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
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 exceptional 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 Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) is a national recreation area in central Idaho, United States that is managed as part of Sawtooth National Forest. The recreation area, established on August 22, 1972, is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and includes the Sawtooth, Hemingway–Boulders, and Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds wilderness areas. Activities within the 730,864-acre (2,957.70 km2) recreation area include hiking, backpacking, White water rafting, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, fishing, and hunting.
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.
State Highway 75 is a two-lane highway in the western United States that travels through the Sawtooth Valley of central Idaho. The highway's southern terminus is in Shoshone, and its northern is near Challis. It is designated as one of Idaho's scenic byways and provides access to Sawtooth National Recreation Area and primarily follows the Big Wood River in the south and the main Salmon River in the north, divided by Galena Summit.
Redfish Lake is an alpine lake in Custer County, Idaho, just south of Stanley. It is the largest lake within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Thompson Peak, at 10,751 feet (3,277 m) above sea level is the highest peak in the Sawtooth Range of Idaho. The summit of Thompson Peak is located within Custer County, although some of the lower portion of the mountain is in Boise County. Thompson Peak is also located within the Sawtooth Wilderness portion of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, a unit of Sawtooth National Forest. The town of Stanley, Idaho is about 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Thompson Peak.
Mount Cramer, at 10,716 feet (3,266 m) is the second highest peak in the Sawtooth Range of Idaho. The summit of Mount Cramer is located on the border of Custer and Boise Counties. The peak is the highest point in Boise County. Mount Cramer is also located within the Sawtooth Wilderness portion of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The town of Stanley, Idaho is almost 14 miles (23 km) from Mount Cramer, while the area known as Sawtooth City is nearly 12 miles (19 km) from Mount Cramer. The west side of Mount Cramer drains into the South Fork of the Payette River, while the east side drains to the Salmon River.
Mount Heyburn, at 10,229 feet (3,118 m) is one of the many 10,000-foot (3,050 m) peaks in the Sawtooth Range of central Idaho. Mount Heyburn is located in Custer County and within the Sawtooth Wilderness portion of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The town of Stanley is located eight miles (13 km) north-northeast of Mount Heyburn. Grand Mogul, 9,733 ft (2,967 m), and Mount Heyburn are the two signature peaks that frame the southwest end of Redfish Lake ; all are in the Salmon River watershed.
Stanley Lake is an alpine lake in the western United States, located in Custer County, Idaho, at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
The Little Salmon River is a tributary of the Salmon River in Idaho. The river is approximately 51 miles (82 km) long and drains 576 square miles (1,490 km2) of land.
Alpine Lake is an alpine lake in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located high in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The lake is approximately 11.4 miles (18.3 km) southwest of Stanley.
The Bench Lakes are a chain of five small alpine glacial lakes in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. A cutoff from Sawtooth National Forest trail 101 along Redfish Lake leads to the Bench Lakes. The lakes are drained by an unnamed stream that flows into Redfish Lake, Redfish Lake Creek, and eventually the Salmon River.
Little Redfish Lake in central Idaho is in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Custer County. Little Redfish Lake is in the Big Boulder Creek Watershed of the White Cloud Mountains.
The Upper Redfish Lakes are a chain of small alpine glacial lakes in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The lakes are drained by an unnamed creek that is a tributary of Redfish Lake Creek, which flows into the Salmon River. There are no trails that lead to the lakes, although they are most easily accessed from Sawtooth National Forest trail 154 along Redfish Lake Creek.
The Saddleback Lakes are a chain of small alpine glacial lakes in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The lakes are drained by an unnamed tributary of Redfish Lake Creek, which flows into the Salmon River. There are no trails that lead to the lakes, although they are most easily accessed from Sawtooth National Forest trail 154.
Jimmy Smith Lake is an alpine lake in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located at the northeast end of the White Cloud Mountains on the Bureau of Land Management land just east and downstream of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area border. The lake is accessed from trail 677, which is a 1-mile (1.6 km) improved ATV trail along Big Lake Creek, but there is no motorized vehicle access beyond the lake.
The Sawtooth Valley is a valley in the Western United States, in Blaine and Custer counties of central Idaho. About 30 miles (50 km) long, it is in Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) in the Sawtooth National Forest. It is surrounded by the Sawtooth Mountains to the west, White Cloud Mountains to the east, Salmon River Mountains to the north, and Boulder and Smoky Mountains to the south. The valley contains the headwaters of the Salmon River, the city of Stanley, and community of Sawtooth City.
The bill "To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to maintain or replace certain facilities and structures for commercial recreation services at Smith Gulch in Idaho, and for other purposes" is a bill that would require the United States Secretary of Agriculture to permit private entities to repair or replace certain commercial facilities on United States Forest Service land in Idaho.
Little Redfish Lake
Little Redfish Lake barely visible from the Alpine Way Trail
