Unit 16A, Idaho

Mountainous and rugged throughout; ridgelines typically reach 5,000–6,000 feet, with higher peaks exceeding 7,000 feet, and river canyon bottoms dropping to roughly 2,500 feet (elevation range approximately 2,500–7,800 ft). Canyon walls along the Selway River and Meadow Creek are steep and technical. Most of the roadless terrain outside the designated wilderness is similarly challenging — only the far northwest corner near Kooskia moderates toward foothills. The unit covers approximately 280 square miles.

The unit is accessed primarily from US Highway 12 at Lowell, where the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River (Wild and Scenic) meets the Lochsa River. From Lowell, Forest Road 222 is paved to O'Hara Creek Bridge, then transitions to gravel as FR 223 (Selway River Road) follows the Selway River east for roughly 21 miles one-way to Selway Falls. Three trailheads entering the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness depart from the east end of the Selway River corridor. Additional access from Idaho Highway 14 east through Elk City, then south via FS Road 443 (American River Road) to the Meadow Creek area and FS Road 468 (Magruder Corridor) along the southern boundary. Fog Mountain Trailhead (end of FS Road 319) and Big Fog Saddle give entry to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness interior. Anderson Butte Recreation Trail borders the western edge; Highline Ridge Trail runs along the eastern boundary. No cell service; four-wheel drive is strongly recommended for most forest roads. Motorized and wheeled vehicles are prohibited within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, which covers approximately 52% of the Selway Zone. The Meadow Creek roadless area (roadless but not designated wilderness) makes up a significant portion of the unit core. Land management: Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (99.6% USFS per IDFG zone data). Note: O'Hara Bridge and Selway Falls Campground have active USFS closures as of recent season — verify current road status before access.

Mixed conifer forest dominates — pines (ponderosa, lodgepole, whitebark), true firs (grand, subalpine), cedars, and spruces grade with elevation. Significant portions show burn-recovery mosaics: areas in early succession are brush and grass fields or dense sapling thickets offering browse; older burns transition to open young forest. Meadow heads and ridgetop parks contain scattered trees, grassy openings, and shrub patches. Old-growth stands exist in lower drainages and wilderness interior. Riparian corridors along the Selway River and Meadow Creek hold dense streamside vegetation.

Elk (Rocky Mountain elk) are present but numbers in the Selway Zone remain relatively low; recent calf recruitment improvements offer a more optimistic near-term outlook per IDFG 2025 outlook. Bulls are occasionally seen during the rut in October. Mule deer occupy mid-elevation terrain and higher ridgelines; the unit provides backcountry general-season mule deer opportunity but is considered challenging with lower deer densities compared to Snake and Salmon River break units — IDFG describes units 16A, 17, 19, and 20 as good but challenging backcountry mule deer hunting. White-tailed deer are present in lower-elevation drainages and riparian corridors. Black bear inhabit the forested drainages across the unit. Gray wolves are active and well-documented in the Selway Zone. Mountain lion use the unit year-round. Moose occur in riparian and marshy meadow habitats but are not abundant. Trout (rainbow, cutthroat, bull, and brook) populate the Selway River and Meadow Creek.