Rocky Mountain Idaho s. Playground

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1 Rocky Mountain Idaho s Playground Sawtooth National Recreation Area is Ground Zero for outdoor recreation BOB & LYNN DIFLEY You can rent whatever floats your boat at Redfish Lake Marina paddle boats, kayaks, canoes or motorboats are all available (above). Hundreds of miles of trails await hikers in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (right, above). See chinook salmon at the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery from late July through September (right). Not all outdoor enthusiasts are cast from the same mold. Some, like wildlife stalkers, trail hikers and wilderness explorers, tend to prefer the treasures of deep forests. Others, including river rafters, kayak paddlers and lake swimmers, naturally gravitate to outdoor resources offering a liquid focus. But it doesn t matter if your hobby is mountain biking or bird-watching, it s enhanced by tall pines, quiet campsites and scenic solitude. Which is an apt description of most of Idaho. What makes central Idaho, in particular, the alluring siren of the outdoor lover? Miles and miles of wilderness. PHOTO: IDAHO TRAVEL COUNCIL PHOTOS: BOB DIFLEY MotorHome, September 2006/59

2 Rocky Mountain Playground In fact, Idaho has more wild and scenic river miles and more wilderness area than any other state outside of Alaska and smack-dab in the middle of Idaho s Rocky Mountain highlands lies 756,000-acre Sawtooth National Recreation Area (NRA), the single largest NRA in the country. And if that s not a large enough area for you to play in, it s surrounded by the wild Sawtooth, Challis and Boise national forests. The Sawtooth NRA is the birthplace of four of Idaho s major rivers the Salmon, Payette, Big Wood and Boise and includes four mountain ranges: the Sawtooths, Boulders, White Clouds and Smokys. Together, they contain more than 200 peaks reaching 10,000 feet or higher, more than 300 pristine alpine lakes and 250 miles of trails. The novehicles-permitted 217,000- acre Sawtooth Wilderness Area contains another Sawtooth National Recreation Area MAP ILLUSTRATION: SUE CARLSON Called America s Alps, the jagged granite mountains of the Sawtooths are the heart of the Idaho Rockies (top). Sawtooth NRA is home to hundreds of alpine lakes. On Little Redfish Lake (above), clear waters reflect snow-capped mountains. On Petit Lake, a kayaker spies a summer cabin (left). PHOTO: IDAHO TRAVEL COUNCIL PHOTO: IDAHO TRAVEL COUNCIL peaks more than 10,000 feet high and hundreds more alpine lakes and miles of trails. If outdoor recreation and enjoyment are among your A-list priorities, this is the place. Access to this recreational Rocky Mountain wonderland is surprisingly easily. You can enter the Sawtooth NRA at three points: in the southeast, from Ketchum/Sun Valley on State Highway 75 along the Sawtooth Scenic Byway; into the northwest corner via State Highway 21, along the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway from Boise; and by State Highway 75 from Challis to the north, on the Salmon River Scenic Byway. The three scenic byways converge at an elevation of 6,260 feet at the tiny mountain town of Stanley. From Stanley, State Highway 75 follows the Salmon the legendary River of No Return south through the wildflower meadows of the Sawtooth Valley, with the jagged Sawtooth Range and Wilderness Area to the west and the limestone faces of the White Cloud Peaks to the east. The tallest of them, Castle Peak, rises to 11,815 feet. Here you will be faced with the difficult decision of where to camp, since you will have to pick from 600 scenic campsites in 36 developed campgrounds along the Salmon River corridor and over Galena Pass into the Wood River Valley. Redfish Lake Redfish Lake, and its sibling Little Redfish Lake, is the closest lake south of Stanley and is the most popular (and most crowded) recreation hotspot of the NRA. When you first see the high-mountain scenery and beautiful lake, you ll understand why. Several campgrounds cluster at the north end of the lake, with easy access to swimming beaches and a pier with rental water toys, while trails at the south end of the lake lead into the Sawtooth Wilderness Area. If you prefer a more secluded camping experience, you can choose from

3 Rocky Mountain Playground An Insider s Perspective on the Great Outdoors A t the southern end of the Sawtooth NRA, the headquarters and visitor center offers maps, books, information and displays, and the helpful staff can tell you everything you need to know to explore the area. We cornered Ed Cannady, public affairs officer for the Sawtooth NRA, who offered some sage advice for RVers visiting the area. Be aware of the elevation, Ed pointed out. The altitude here can cause problems for those with cardio-respiratory considerations, asthma and high blood pressure. Take it easy until you become acclimatized. Ed also advised RVers to watch out for bicyclists, as this is a very popular road-biking area, and make sure that side roads are passable before entering explore first with your dinghy vehicle. Ed also suggested a number of off-the-beaten-track places to explore: Just northwest of Stanley on State Highway 21, take Iron Creek Road southwest past Iron Creek Campground to the Wilderness Area and hike in to picturesque Alpine Lake and Sawtooth Lake, the largest alpine lake in the Wilderness Area. In the Cape Horn area, several miles west of Stanley on State Highway 21, look for elk and sandhill cranes in the meadows. Wolves have also been spotted in this area. Take Fourth of July Road east from State Highway 75 to a trailhead that provides access to an easy one-mile hike to Fourth of July Lake, surrounded by 10,000-plus foot Blackman and Patterson peaks. Watch for mountain goats. the less-crowded campgrounds or boondock wherever you can find a quiet, serene spot by a lake or stream or deep in the forest, even if it s not a designated campground. You can legally camp almost anywhere within the Sawtooth NRA and the surrounding national forests, with a few restrictions (such as not blocking a road and camping more than 100 feet from a lake or stream). The local ranger stations can provide more specifics. A mile or so south of Redfish Lake, Sawtooth Fish Hatchery was established to restore salmon and steelhead to their traditional waters; it offers tours three times a day and a fishing pond for kids. Dirt roads branch off at several spots along State Highway 75, many of them following creeks that feed MotorHome, September 2006/63

4 Rocky Mountain Playground the Salmon River. Some roads reach the border of the Sawtooth Wilderness where, except for bears, raccoons, coyotes and other woodland critters, you can camp all by yourself. We stayed a couple of nights in an undesignated campsite on the banks of Decker Creek in Decker Flats, with the nearest camper a half-mile away. We watched a great blue heron fish for dinner, sat under a star-filled sky and caught the sunrise over the White Clouds. Continue along Highway 75, and you ll come to Pettit Lake, one of our favorite lakeside campgrounds. The lake is a dream for kayakers, with mountains rising from its banks and the western end of the lake touching the wilderness area. Tin Cup Trail leads from the campground for about a mile along the lake s north shore before heading farther into the Wilderness Area to beautiful Alice and Twin lakes. Alturas Lake, a few miles west of State Highway 75 at about 7,000 feet elevation, is, at 1,200 acres, large enough to permit use of motorboats and, therefore, is a popular recreation lake. We didn t bring a boat, but we did enjoy the long, shallow swimming area, joining several kids with rafts, a kayak and a dog who was just getting acquainted with the joys of swimming. There are three campgrounds at Alturas Lake and, for hikers, a trail follows Alturas Lake Creek upstream to its headwaters. If you want a bit less noise and fewer people, nearby Perkins Lake is more canoe- and kayak-friendly; it s just 100 acres, and boats with motors are not allowed. As State Highway 75 continues south and climbs toward Galena Summit, the Salmon River veers off toward its headwaters at the crest of the Smoky Range. If you absolutely must see the headwaters, turn onto the rough dirt road at MM and drive five miles, then hike another three miles to the headwaters; you ll find them at 9,548 feet. It s worth the hike: The Salmon stretches lazily for some 425 miles the longest freeflowing river in the Lower 48 to lie entirely within a single state. Galena Summit I n 1824, Alexander Ross, leading a contingent of Hudson Bay Company beaver trappers, became the first white man to cross 8,701-foot Galena Summit (MM 158.0). In the mid-1800s, with the growth of the Vienna Mining District and the increased need to transfer freight over the pass, the original rough, difficult trail was improved into a wagon road at a cost of $15,000 and a toll charged to cross. Travelers doled out $1.50 for a wagon and team and 12 cents for a loaded pack animal. Galena summit marks the dividing line between the Snake and MotorHome, September 2006/65

5 Rocky Mountain Playground Salmon river drainages, which, after separately meandering about Idaho, join up at Lewiston and flow together as the Snake into the Columbia River at Kennewick, Washington. Today, State Highway 75 crosses the summit, following a long, moderate four-mile climb from the valley to the overlook where views stretch the length of the Sawtooth Valley, with the jagged Sawtooth peaks off to the west. Beyond the summit the road snakes down the east side, leveling out after about seven miles near Galena Lodge, where a cold drink or lunch on the deck can be your own reward for emulating Alexander s historic trek. The Galena Lodge is also a fine spot from which to take a bicycle ride on the Harriman Trail; if you ve forgotten your two-wheeler, they ll rent you one. The dirt-and-gravel Harriman Trail parallels the Big Wood River for 18 miles between Galena Lodge and the Sawtooth NRA headquarters to the south. The level, easy-to-ride path winds through riparian areas, wildflower meadows and among campgrounds. Continue on to Smiley Creek Lodge just past the landing strip, where there is a dump station, general store, RV park, juicy hamburgers, gasoline and if you want a different sort of roof over your head you can sleep in a tipi. The tipis are sewn in authentic designs by the women of the Blackfoot Canvas Company and, along with the poles cut in the valley, are shipped around the world. North of Stanley F rom Stanley, you can either stay on State Highway 75 heading east following the Salmon River along the north perimeter of the Sawtooth NRA on the Salmon River Scenic Byway or northwest on the Ponderosa Scenic Byway (State Highway 21), to the Iron Creek, Elk Creek, Stanley Lake and Cape Horn areas all worth exploring. There are campgrounds at scenic Stanley Lake, between Iron Creek and Elk Creek, with a nice hike up to Bridalveil Falls. 66

6 Rocky Mountain Playground Hot Springs S cattered throughout the Sawtooth NRA and along the Salmon River, Mother Earth frequently reminds visitors that they are in the relatively young and active volcanic Rocky Mountains by sending dozens of hot springs and pools bubbling to the surface, spewing steam and water that can reach temperatures as high as 160 F. Except for the few privately owned and commercial springs, the pools used for soaking have been crudely constructed with available materials mainly river rocks. These pools are ever-changing as sides are reconstructed to make deeper pools and diversionary dams are built to deflect cool river water into the hot pools to regulate the temperatures. Many of the springs erupt along the Salmon River, while others flow out of a hillside. Directions and rudimentary signs will direct you to most of the springs, which are on Forest Service land. Whatever your length of stay in the Sawtooth NRA, be sure to stop at one of the visitor centers and take advantage of all the information available, such as the free Salmon River of No Return Adventure Travel Guide that details points of interest by mile marker, maps, books, campground guides and other useful materials. After all, the more you find to do, the more likely you are to return. For More Information IDAHO TRAVEL COUNCIL (800) VISIT-ID, VISITID.ORG. CIRCLE 226 ON READER SERVICE CARD. SAWTOOTH NATIONAL FOREST/SAWTOOTH NRA (208) , FS.FED.US/R4/SAWTOOTH. STANLEY-SAWTOOTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (800) , STANLEYCC.ORG. Coach Camping NATIONAL FOREST CAMPGROUND RESERVATIONS (877) , RESERVEUSA.COM. 68