Unit 19A, Idaho

Unit 19A covers approximately 295,414 acres (about 462 square miles) of steep, rugged terrain. Elevation ranges from roughly 2,100 feet along the Salmon River canyon to approximately 7,400 feet on the higher ridgelines. The lower three to eight miles from the Salmon River are characterized by steep mountains and deep canyons; terrain transitions to more moderate forested slopes and meadow-filled drainages farther from the river. The southeast corner between Diamond Ridge and South Loon Lake is also steep and rugged. About 20 lakes are scattered across the unit, with Loon Lake (in the southwestern corner) being the largest.

Primary managing agency is the Payette National Forest (Krassel Ranger District; McCall office at 208-634-0700). U.S. Forest Service administers 94.18% of the unit; BLM 4.05%; private land 1.06%; State of Idaho 0.4%. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness encompasses 35,449 acres (12% of the unit) in its northern portion — no motorized vehicles permitted inside wilderness boundaries. Access routes include: the French Creek-Burgdorf-Summit Creek Road, which defines the western/southern unit boundary; Forest Service Road 674 (South Fork Salmon River Road) — a narrow, one-lane paved road accessed from McCall via Lick Creek Road (~35 miles); and various ATV and motorcycle trails penetrating the interior. Full-size vehicles can reach War Eagle Mountain; ATVs are allowed on designated trails. Boating the Salmon River provides access to the northern unit edge. Established campgrounds include Burgdorf and Chinook; dispersed camping is permitted throughout national forest lands. Note: NFS Road 50674 has experienced periodic closures for road repair (Poverty Overlook to Poverty Campground segment); check Payette NF alerts before travel. No Access Yes! private-land program properties are currently available in Unit 19A.

The unit is 100% forested according to IDFG land cover data. Mixed coniferous forest — pines, firs, cedars, and spruces — covers the bulk of the unit. North-facing slopes hold dense, closed-canopy stands. South-facing slopes along the Salmon River are more open: grassy, brushy, and rocky with scattered trees. Large meadows occupy many drainage basins throughout the interior. The western portions of the unit outside the Gospel Hump Wilderness contain clearcuts in various stages of regeneration, providing diverse edge habitat. Higher elevation areas transition toward subalpine species mixes.

The unit supports elk (part of the McCall Elk Zone), mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bear, mountain lion, moose, California bighorn sheep (South Fork Salmon River drainage), gray wolf, and upland birds including blue grouse, ruffed grouse, and chukar. Elk and deer utilize canyon-bottom winter range along the Salmon and South Fork Salmon drainages and move to higher elevation summer range in the interior forested plateaus and meadows. The South Fork Salmon River corridor and its downstream tributaries (including Bear Creek drainage) harbor a huntable California bighorn sheep population managed under a controlled-hunt quota of 2 rams per year (Hunt 5003, covering portions of Units 19A and 20A jointly). Black bears are present throughout the forested interior. Mountain lions range the unit year-round. Wolves are present and huntable under Idaho regulations. The steep Salmon River breaks, with their south-facing grassy slopes, provide year-round habitat for deer and some elk that winter there rather than migrating out.