Encompassing over 2.3 million acres, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48 states. It contains steep rugged mountains, deep canyons, wild whitewater rivers and coniferous forests. The Salmon River Mountains are the most massive range, followed by the Clearwater Mountains and Bighorn Crags, and the Salmon River Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon. However, in contrast to the sheer walls of the Grand Canyon, the Salmon River Canyon features a wide variety of landscapes including wooded ridges, bluffs, rock towers, slides and solitary crags.
The name of the wilderness has two roots. The Main Salmon River, popular for whitewater rafting, was called “the River of No Return” because non-motorized boats could navigate downriver but not upstream through the swift current and numerous rapids. “Frank Church” was added to the name of the wilderness in 1984 to honor the late Idaho senator’s leading role in legislation to preserve wilderness areas and rivers in his home state and throughout the country. To learn more about the area, visit Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
