Unit 20

Key landmarks for navigation include Bilk Mountain and Elk Mountain on the eastern divide, which serve as anchor points for ridgeline travel and glassing. Harrington Ridge and the Salmon River Breaks provide dominant visual references across much of the unit. Several named saddles—Jack Creek Summit, Harrington Saddle, Dead Man Saddle—mark practical route options through the steep terrain.

Barth Hot Springs and Rattlesnake Spring offer known water and camp locations. The multiple rapids along the Salmon (Big Mallard, Devils Teeth, Growler) help orient hunters traveling the river corridor or adjacent slopes.

Elevation swings dramatically from around 2,200 feet at river level to nearly 9,000 feet on the highest ridges, creating distinct habitat bands. Lower elevations support mixed conifer and open terrain along the river breaks, transitioning to heavier timber and meadow systems on mid-elevation slopes. High ridges break into more open country with scattered conifers and alpine meadows.

The Clearwater Mountains anchor the eastern portion with steep, forested flanks. This vertical relief concentrates habitat types and creates natural travel corridors for big game moving between seasonal ranges.

Road access is sparse—314 miles of roads exist but most don't penetrate deep into productive terrain. Access concentrates on established forest service routes like the Mackay Bar road system and a handful of saddle crossings. Most of the unit requires pack stock or boot-in access via established trails.

This isolation limits casual pressure but demands self-sufficiency; hunters can expect solitude but shouldn't expect convenience. Staging areas around ranger stations and trailheads concentrate initial activity, leaving the backcountry relatively quiet for those willing to travel distance.

Unit 20 sits in Idaho County, bounded by the Salmon River on the west and the Selway River on the north, with the South Fork of the Salmon defining much of the southern edge. The unit's eastern boundary follows ridgeline divides between the Selway and Salmon drainages over peaks like Bilk Mountain and Elk Mountain. It's a remote pocket of the central Idaho backcountry, primarily National Forest land with minimal road access into the core country.

The boundaries trace major topographic features—river confluences, mountain divides, and established forest service roads that serve as practical reference points for orientation.

Water is limited and demands careful planning. The Salmon and Selway Rivers provide consistent flow at lower elevations but are separated from mid-ridge terrain by steep canyon walls. Named springs—Rattlesnake, Sheep, Henry Moore, Granite—scatter across the unit but aren't guaranteed reliable year-round.

Creeks like Jersey, Big Mallard, and Paine flow seasonally depending on snowmelt and weather. Hunters must treat this unit with respect for water scarcity; packing capacity and knowing spring locations beforehand are essential for success. High meadows may hold water early season but dry significantly by fall.

Unit 20 holds elk and deer in its mixed forest and meadow systems, with terrain favoring animals moving between river bottoms and high ridge country. Early season hunting targets high meadows and timber transitions before animals move to lower elevations; late season focuses on river drainages and south-facing slopes. The steep terrain concentrates animals in saddles and drainage systems—key glassing and ambush points.

Success requires understanding vertical movements and being willing to cover significant distance; the unit rewards hunters comfortable with steep country, navigation without maintained trails, and multi-day trips. Water location knowledge is critical to both comfort and finding animals during their daily movement patterns.