| Sawtooth Wilderness | |
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IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)
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| Location | Elmore / Boise / Custer / Blaine counties, Idaho, USA |
| Nearest city | Stanley, Idaho |
| Area | 217,088 acres (878 km²) |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Sawtooth Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The Wilderness was upgraded in 1972 from "primitive area" status, affording greater protections of the habitat. The Sawtooth Wilderness is considered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to have the best air quality in the lower 48 states.[1]
Wilderness areas do not allow motorized or mechanical equipment including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.
The Sawtooth Wilderness contains most of Idaho's most famous mountains the Sawtooth Range, the highest two of which are Thompson Peak and Mount Cramer.
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