon-Challis National Forest is located in the east central sections of the state, with Salmon National Forest to the north and Challis National Forest to the south. The forest is in an area known as the Idaho Cobalt Belt, which consists of a 34 miles (55 km) long geological formation of sedimentary rock that contains some of the largest cobalt deposits in the U.S. [6]
Idaho has two time zones, with the dividing line approximately midway between Canada and Nevada. Southern Idaho, including the Boise metropolitan area, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls, are in the Mountain Time Zone. A legislative error (15 U.S.C. ch. 6 §264) theoretically placed this region in the Central Time Zone, but this was corrected with a 2007 amendment. [7] Areas north of the Salmon River, including Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Lewiston, and Sandpoint, are in the Pacific Time Zone, which contains less than a quarter of the state's population and land area.
Idaho's climate varies widely. Although the state's western border is about 330 miles (530 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho; especially, in the winter when cloud cover, humidity, and precipitation are at their maximum extent. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with predominantly high elevations. [8] In the panhandle, moist air masses from the coast are released as precipitation over the North Central Rockies forests, creating the North American inland temperate rainforest. [9] The maritime influence is least prominent in the state's eastern part where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences are more extreme, showing a more semi-arid continental climate. [10]
Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 98 °F (37 °C) are rare, except for the lowest point in elevation, Lewiston, which correspondingly sees little snow. Boise receives around 18 inches (46 cm) of snow annually. [11] Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer. [12] Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. Idaho's all-time highest temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) was recorded at Orofino on July 28, 1934; [13] [14] the all-time lowest temperature of −60 °F (−51 °C) was recorded at Island Park Dam on January 18, 1943. [15]
| Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Idaho cities. (°F) | ||||||||||||
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | 38/24 | 45/27 | 55/33 | 62/38 | 72/46 | 81/53 | 91/59 | 90/59 | 79/50 | 65/40 | 48/31 | 38/23 |
| Lewiston | 42/30 | 47/31 | 55/36 | 62/41 | 71/47 | 79/54 | 89/60 | 89/60 | 78/51 | 63/41 | 48/34 | 40/28 |
| Pocatello | 33/16 | 38/19 | 49/27 | 59/33 | 68/40 | 78/46 | 88/52 | 88/51 | 76/42 | 62/33 | 45/24 | 33/16 |
| Orofino | 38/25 | 46/28 | 55/32 | 64/38 | 72/44 | 80/50 | 89/54 | 90/53 | 79/45 | 63/36 | 46/31 | 37/26 |
| [16] | ||||||||||||
| Climate data for Boise (Köppen BSk) [lower-alpha 1] Extremes 1875–present. [lower-alpha 2] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) | 71 (22) | 82 (28) | 92 (33) | 100 (38) | 110 (43) | 111 (44) | 110 (43) | 104 (40) | 94 (34) | 78 (26) | 70 (21) | 111 (44) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.6 (11.4) | 59.5 (15.3) | 71.0 (21.7) | 80.7 (27.1) | 90.1 (32.3) | 98.3 (36.8) | 104.5 (40.3) | 102.2 (39.0) | 95.9 (35.5) | 83.9 (28.8) | 65.0 (18.3) | 54.5 (12.5) | 105.2 (40.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.8 (3.8) | 46.0 (7.8) | 55.5 (13.1) | 62.3 (16.8) | 72.3 (22.4) | 81.4 (27.4) | 92.7 (33.7) | 90.7 (32.6) | 80.0 (26.7) | 64.8 (18.2) | 48.8 (9.3) | 38.8 (3.8) | 64.3 (17.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.2 (0.1) | 37.5 (3.1) | 45.2 (7.3) | 50.9 (10.5) | 59.9 (15.5) | 67.8 (19.9) | 77.3 (25.2) | 75.8 (24.3) | 66.3 (19.1) | 53.2 (11.8) | 40.3 (4.6) | 32.1 (0.1) | 53.2 (11.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 34.9 (1.6) | 39.6 (4.2) | 47.5 (8.6) | 54.1 (12.3) | 61.9 (16.6) | 60.8 (16.0) | 52.6 (11.4) | 41.5 (5.3) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 42.0 (5.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 10.0 (−12.2) | 15.8 (−9.0) | 22.8 (−5.1) | 27.5 (−2.5) | 33.0 (0.6) | 41.0 (5.0) | 50.4 (10.2) | 48.2 (9.0) | 38.4 (3.6) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 17.4 (−8.1) | 10.9 (−11.7) | 5.1 (−14.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) | −15 (−26) | 5 (−15) | 11 (−12) | 22 (−6) | 30 (−1) | 35 (2) | 32 (0) | 23 (−5) | 11 (−12) | −10 (−23) | −25 (−32) | −28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.41 (36) | 1.00 (25) | 1.33 (34) | 1.23 (31) | 1.45 (37) | 0.75 (19) | 0.21 (5.3) | 0.17 (4.3) | 0.43 (11) | 0.81 (21) | 1.18 (30) | 1.54 (39) | 11.51 (292) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.3 (13) | 3.3 (8.4) | 1.2 (3.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 2.0 (5.1) | 5.6 (14) | 17.6 (45) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.1 | 9.1 | 10.1 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 6.0 | 9.7 | 12.0 | 89.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.2 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 18.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 75.0 | 69.9 | 59.5 | 52.3 | 48.7 | 44.7 | 36.1 | 37.2 | 45.1 | 53.6 | 68.5 | 74.6 | 55.4 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 21.6 (−5.8) | 25.9 (−3.4) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 36.0 (2.2) | 41.4 (5.2) | 43.2 (6.2) | 42.3 (5.7) | 37.9 (3.3) | 32.7 (0.4) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 22.5 (−5.3) | 32.5 (0.3) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 109.3 | 151.9 | 238.6 | 281.4 | 335.5 | 351.6 | 399.8 | 358.8 | 303.6 | 238.1 | 119.6 | 105.2 | 2,993.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 38 | 52 | 64 | 70 | 74 | 76 | 86 | 83 | 81 | 70 | 41 | 38 | 67 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990) [17] [18] [19] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Idaho (Köppen Dfb/BSk) [lower-alpha 3] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) | 62 (17) | 73 (23) | 86 (30) | 94 (34) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 100 (38) | 88 (31) | 71 (22) | 58 (14) | 102 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 42.3 (5.7) | 47.3 (8.5) | 64.3 (17.9) | 75.7 (24.3) | 84.2 (29.0) | 91.6 (33.1) | 97.0 (36.1) | 95.5 (35.3) | 89.8 (32.1) | 77.6 (25.3) | 61.6 (16.4) | 47.0 (8.3) | 95.7 (35.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 34.2 (1.2) | 47.2 (8.4) | 57.5 (14.2) | 67.2 (19.6) | 76.2 (24.6) | 86.6 (30.3) | 85.6 (29.8) | 74.8 (23.8) | 59.1 (15.1) | 43.0 (6.1) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 57.5 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 20.4 (−6.4) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 36.2 (2.3) | 44.4 (6.9) | 52.8 (11.6) | 60.4 (15.8) | 68.0 (20.0) | 66.5 (19.2) | 57.7 (14.3) | 45.0 (7.2) | 32.4 (0.2) | 21.9 (−5.6) | 44.2 (6.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.1 (−11.1) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 31.4 (−0.3) | 38.4 (3.6) | 44.6 (7.0) | 49.3 (9.6) | 47.5 (8.6) | 40.6 (4.8) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 21.9 (−5.6) | 13.4 (−10.3) | 30.9 (−0.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −10.4 (−23.6) | −4.3 (−20.2) | 7.6 (−13.6) | 19.2 (−7.1) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 33.5 (0.8) | 40.8 (4.9) | 37.5 (3.1) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 3.9 (−15.6) | −9.2 (−22.9) | −14.6 (−25.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) | −38 (−39) | −16 (−27) | 13 (−11) | 17 (−8) | 29 (−2) | 33 (1) | 28 (−2) | 18 (−8) | −3 (−19) | −19 (−28) | −31 (−35) | −38 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.67 (17) | 0.56 (14) | 0.81 (21) | 1.03 (26) | 1.57 (40) | 1.09 (28) | 0.46 (12) | 0.59 (15) | 0.97 (25) | 0.88 (22) | 0.66 (17) | 0.78 (20) | 10.07 (257) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.8 (15) | 6.5 (17) | 3.5 (8.9) | 2.3 (5.8) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.8 (2.0) | 7.2 (18) | 9.9 (25) | 36.6 (93.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 7.0 | 7.6 | 8.7 | 9.0 | 6.8 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 7.2 | 9.5 | 84.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.7 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 38.6 |
| Source 1: National Weather Service [20] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (average snowfall/snowy days 1981-2010) [21] [22] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Lewiston (Köppen BSk) [lower-alpha 4] Extremes 1881−present. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 66 (19) | 72 (22) | 80 (27) | 98 (37) | 104 (40) | 115 (46) | 117 (47) | 115 (46) | 108 (42) | 94 (34) | 77 (25) | 67 (19) | 117 (47) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 55.6 (13.1) | 59.8 (15.4) | 69.0 (20.6) | 79.7 (26.5) | 89.8 (32.1) | 96.2 (35.7) | 103.4 (39.7) | 102.9 (39.4) | 94.3 (34.6) | 80.3 (26.8) | 62.8 (17.1) | 54.7 (12.6) | 105.1 (40.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) | 47.0 (8.3) | 55.1 (12.8) | 62.3 (16.8) | 72.0 (22.2) | 79.0 (26.1) | 90.8 (32.7) | 90.1 (32.3) | 79.5 (26.4) | 63.0 (17.2) | 48.7 (9.3) | 40.8 (4.9) | 64.2 (17.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.2 (2.3) | 39.5 (4.2) | 45.4 (7.4) | 51.5 (10.8) | 60.1 (15.6) | 66.5 (19.2) | 75.9 (24.4) | 75.2 (24.0) | 65.9 (18.8) | 52.5 (11.4) | 41.6 (5.3) | 35.2 (1.8) | 53.8 (12.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 35.7 (2.1) | 40.7 (4.8) | 48.1 (8.9) | 54.0 (12.2) | 60.9 (16.1) | 60.3 (15.7) | 52.3 (11.3) | 42.0 (5.6) | 34.5 (1.4) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 43.3 (6.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 14.6 (−9.7) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 35.7 (2.1) | 43.8 (6.6) | 49.9 (9.9) | 49.6 (9.8) | 39.9 (4.4) | 28.5 (−1.9) | 20.8 (−6.2) | 12.7 (−10.7) | 12.7 (−10.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) | −18 (−28) | 2 (−17) | 20 (−7) | 23 (−5) | 34 (1) | 41 (5) | 41 (5) | 27 (−3) | 15 (−9) | −3 (−19) | −23 (−31) | −23 (−31) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.13 (29) | 1.04 (26) | 1.30 (33) | 1.44 (37) | 1.69 (43) | 1.25 (32) | 0.47 (12) | 0.51 (13) | 0.60 (15) | 1.08 (27) | 1.23 (31) | 1.13 (29) | 12.87 (327) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.7 (6.9) | 3.8 (9.7) | 0.8 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.3 (3.3) | 4.1 (10) | 12.7 (31.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.2 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 8.7 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 106.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.3 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 11.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA [23] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service [24] | |||||||||||||
As of 2018: [25]
Idaho is a landlocked state in the Pacific Northwest subregion of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington and Oregon to the west; it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border to the north, with the province of British Columbia. The state's capital and largest city is Boise. With an area of 83,569 square miles (216,440 km2), Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area. With a population of approximately 1.8 million, it ranks as the 13th least populous and the 7th least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states.
The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About 1,080 miles (1,740 km) long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Beginning in Yellowstone National Park, western Wyoming, it flows across the arid Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, the rugged Hells Canyon on the borders of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, and finally the rolling Palouse Hills of southeast Washington. It joins the Columbia River just downstream from the Tri-Cities, Washington, in the southern Columbia Basin.
Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the third-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene, and the twelfth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Nez Perce County and Asotin County, Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lewiston was 34,203, up from 31,894 in 2010.
Scouting in Idaho has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
The Inland Northwest, historically and alternatively known as the Inland Empire, is a region of the American Northwest centered on the Greater Spokane, Washington Area, encompassing all of Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Under broader definitions, Northeastern Oregon and Western Montana may be included in the Inland Northwest. Alternatively, stricter definitions may exclude Central Washington and Idaho County, Idaho.
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane, the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse. Unlike in Western Washington, the climate is dry, including some desert environments.
The Salmon River, also known as "The River of No Return", is a river located in the U.S. state of Idaho in the western United States. It flows for 425 miles (685 km) through central Idaho, draining a rugged, thinly populated watershed of 14,000 square miles (36,000 km2). The river drops more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m) from its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, to its confluence with the Snake River. Measured at White Bird, its average discharge is 11,060 cubic feet per second. The Salmon River is the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States.
North Central Idaho is an area which spans the central part of the state of Idaho and borders Oregon, Montana, and Washington. It is the southern half of the state's Panhandle region and is rich in agriculture and natural resources. Lewis and Clark traveled through this area on their journey to the Pacific Ocean in September 1805, crossing Lolo Pass and continuing westward in canoes on the Clearwater River. They returned the following spring on their way eastward.
Bear Lake State Park is a public recreation area bordering the north and eastern shores of Bear Lake in the southeast corner of Bear Lake County, Idaho, near the Utah and Wyoming state lines. The state park sits across the lake from St. Charles and is fifteen miles (24 km) south of Montpelier. Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies adjacent to the park's north unit.
Boise National Forest is a National Forest covering 2,203,703 acres (8,918.07 km2) of the U.S. state of Idaho. Created on July 1, 1908, from part of Sawtooth National Forest, it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as five units: the Cascade, Emmett, Idaho City, Lowman, and Mountain Home ranger districts.
The Sawtooth Wilderness is a federally-protected wilderness area that covers 217,088 acres (87,852 ha) of the state of Idaho. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was designated the Sawtooth Primitive Area in 1937 to preserve the scenic beauty of the Sawtooth Mountains. On August 22, 1972 Public Law 92-400 designated the Primitive Area as the Sawtooth Wilderness and part of the newly created Sawtooth National Recreation Area. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, the Sawtooth Wilderness is an area where human development and use are restricted and people are to remain only visitors. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Sawtooth Wilderness has some of the clearest air in the lower 48 states.
Sawtooth National Forest is a National Forest that covers 2,110,408 acres in the U.S. states of Idaho and Utah. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it was originally named the Sawtooth Forest Reserve in a proclamation issued by President Theodore Roosevelt on May 29, 1905. On August 22, 1972, a portion of the forest was designated as the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA), which includes the Sawtooth, Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds, and Hemingway–Boulders wilderness areas. The forest is managed as four units: the SNRA and the Fairfield, Ketchum, and Minidoka Ranger Districts.
The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate, with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating warmer winters and substantially cooler summers in coastal areas.
The Sawtooth Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in central Idaho, United States, reaching a maximum elevation of 10,751 feet (3,277 m) at the summit of Thompson Peak. It encompasses an area of 678 square miles (1,756 km2) spanning parts of Custer, Boise, Blaine, and Elmore counties, and is bordered to the east by the Sawtooth Valley. Much of the mountain range is within the Sawtooth Wilderness, part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Sawtooth National Forest.
Snake River Valley is Idaho's first American Viticultural Area (AVA) that encompasses an area in southwestern Idaho and two counties in eastern Oregon. The area was established on April 9, 2007 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Idahoan vintners of the Snake River Valley, the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, and the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor, collectively acting as “petitioner” to establish the 8,263 square miles viticultural area named "Snake River Valley." For wines to bear the "Snake River Valley" label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area, which includes the southwestern Idaho counties of Ada, Adams, Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jerome, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, and Washington, and the Eastern Oregon counties of Malheur and Baker. The appellation, when established, was resident to 15 wineries and 46 vineyards with 1,800 acres (728 ha) under vine.
The Geography of Oklahoma encompasses terrain and ecosystems ranging from arid plains to subtropical forests and mountains. Oklahoma contains 10 distinct ecological regions, more per square mile than in any other state by a wide margin. It is situated in the Great Plains and U.S. Interior Highlands region near the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states. Usually considered part of the South Central United States, Oklahoma is bounded on the east by Arkansas and Missouri, on the north by Kansas, on the northwest by Colorado, on the far west by New Mexico, and on the south and near-west by Texas.
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Kentucky is situated in the Upland South region of the United States. A significant portion of eastern Kentucky is part of Appalachia.
Washington is the northwesternmost state of the contiguous United States. It borders Idaho to the east, bounded mostly by the meridian running north from the confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River, except for the southernmost section where the border follows the Snake River. Oregon is to the south, with the Columbia River forming the western part and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the Oregon–Washington border. During Washington's partition from Oregon, the original plan for the border followed the Columbia River east until the confluence with the Snake, and then would have followed the Snake River east; this was changed to keep Walla Walla's fertile farmland in Washington.
The Idaho Batholith ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Idaho and Montana. It is contained within the following biomes designated by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF): temperate coniferous forests; temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands; and deserts and xeric shrublands.