This section includes information about where fees are charged and which passes may be used to cover those fees.

• Boating on the Middle Fork or Main Salmon Rivers requires a permit all year.
• Reserving Cabins
• Reserving Group Camp Sites 
• Recreation events and Filming

What is the recreation fee program?

More and more people recreate on national forests and grasslands every year. Meeting the needs of these visitors, delivering quality recreation, heritage and wilderness opportunities, and protecting natural resources has become increasingly difficult.

To help address this issue, President Bush signed the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act (PL 108-447), which includes the 10-year Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (REA) on December 8, 2004. The Act permits federal land management agencies to continue charging modest fees at campgrounds, rental cabins, high-impact recreation areas and at day-use sites that have certain facilities.

Recreation fees provide crucial resources that allow the federal agencies to respond to increased demand on federal lands. The goal is to provide visitors with a quality recreation experience through enhanced facilities and services

The Salmon-Challis National Forest is currently using the Recreation Fee program for permits on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers, Campgrounds and Cabin Rentals. 95% of these fees are returned to the Forest.  To learn more about these programs see the links on the right hand side of this page.

Middle Fork and Main Salmon River Recreation Fee Program

The Salmon-Challis National Forest collects fees for recreation use on the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon Rivers in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Fees from permits are used to improve the services provided for users of the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon Rivers. The forest works with the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) to allocate launch dates.  If granted a permit, the Forest charges $4 per-person, per-day user fee. Season Passes entitle the pass holder to float the Middle Fork and/or Main Salmon Rivers without further payment for one year from the date of purchase.

Information on the river permit system is available on the Four Rivers Lottery web page, or by contacting the North Fork or Middle Fork Ranger Districts, 208 865-2700 or 208 879-4101.

Interagency Recreation Passes

The Interagency Recreation Passes is a federal interagency recreation pass program. Under the Recreaton Fee program, the Salmon-Challis National Forest can keep 80% of the money collected from the sale of Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access passports.

---

Your Fees at Work

Investing in a Healthy Environment and Quality Recreation Services
on the Salmon-Challis National Forest