Salmo-Priest Wilderness

Salmo-Priest Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Location	Pend Oreille County, Washington, USA
Nearest city	Metaline Falls, Washington
Coordinates	48°55′40″N 117°10′15″W / 48.92778°N 117.17083°W / 48.92778; -117.17083Coordinates: 48°55′40″N 117°10′15″W / 48.92778°N 117.17083°W / 48.92778; -117.17083
Area	41,335 acres (167.28 km2)
Established	1984
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Salmo-Priest Wilderness is a 41,335 acre (167.28 km²) wilderness area located in the Selkirk Mountains in the northeast corner of Washington state, within the Colville National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest.

Topography

The high-country Salmo-Priest Wilderness is a somewhat wishbone-shaped area atop two Selkirk Range ridges that intersect at 6,828-foot (2,081 m) Salmo Mountain. The eastern ridge is somewhat lower, more wooded, more rounded off, and therefore more accessible than the steep-sided, rocky-crested western ridge. Streams have cut deep drainages into both ridges, which flow into Idaho's Priest River on the east and Sullivan Creek and the Salmo River into the Pend Oreille River on the west.^[1]

Wildlife

This rugged area is home to several endangered and threatened species, including woodland caribou, grizzly bears, and gray wolves.^[2] The Selkirk Mountains are the last remaining refuge for woodland caribou in the contiguous United States, particularly the Salmo-Priest Wilderness.^[3][4] Common wildlife include mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, cougars, bobcats, badgers, pine martens, lynx, bighorn sheep, and moose.^[1]

Vegetation

Much of the Salmo-Priest Wilderness is made up of Douglas fir and Western hemlock. Old growth red cedar is also present in the Wilderness.^[5]

Other Protected Areas

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail traverses the Salmo-Priest Wilderness. Approximately 23 miles of the 1,200 mile PNT lie within the Wilderness.

See also

• List of U.S. wilderness areas
• Wilderness Act
• List of old growth forests

References