Salmon-Challis National Forest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sawmill-Challis National Forest
IUCN Category VI (Managed Resource Protected Area)

Location	Idaho, USA
Nearest city	Salmon, Idaho
Coordinates	45°16′54″N 114°11′45″W / 45.28167, -114.19583
Area	4,235,940 acres (17,142.24 km²)
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Salmon-Challis National Forest is located in east central sections of the U.S. state of Idaho. At 4,235,940 acres (6,618.66 sq mi, or 17,142.24 km²) it is one of the largest National Forests 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 Alaska. Borah Peak, the tallest mountain in Idaho, is also found here. The Wild and Scenic Salmon River weaves through the rugged terrain of the Sawtooth Mountains and flows for over 75 miles (121 km) through the forest. The Big Lost River has its headwaters within the national forest.

Challis National Forest, the more southerly of its two parts, lies primarily in Custer County, but also has major areas in Lemhi and Butte counties, as well as smaller areas in Clark and Blaine counties. It has a total area of 2,463,471 acres (3,849.17 sq mi, or 9,969.31 km²). There are local ranger district offices located in Challis, Clayton, and Mackay.

Salmon National Forest, which lies to the north, is primarily located in Lemhi County, with spillover into Valley and Idaho counties. It has a total area of 1,772,469 acres (2,769.48 sq mi, or 7,172.93 km²). ^[1] There are local ranger district offices located in Leadore, North Fork, and Salmon.

The combined forest headquarters are located in Salmon, Idaho.