Roadless Areas
Location
Roadless Areas are undeveloped, natural, wild lands, which are accessed by trail, greater than 5,000 acres in size or contiguous to a designated wilderness and found in our National Forests.
Here is a link to our recently updated .shp files of gary's Additions
Here is a .kml version of the same file.
FOC's Bioregion
Idaho has more roadless national forest country than any other of the lower 48 states, at approximately 9 million acres. These roadless areas provide connectivity for far roaming species such as wolverines, wolves, and other large carnivores as well as for ungulates like elk, moose, white-tail and mule deer. Many of the larger roadless areas in the Wild Clearwater Country effectively act as de-facto wilderness. Their character is that of a place untrammeled by man, a place dictating its own future, a refuge for clean water, sensitive species, and serenity.
As things currently stand, the inventoried roadless country in the Clearwater drainage remains roadless and we work to encourage the BLM and US Forest Service to treat the uninventoried roadless lands they administer for the public as protected roadless country is treated.
Clear Creek Roadless Area
Approximate Size: 10,000 acres
Clear Creek Roadless Area is surrounded by development. This 25,000 acre gem has escaped logging because fires early in this century replaced some of the forests with shrubs. Clear Creek RA serves as crucial wildlife winter range.
Dixie Summit - Nut Hill Roadless Area
A unique RNA is inside this area. Much of it has been excluded since the RARE II inventory though it appears development was not as extensive as the boundary adjustment would indicate. Also, land to the north of the formal IRA is roadless.
Eldorado Creek Roadless Area
Size: 6,000 acres
This is the last natural area remaining in the more gentle and rolling forests that used to characterize northern Idaho. Sadly, the Forest Service drew a poor boundary during the Forest Plan of 1987 and some of the area has been logged. Fortunately it is still large enough for wilderness designation being well over 5,000 acres in size.
Goddard Creek Roadless Area
Size: <5,000 acres This area occupies the central position between O'Hara Falls and Middle Fork Face. This area contains habitat for unique coastal disjunct species including the rare and declining Pacific Dogwood and anadromous fish. It was erroneously removed from the RARE II inventory. Logging has already damaged this area and it may no longer be 5,000 acres of undeveloped land.Grandmother Mountain Roadless Area
Location
Size: 30,000 acres approximately
This area is a popular high elevation recreation area, especially for primitive winter recreation and huckleberry picking. However, ORV use creates damage along the trails and meadows, especially around Widow Mountain. Much of the Grandmother Mountain Roadless area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This includes the headwaters of the Little North Fork Clearwater. A portion of this roadless area is protected as an Research Natural Area. Higher elevation lakes and unique wetlands make this area and the nearby Pinchot Butte Roadless Area (separated by one Forest road) incredibly valuable ecologically.
Several trails in this area were recently made off limits to 4 wheel ORV use. Spectacular views can be seen from all of the peaks in this area, as it makes up part of the ridge dividing the Clearwater from the St. Joe River drainage.
ORV Damage - click for full size
John Day Roadless Area
John Day has two streams with anadromous fish- John Day and Allison Creeks. Whitebark pines are fairly common. Some of the area has been damaged by ORV use.Kelly Creek Roadless Area (Great Burn)
Kelly Creek Roadless Area Approximate Size: 275,000 acres (including MT portion) This vast expanse of wild country straddles the Montana/Idaho border and lies in the northern Bitterroot Mountains. The area burned heavily in the great fire of 1910, leaving charred snags, grassy slopes, and expanses of sub-alpine tundra-like meadows. High cirques, impressive stands of mountain hemlock, and dozens of clear lakes also adorn the high country. While not as high and "craggy" as the main Bitterroot range to the south, the area displays magical pockets of ancient western red cedar, some individuals over 500 years old, and a carpeted underfoot with mossy beds of sword and maidenhair ferns. Peaks such as Rhodes and Williams rise to nearly 8,000 feet, and an abundance of moisture nurtures the area. Kelly Creek Roadless Area is a critical biological link between the massive Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness complex to the south and the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem to the north. Full protection of this interestate wildland is essential to preserving populations of wide ranging large carnivores such as wolverines.Kelly Mountain Roadless Area
Size: 5,000 acres
This area drains into the Salmon River, east of Riggins. It was studied during RARE II but ignored in the forest plan inventory. However, this steep area likely still contains 5,000 acres of land missed by the flawed forest plan inventory.
Lick Point Roadless Area
*Lick Point Roadless Area* * * This is the headwaters of the American River and it is crucial that this habitat be protected for TES fish species. It is important moose range and much of the area was burned in fires early in this century.Little Slate Creek Roadless Area
Size: 5,000 + acres
view from Nut Basin
This area contains important tributaries to Slate Creek, an important anadromous fish stream. A unique lake in Nut Basin and a RNA in No Business Creek are important natural features. RARE II advised development and logging divided this area into two smaller roadless areas, though each appears to be over 5,000 acres in size.
Lochsa Face Roadless Area
Size: 24,501 acres This is the steep face of the Lochsa River adjacent to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It contains the famous Jerry Johnson Hot Springs and important tributaries to the Lochsa River. Much of it was formerly part of the old Selway Primitive Area.Lolo Roadless Area
The Lolo Roadless Area is part of a large roadless area that encompasses the north flank of Lolo Peak, the northern boundary of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. It is mostly in Montana but includes a small section in the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho.
Friends of the Lolo Peak are working to protect this area.
Here is a link to the Lolo Peak Petition (.pdf document)
Mallard Larkins Roadless Area
** *Size: 260,000 acres* The Mallard Larkins is biologically diverse, including low elevation disjunct coastal rainforest communities. In the high country, extensive lodgepole pine and mountain hemlock forests mingle with subalpine meadows, high mountain lakes, and craggy peaks. Impressive pockets of old growth western red cedar, western hemlock, and inland western white pine, some quite massive, remain in the lower elevations. The rare inland coastal rainforest habitat is well developed in Isabella Creek. Here, large old growth red alder, pacific yew, and many different ferns thrive among the arboreal giants. Thirty-eight mountain lakes are large enough to be named, with Heart Lake the largest at 35 acres.Mallard Roadless Area
Size: 77,000 acres
This area is the site of the infamous Cove/Mallard timber sales. These sales, which would have decimated two roadless areas totaling 77,000 acres, were canceled recently after intense public pressure and citizen monitoring proved that the sales were not following environmental laws.
This area is important forested habitat, adjacent to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, and a crucial wildlife corridor.
Meadow Creek Roadless Area
Meadow Creek Roadless Area Size: Approximately 220,000 acres
Meadow Creek, a logical Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Addition
Meadow Creek (East & West) Roadless Area
Size: 200,000 + acres
Meadow Creek is a spectacular drainage in the Nez Perce National Forest and a logical Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Addition. This huge roadless area is a real gem, however, the over 200,000 acres encompassed in this area is under threat.
One of the most outstanding qualities of Meadow Creek is its clean, cold waters. Starting at its headwaters in the south, Meadow Creek flows first northeast through lush meadows which give the drainage its name. It then curves back west and north as it rushes down steep and narrow valleys, opening up before it joins the Selway river just above Selway Falls.
Click Images for Full Sized Versions
It is the most important tributary of the Selway not only because of the clear water it provides, but it also nourishes a healthy anadromous fish population of steelhead trout and Chinook salmon as exists in Idaho today. Bull and Westslope cutthroat trout find refuge in its waters. Many people return year after year to fish Meadow Creek's waters. The area is also home to huge cedars and firs, mixed with ponderosa and lodgepole pine. There are areas in the East Fork of the American River and Kirks Fork that need to be added. It includes some land managed by BLM. For decades it has been a priority in proposals for wilderness as an addition to the Selway-Bitterroot - though ignored by politicians.
Middle Fork Face Roadless Area
Size: <5,000 acres
This area contains steelhead and important winter range. Lawless logging under the infamous savage rider, which suspended laws, may have destroyed this area and it may no longer be 5,000 acres of undeveloped land.
Moose Mountain Roadless Area
This is a rugged and scenic area with important headwater tributaries. It has few trails, which makes the area of interest to hikers seeking a challenge. It is home to elk and mountain goats, and is an important area for other wildlife, fisheries, and primitive recreation.North Fork Slate Creek Roadless Area
Slate Creek is important anadromous fish habitat. Steep rim rock characterizes much of this country. It contains historically significant sites.North Fork Spruce - White Sand Roadless Area
Many of the streams and rivers in these areas still run wild with rare steelhead, bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. This is a wet, high elevation area in the upper Lochsa that is reported to contain the rare Harlequin duck. The Rudd Moore Lakes area should be evaluated to see if it is a logical addition to this area. A portion of the Upper Spruce Creek drainage was erroneously excluded in the newly defined roadless area and the boundary from 1987 should be adopted.North Lochsa Slope Roadless Area
Size: 57,656 acres off limits to roadbuilding This area contains the most important steelhead habitat in north central Idaho and crucial wildlands north of Highway 12, known as the Lochsa River corridor. It also contains the largest unroaded section of the Lewis and Clark Trail.O'Hara - Falls Creek Roadless Area
O'Hara - Falls Creek is a uniquely diverse drainage with an RNA and large ferns. A scenic waterfall and important anadromous fish habitat is within the unit. This area contains habitat for unique coastal disjunct species including the rare and declining Pacific dogwood.
Rackliff-Gedney Roadless Area
Size: 90,000 acres
This large area occupies the divide between the Lochsa and Selway Rivers. It includes important historical sites, popular trails, scenic lakes, and winter range for ungulates.
Rawhide Roadless Area
Location
Click images for full size
Recent land exchanges have removed the private checkerboard land formerly found in the southern part of the Rawhide Roadless Area.
This area provides a crucial fish habitat for bull trout.
Salmon Face Roadless Area
Location
Silver Creek-Pilot Knob Roadless Area
Location
Silver Creek-Pilot Knob
This Roadless Area is of significance to the Nez Perce Tribe. Pilot Rock is a unique natural feature and several meadows are found below the peaks. The area was greatly reduced between RARE II and the forest plan, though the development was not as severe as the boundary deletions would indicate.