Sawtooth Valley

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Sawtooth Valley
Sawtooth Valley ID1.jpg
The Sawtooth Valley from Galena Summit, September 2010
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Sawtooth Valley
Locations in Idaho
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Sawtooth Valley
Location in the United States
Floor elevation6,300 feet (1,920 m)
Length30 miles (50 km)N-S
Width10 miles (16 km)
Geography
Location Blaine and Custer counties in Idaho, United States
Population centers Stanley
Coordinates 44°09′47″N114°53′02″W / 44.163°N 114.884°W / 44.163; -114.884 [1]
Traversed by State Highway 75

The Sawtooth Valley is a valley in the Western United States, in Blaine and Custer counties in central Idaho, United States.

Contents

Description

About 30 miles (48 km) long, the valley 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. [2]

Southern Sawtooth Valley, June 2008 S Sawtooth Valley.JPG
Southern Sawtooth Valley, June 2008

Idaho State Highway 75 (SH75), also known as the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, transverses the valley's entire length. SH75 enters the valley from the south at Galena Summit and exits to the north near Stanley. SH75 was formerly designated as U.S. Route 93, which is now routed through Arco.

Sawtooth Valley contains several large lakes in the SNRA, including Redfish, Alturas, Pettit, and Stanley lakes. Valley floor elevations range from just under 6,300 feet (1,920 m) near Stanley to over 7,500 feet (2,290 m) below Galena Summit. Elevations along the valley's borders reach 11,815 feet (3,601 m) at Castle Peak in the White Cloud Mountains to the east and 10,715 feet (3,266 m) at Thompson Peak in the Sawtooth Mountains to the west.

In 2017, the Sawtooth Valley was designated part of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.

See also

Flag of Idaho.svg  Idahoportal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galena Summit</span>

Galena Summit is a high mountain pass in the western United States in central Idaho, at an elevation of 8,701 feet (2,652 m) above sea level. The pass is located in the Boulder Mountains, in the northwest corner of Blaine County, within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area of the Sawtooth National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon River (Idaho)</span> River in Idaho, United States

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawtooth Wilderness</span> Wilderness area in the state of Idaho

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawtooth National Forest</span> National forest located in Idaho and Utah in the United 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawtooth National Recreation Area</span> National recreation area in Idaho, US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawtooth Range (Idaho)</span> Mountain range in Idaho, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 93 in Idaho</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Idaho, United States

U.S. Route 93 is a north–south U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho State Highway 75</span> State highway in Lincoln, Blaine, and Custer Counties in Idaho, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thompson Peak (Idaho)</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Heyburn</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Cloud Mountains</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

The White Cloud Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, located in central Idaho, southeast of Stanley in Custer County. The range is located within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) and partially within the Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds Wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Lake</span> Alpine lake in the state of Idaho

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho State Highway 21</span> State highway in Idaho, United States

State Highway 21 (SH-21), also known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, is a state highway in Idaho. It runs from Boise to Stanley, primarily as a two-lane road. With two-thirds of its length in Boise County, it passes by historic Idaho City and the village of Lowman to the western edge of the Sawtooth Mountains, then along their northern boundary to Stanley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams Peak (Custer County, Idaho)</span>

Williams Peak, at 10,636 feet (3,242 m) high is the 6th highest peak in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho and is located within the Sawtooth Wilderness portion of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The peak lies 0.75 mi (1,210 m) north-northeast of Thompson Peak, the highest peak in the range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Peak (Idaho)</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

Castle Peak is a mountain in the western United States, the highest peak in the White Cloud Mountains of central Idaho and the Idaho Batholith. Located in Custer County, it is the 25th highest peak in the state, and the ninth most prominent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulder Mountains (Idaho)</span>

The Boulder Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains in the western United States. Located in central Idaho, they stretch from a few miles north of Ketchum to north to near Challis, and part of the range is within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) and partially within the Hemingway–Boulders Wilderness. The highest point in the range is Ryan Peak, at 11,714 feet (3,570 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamberlain Basin</span> Drainage basin in Idaho, United States

Chamberlain Basin is a drainage basin that contains a chain of ten alpine and glacial Paternoster lakes in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the White Cloud Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Lakes are located on the upper portion of Chamberlain Creek in the Germania Creek watershed, a tributary of the East Fork Salmon River. Castle Peak, the highest summit in the White Cloud Mountains, rises to the east and north of Chamberlain Basin. Sawtooth National Forest trail 047 crosses the basin, although most people begin their trips at the Fourth of July Creek trailhead. Individual lakes do not have official names and are listed from lowest to highest elevation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Peak (Boulder Mountains, Idaho)</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

Kent Peak, at 11,664 feet (3,555 m) above sea level is the second highest peak in the Boulder Mountains of Idaho. Located on the border of Blaine and Custer counties, Kent Peak is about 0.75 miles (1,210 m) south of the range's highest point, Ryan Peak. The peak is also on the border of Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Salmon-Challis National Forest and partially within the Hemingway–Boulders Wilderness. It is the 34th highest peak in Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easley Peak</span> Mountain in the state of Idaho

Easley Peak is an 11,108-foot elevation (3,386 m) mountain summit located on the common border that Blaine County shares with Custer County, in Idaho, United States.

References

  1. "Sawtooth Valley". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. Sawtooth National Forest. “Sawtooth National Forest” [map].1:126,720, 1”=2 miles. Twin Falls, Idaho: Sawtooth National Forest, United States Forest Service, 1998.

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