The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is the second-largest wilderness area in the continental United States. Encompassing some two and a quarter million acres of land in central Idaho, the wilderness area protects the beautiful terrain of the Salmon River drainage. The immense canyons and forested mountains of this country awed explorers Lewis and Clark, who met Sacajewea in this area and gave some of these features their impressive names.
The terrain consists mainly of the gentle, forested slopes of the Salmon River Mountains. Over 2600 miles of maintained trails attract hikers and backpackers, horse owners, and photographers to explore this picturesque area. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River contains some of the most acclaimed whitewater rafting in the world. In a unique exception to the "no structures" wilderness rule, a number of pre-existing small airstrips were allowed to remain when the area received wilderness status, providing access to some of the remotest backcountry areas without days of hiking.
The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area is located in central Idaho, between the towns of Salmon and McCall, and is near the Sawtooth National Recreation Area to the south and the Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness Area to the north.
