The Owyhee River Wilderness in southwestern Idaho—a land of sagebrush and canyons--draws white water enthusiasts to its many rivers. The Trust is part of the on-going implementation of the Owyhee Initiative, a historic collaboration by local ranchers, Owyhee County, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe, outfitters, conservation groups and recreationists to promote the ecological and economic health of the area.
Idaho
Twelve wilderness areas in Idaho shelter 4.52 million acres. Some 17,000 privately owned acres remain within the federal wilderness. Some home sites and lodges are reachable only by private plane or jet boat, presenting challenges to the surrounding wilderness where motorized travel is not permitted.
Owyhee County (Bureau of Land Management)
1,171 acres
The Owyhee River Wilderness in southwestern Idaho near the Oregon border was designated in 2009. More than a half million acres of high desert wilderness encompass the Owyhee River and its many tributaries, part of the watershed of the Snake River. Famous for remote whitewater rafting, the land is defined by rivers cutting through steep canyons. There are few trails but cross-country hikers may be rewarded with dramatic views of plateaus and canyon lands, and natural attractions such as fields of lupine, stark bitterroot flowers, cougars, bighorn lambs, prairie falconsand pronghorn antelope.
Wilderness Protected
Owyhee Wilderness, Idaho
In the lower 48 states, the largest area of unbroken wilderness is found in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, approximately 2,300,000 acres.