Wilderness

The Frank Church -- River of No Return is a wilderness of steep, rugged mountains, deep canyons, and wild whitewater rivers. The massive Salmon River Mountains, located south of the Main Salmon and west of the Middle Fork, dominate the Wilderness. North of the Main Salmon River lie the Clearwater Mountains, while east of the Middle Fork are the Bighorn Crags. The Salmon River Canyon is one of the deepest gorges in North America, deeper even than the famous Grand Canyon of the Colorado in Arizona. In contrast to the Grand Canyon, the Salmon River Canyon is not noted for sheer walls and towering heights, but instead for the variety of landscapes visible from the river: Wooded ridges rising to the sky, huge, eroded monuments, bluffs and slides, picturesque castles and towers, and solitary crags. The United States Congress designated the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in 1980; it now encompasses a total of 2,366,757 acres. Administration of the wilderness is accomplished by two Forest Service Regions (Northern and Intermountain), and four National Forests - the Salmon Challis, Payette, Nez Perce, and Bitterroot. It is the largest contiguous wilderness in the Lower 48 and the second largest unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System in the Lower 48 (second in size only to California’s Death Valley Wilderness). The lead forest for managing the coordination of the Wilderness is the Salmon-Challis National Forest, with headquarters located in Salmon, Idaho. 

All four administering Forests have available a two-map set of the Wilderness (south half and north half). Also available are maps of the Main Salmon River and of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Visit our Maps & Publications page for more information about downloading or purchasing maps.

Image

Buck Lake, July 25th, 2020

The name of this Wilderness has two roots. The Main Salmon River was originally called the "River of No Return” when early boaters could navigate down the river but could not get back up through the fast water and numerous rapids. The romantic name lives on today, even though jet boats can now navigate upstream. Second, Frank Church's name was attached to this Wilderness in 1984 by Congress, after its designation, as a memorial to honor a man who did so much to help preserve Idaho's wild core. 

Numerous artifacts offer evidence of human presence in the Wilderness: Shoshone and Nez Perce populations, wandering fur trappers and missionaries, and remnants of early miner settlements and homesteads. The historic and prehistoric heritage of the area is a valuable Wilderness component.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon flows through the heart of the Frank Church -- River of No Return Wilderness. Boaters and hikers who travel the 104 miles along the Middle Fork frequently see cultural artifacts along the riverbank. The Tuku-Deka (Sheepeater) band of Native Americans was a hunter-gatherer group who traditionally inhabited the river corridor. In 1879, the U.S. Army fought the Sheepeater War against the Tuku-Deka, ultimately expelling many of them from the Middle Fork drainage to the Fort Hall reservation in Eastern Idaho. Their descendants are now largely included within the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall. Many Middle Fork campsites have pit house depressions left behind by the Tuku-Deka. These, along with other artifacts, represent irreplaceable pieces of cultural history. Please respect these sites by only camping in designated areas. Leave any other artifacts where you find them. There are many rock pictographs recording stories and lifestyles of the Tuku-Deka in the river corridor. Please protect these artworks by not touching them. As river users, you can help steward and protect these resources for future generations to enjoy as you visit the Middle Fork of the Salmon. 

Wilderness Regulations:
All Wilderness areas have a number of regulations in place, designed to protect the condition of the resource. Use of mechanized and/or motorized equipment is not allowed in designated wilderness areas. This includes bicycles, carts and boat motors. Hang gliders are also prohibited in order to preserve the aesthetic value of wilderness. Hunting and fishing are allowed under State regulations. Commercial guides and outfitters authorized by special use permits are also allowed to operate within the area. In addition, people may access private land within the wilderness, as well as administering and operating valid mining claims. Grazing of domestic livestock under permit is allowed. 

The use of Drones (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) is not allowed within wilderness. Drones (UAS) are considered to be aircraft and are both “motorized equipment” and “mechanical transport”. As such, these aircraft cannot take off from, land in, or be operated from congressionally designated wilderness areas. To learn more, see the USDA Forest Service’s Recreational Drone Tips and visit Unmanned Aircraft Systems on the FAA’s site.

Unique to the Frank Church Wilderness, and authorized under the Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980 (PL96-312) are the following: 

• Boating is allowed on the Salmon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and some tributaries, under a permit system. Party sizes are controlled and Leave No Trace techniques are required.
• General backcountry visitation is allowed with a maximum party size of 20 and a length of stay up to 14 days.
• Stock use is allowed with a maximum party size of 20 and 20 head of stock.
• Jet boats are allowed on the Salmon River.
• Continued use of established airfields is allowed.

Guide for an Enjoyable Wilderness Visit

User's Guide to the Frank Church -- River of No Return Wilderness

Managing Fires and Human Waste Within the River Corridors

Leave No Trace:
More important than regulations are the responsibilities each traveler has to protect the Wilderness. It is necessary for all users of the FC-RONR Wilderness to practice minimum-impact camping techniques. The motivation to do this derives from a respect for the land and water and consideration and courtesy for those who will follow after you. Fundamental principles and techniques have been developed using the “Leave No Trace” philosophy. A complete narrative and description for all of the principles can be found on the numerous “Leave No Trace” websites. Listed below are some of the most critical practices:

• Travel in small groups, usually no more than 10 to 12 people. The maximum group size is 20, without prior approval. Be quiet and unobtrusive. Respect solitude, one of the most valuable wilderness resources.
• When traveling the trails, stay on the trails to avoid widening them and causing erosion. Do not cut switchbacks.
• Camp out of sight and sound of other campers, and where possible, at least 200 feet from rivers, streams, and trails.
• Keep soap and detergent out of hot springs, lakes and streams. Wash and rinse using buckets or pans, and dispose of water at least 200 feet from lakes or streams.
• Select a camp that has already been impacted, if you have a larger group (more than 6).
• Pick up and pack out all unburnable litter and trash. If you have camped in a popular area, leave the campsite in the best possible condition for the next users. If you have camped in a little-used area, leave absolutely no evidence that you have been there.
• Be responsible for human waste. Carry a small shovel or trowel to help dispose of human feces. When traveling overland, bury feces. When floating the rivers, use the required sealed portable toilets and pack them out.
• Do not build facilities like lean-tos, fire circles, bough beds, or gear racks.
• If fires are permitted (not in fire-restrictions), build a small one, and use only dead or down wood of small diameter. Remove bits of garbage that will not burn and pack out.
• Feed for stock must be “Weed Seed Free” supplemental feed, when needed, and should be alfalfa hay, processed pellets, and grain in order to prevent non-native plans from getting established in the Wilderness. No straw is permitted in the Wilderness. If you bring salt in for stock, it must be mixed with grain, or in block form, secured off the ground, and removed when you leave.
• The Antiquities Act prohibits the collection of archeological artifacts. Look at the many artifacts, but leave them for the next visitor to enjoy.

Please contact the District Ranger for the area you wish to visit to obtain written approval to have a party size larger than allowed by the Wilderness Management Plan.

The Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980 specifies that use of established airstrips within the FC--RONR Wilderness shall be permitted to continue. Please find below links to the management plans for eight established public FC--RONR airstrips. 

Bernard Airstrip            

Cabin Creek Airstrip

Chamberlain Airstrip    

Cold Meadows Airstrip

Indian Creek Airstrip     

Mahoney Airstrip

Soldier Bar Airstrip        

Wilson Bar Airstrip

ENJOY YOUR VISIT TO THE FRANK CHURCH - RIVER OF NO RETURN WILDERNESS!

Frankly Speaking Newsletter; Fall 2024

The Jim McClure -- Jerry Peak Wilderness was established in August of 2007 by a unanimous act of Congress. It consists of nearly 117,000 acres of rugged forest, cliffs, and highland, jointly managed by the Salmon-Challis National Forest and the Challis Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management. 

Wilderness is established as a place where ecosystems remain undeveloped and intact, natural processes unfold without intervention and humans may visit but not stay. 

You can help protect these values for future generations:

• Take the time to review maps and know if your planned trails are in or out of the wilderness.
• Existing regulations for weed-free hay are in effect.
• The following are prohibited in the Jim McClure -- Jerry Peak Wilderness:
  • Possessing or using a motor vehicle, motorboat or motorized equipment except as authorized by Federal Law or regulation.
  • Possessing or using a hang glider or bicycle.
  • Landing of aircraft, or dropping or picking up of any material, supplies, or person by means of aircraft, including a helicopter.
• Livestock:  The grazing of livestock in which grazing is established before the date of enactment shall be allowed to continue.
• Hunting and fishing regulations are managed by the State of Idaho.  Those regulations do not change with the signing of this bill; however, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, motorboats, landing of aircraft, or other form of mechanical transport (such as bicycles or game carts) will be permitted.   
• Snowmobiles are not authorized.

For more information contact the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District at 208-879-4100 or the Challis Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management at 208-879-6200.

To read the legislation that created the Jim McClure -- Jerry Peak Wilderness, please go to this link.

Some representative photos of the gorgeous, dramatic scenery of the Jim McClure -- Jerry Peak Wilderness, as well as two neighboring wildernesses administered by the Sawtooth National Forest, may be found in this linked Flickr album. 

Who was Jim McClure?
Jim was referred to as a “true Idahoan with a legitimate legacy of preserving his state's natural resources.”  Republican Jim McClure, who died in 2011, left office after serving three terms in the U.S. Senate and three in the U.S. House.  Along with a distinguished group of state and congressional representatives, McClure was a steward of Idaho's natural resources.  He helped champion what became the SNRA and the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. 

Now that BLM Wilderness Study areas have been released, may I go ahead and freely drive on roads in those former WSA’s?
The short answer is no.  In addition to the WSA designation, these lands were subject to a public process and decision about motorized travel.  Current BLM and FS travel plan decisions stand.

I have a long-time family campground inside the area, I need to leave my horse corral set up and my gear stashed there.  May I do so?
Actually, leaving your gear in the woods to either save “your” place or to save time getting to and setting up camp is not okay.  Inside or outside of designated wilderness areas, occupancy and use rules apply.  The National Forests are public lands, and not to be used as long-term storage or dumping grounds. 

Are you going to shut down all of the mountain bike trails?
Within the BLM Wilderness Study Areas and in the proposed Wilderness Area, bicycles were prohibited before wilderness designation.  
HOWEVER, since designation, some of the following trails on the Salmon-Challis NF remain OPEN to motorized and/or mechanical devices (including bicycles). Overall, 14.38 miles are OPEN to bicycles. About 58.18 miles are open only for hiking and pack/saddle use and remain CLOSED to bicycles. See table below for specific information.

What is the definition of “motorized” equipment?  
Based on the definitions in the regulations at 36 CFR 261, motorized equipment means: “any machine activated by a nonliving power source except small battery-powered hand carried devices such as flashlights, shavers, Geiger counters, and cameras”.

My uncle needs to use his wheelchair to get around our hunting camp, and it is now inside the wilderness area; what are your rules about this?  Is it motorized, or mechanized, or can he even use it in there?
Yes, in many cases a wheelchair can be used in wilderness.  “Any wheelchair or mobility device (including one that is battery-powered) that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion and that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area”. 

I would love to make a movie about/within this beautiful place, when can I start filming?  Do you have rules about this sort of activity?
There are regulations governing filming within NFS lands generally and Wildernesses more specifically. Non-commercial photography is allowed within wilderness areas. However, commercial filming (still and video) often must go through a more rigorous screening before it can be approved. Please contact the Salmon-Challis National Forest at 208-756-5100 with a proposal and we’ll see what we can do for you.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Can be found on the Bureau of Land Management's Challis Field Office Webpage