Unit 16

The Salmon and Selway Rivers function as the primary navigational anchors and travel corridors through difficult terrain. Major summits like Gedney Mountain, Hot Point, and China Point serve as ridge navigation markers and glassing vantage points. Selway Falls marks the confluence area and is a known reference point.

Multiple named creeks—Rabbit, Hoodoo, Kay, Solo, and Browns Spring Creek—provide drainage navigation; following creeks downstream eventually reaches larger water. Ridge systems named Battle Ridge, Glover Ridge, and Tahoe Ridge orient travel on higher terrain. Named bars along the Salmon (Twentymile, Twentyfive Mile, Goddard, Johnson) identify river access points.

Elevation drops from 7,700 feet on high ridges to 1,200 feet along river valleys, creating sharp vertical relief within relatively compact horizontal distance. Dense forest dominates throughout—ponderosa and Douglas-fir on drier south-facing slopes, while north-facing drainages support thicker stands of western larch and spruce. The steepness prevents extensive meadow development; most openings are confined to river bars and occasional high flats like Tenmile Flat or Canteen Meadows.

This is not parkland country—it's thick, steep, unforgiving timber broken by canyon walls. Higher ridges thin slightly with elevation, but expect forest almost everywhere.

Over 500 miles of roads exist, but most cluster along valley bottoms and ridge-top saddles—they're concentrated rather than distributed. Forest Service Road 222 and Road 319 handle the majority of vehicle access; beyond their termini, the unit becomes foot-only terrain. This concentration means pressure tends to cluster at road-accessible river camps and lower trailheads.

The unit's steep, forested character and limited ridge meadows discourage casual drop-in hunting; most users commit to multi-day trips into specific drainages. The complexity and road scarcity relative to unit size suggest significant opportunity for hunters willing to move away from established camps.

Unit 16 encompasses a sprawling section of Idaho County's central wilderness, bounded by the Salmon River corridor on one side and the Selway-Lochsa system on the other. The unit's character emerges from this river network—major drainages define movement corridors while high ridges between watersheds create natural barriers. Forest Service Road 222 (Ranger Station-Dixie-Mackay Bar) and Forest Service Road 319 provide the primary access skeletons, though much of the unit's interior remains roadless.

The north-south ridge systems—including the divide over Orogrande Summit and the Selway watershed—create the unit's backbone structure. Populated places like Stites and Kooskia sit on the periphery; the unit itself is frontier country.

Water scarcity is a real consideration despite river presence. The Salmon and Selway Rivers run through deep canyons; reaching them requires dropping significant elevation. Established creeks like Rabbit Creek, Hoodoo Creek, and Solo Creek flow reliably but are scattered throughout the unit.

Browns Spring provides a named reliable source. High ridges and plateaus between major drainages are drier; hunters planning ridge camps must pack or identify springs beforehand. Seasonal variation matters—spring and early summer offer better water reliability; late summer can see reduced flows in smaller creeks.

River access points at bars (Johnson, Goddard, Twentymile) serve as water collection zones but require canyon descent.

Moose inhabit the willow-lined river valleys and creek bottoms where riparian habitat provides browse and thermal cover in dense forest. Early season focuses on valley flats and canyon creeks where moose water and feed. The steep terrain funnels movement along major drainages; glassing from ridge overlooks reveals valley movement corridors.

Late season sees animals shift slightly to more open areas as weather deepens. The unit's complexity rewards patience and careful drainage selection—pick a major creek system, establish a base camp, and thoroughly hunt 2-3 miles of drainage rather than ranging widely. Buggy or September hunts work the accessible river valleys; later seasons push animals to slightly higher, less-snow-impacted slopes where canyon terrain opens marginally.