Salmon River Mountains
Idaho, United States, North America

Salmon River Mountains

Page Type Page Type: Area/Range
Location Lat/Lon: 44.59691°N / 115.11958°W
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Ice Climbing, Aid Climbing, Big Wall, Mixed, Canyoneering
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
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Overview

Idaho Region OverviewIdaho Regional Overview

Idaho's Salmon River Mountains encompass a huge section of central Idaho.  At over 3800 square miles, this region is nearly the size of Connecticut.  Over 135 named or known summits and rock towers exist in this area, and over 100 more have no name, recognition, or discovery.  This region is extremely rugged , wild, road-less in parts, and protected by Congress.  The scenic Salmon River dominates its borders. As late as 1988, a major peak in this region saw it's first ever ascent. Cabin Creek Peak (9968 feet) required a 5.3 route to gain the summit (Tom Lopez). To make this even more unbelievable, this peak is clearly visible from ID-75 just south of Stanley. 
Valley Creek Sunrise

If one was to leave the paved road north of Stanley, Idaho and head directly north, the next paved road would be encountered over 200 miles away. This includes part of the Clearwater Mountains (not part of this region) and would rank as one of the largest tracts of backcountry terrain in the lower 48 states.  Included in this terrain are huge river valleys with elevation changes of over 5200 feet and the largest of peaks topping out at 10,400 feet (White Mountain). Also nestled within the region is the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Completely protected from roads, a journey to this river usually requires a small plane trip into a narrow landing strip on the Middle Fork. The usage of this pristine river is tightly restricted with a very limited number of permits being issued each year.  This is a float trip popular with the famous, but can taken by anyone willing to pay the price.  A float trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon with a guide usually has a Dutch Oven cooking experience and the regulations require packing everything out- campfire ashes and human waste included. When your not busy negotiating Class 3 or 4 rapids, the Bighorn Sheep on the hillside make for exceptional wildlife viewing.

Noteworthy Peaks

Noteworthy Peaks 
Mt. McGuire- tallest in the Bighorn Crags
Nick Peak- visible from McCall, longish hike
Slick Rock- 5.7-5.9 Climbing near McCall
Cabin Creek Peak- 5.3 (close to Stanley)
Needles Peak- Class 4 Spire Climbing
Wolf Fang Peak- New Climbs Possible
The Rust Nail-Easy 5th, <10 summits
White Mountain-highest in the region (Class 3)
Knuckle Peak- Easy 5th Class in the Bighorns
Snowslide Peak- Class 3 Scramble
Red Mountain- Near Lowman (Class 1)
Pinnacles Peak- Class 3 scrambling
Ramskull Peak- one of the most impressive

History

In a true stroke of political synchronicity, a good portion of the Salmon River region has become protected. 2+ million acres of the area are part of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness and a smaller section near Lowman is owned by the State of Idaho. In the 1930's a movement grew in Idaho to have portions of this region protected, led by the governor H.C. Baldridge. The Forest Service obliged and designated 1.2 million acres as a Primitive Area. 

With ever growing pressures from the exploitation industries of Idaho (mining / logging), the area withheld the political pork barreling that so often defined the pre-conservation era.  In the late 1970's conservation movement, Congress solidified the wilderness designation of this area by creating the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, protecting 2.3 million acres. Church was the rare Idaho conservationist, and remarkably, the incumbent U.S. president at the time had explored the region and enjoyed it's beauty, further supporting the cause. 

In the 1990's as the high tech and internet boom occurred in many areas, including the Boise Valley to some extent, the rest of Idaho was left behind and pushed to explore the extraction of wood and ore from areas around the Salmon River Mountains. President Clinton, sensing this general movement, declared a limitation on the amount of new roads built into the backcountry.  The state legislature resented the limitation of their exploitive powers.  With George W. Bush, the pendulum has swung again, as he has essentially nullified the Clinton Road less Plan by turning power back over to the states and those industries (mining, logging, oil) that had monetarily supported his election and re-election campaigns.

The General

Defining the Bounds of the Region

Loon Creek Area

Defining the Bounds of the Range

  • the northern edge boundary is the scenic Salmon River, with the town of Riggins exactly in the northwest corner of the region
  • the eastern edge boundary is the Salmon River, with the town of Salmon in the northeast corner of the area
  • the southern edge boundary is the South Fork of the Payette River (southwest), and the Salmon River (southeast). 
  • the western edge boundary is the North Fork of the Payette River (southwest), and the Little Salmon River (northwest)


Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Viewing: 1-2 of 2
Dean

Dean - Aug 1, 2009 6:51 am - Voted 10/10

Big Baldy

Another peak that is a member of the Salmon River Mountains is Big Baldy. It is of interest to some since it is the county highpoint of Valley county and a peak that has over 3000 feet of prominence. It is also not easy to get to.

SawtoothSean

SawtoothSean - Aug 1, 2009 11:57 am - Hasn't voted

Thanks

Dean- Thanks for the update and great page on Baldy. I've added it as a child to the Salmon River Mtns page.

Viewing: 1-2 of 2


Images

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Table of Contents
Geography
Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.

Album2 Areas & Ranges
Album28 Mountains & Rocks