| Salmon–Challis National Forest | |
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 Lost River Range in Salmon–Challis National Forest | |
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| Location | Idaho,United States |
| Nearest city | Salmon, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 45°16′54″N114°11′45″W / 45.28167°N 114.19583°W /45.28167; -114.19583 |
| Area | 4,235,940 acres (17,142.2 km2) |
| Established | July 1, 1908 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Salmon-Challis National Forest |
Salmon–Challis National Forest is located in east central sections of theU.S. state ofIdaho. At 4,235,940acres (6,618.66 sq mi, or 17,142.24 km2) it is one of the largestnational forests in thelower 48 states and also has most of the land area of theFrank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, which is the largest wilderness area south ofAlaska.
Borah Peak, the tallest mountain in Idaho, is also found here. TheWild and Scenic designatedSalmon River weaves through the rugged terrain of theSawtooth Mountains andSawtooth National Recreation Area, while it flows for over 75 miles (121 km) through the forest. TheBig Lost River has its headwaters within the national forest.
Challis National Forest, the more southerly of its two parts, lies primarily inCuster County, but also has major areas inLemhi andButte counties, as well as smaller areas inClark andBlaine counties. It has a total area of 2,463,471 acres (3,849.17 sq mi, or 9,969.31 km2). There are localranger district offices located inChallis,Clayton, andMackay.
Salmon National Forest, which lies to the north, is primarily located in Lemhi County, with spillover intoValley andIdaho counties. It has a total area of 1,772,469 acres (2,769.48 sq mi, or 7,172.93 km2).[1] There are local ranger district offices located inLeadore,North Fork, andSalmon.
The combined forest headquarters are located in Salmon, Idaho.
There is a weather station atMiddle Fork Lodge, which is on the western edge of Salmon–Challis National Forest.
| Climate data for Middle Fork Lodge, Idaho 1991–2020 normals: 4480ft (1366m) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.1 (1.2) | 40.4 (4.7) | 49.8 (9.9) | 57.3 (14.1) | 66.6 (19.2) | 75.0 (23.9) | 85.7 (29.8) | 85.0 (29.4) | 75.9 (24.4) | 60.7 (15.9) | 43.0 (6.1) | 33.3 (0.7) | 58.9 (14.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 37.4 (3.0) | 44.0 (6.7) | 52.4 (11.3) | 59.5 (15.3) | 67.1 (19.5) | 65.6 (18.7) | 57.5 (14.2) | 45.8 (7.7) | 33.1 (0.6) | 24.2 (−4.3) | 45.1 (7.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.9 (−8.9) | 17.9 (−7.8) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 38.1 (3.4) | 43.9 (6.6) | 48.4 (9.1) | 46.3 (7.9) | 39.1 (3.9) | 30.8 (−0.7) | 23.1 (−4.9) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.44 (37) | 1.24 (31) | 1.22 (31) | 1.45 (37) | 1.75 (44) | 1.64 (42) | 0.76 (19) | 0.68 (17) | 1.02 (26) | 1.27 (32) | 1.59 (40) | 1.79 (45) | 15.85 (401) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.90 (30.2) | 6.40 (16.3) | 3.30 (8.4) | 1.10 (2.8) | 0.20 (0.51) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00 (0.00) | 1.00 (2.5) | 4.30 (10.9) | 12.50 (31.8) | 40.7 (103.41) |
| Source: NOAA[2] | |||||||||||||
There are two officially designatedwilderness areas within Salmon–Challis National Forest that are part of theNational Wilderness Preservation System. Both extend into neighboring National Forests or onto lands of theBureau of Land Management.
Media related toSalmon-Challis National Forest at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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