Recreation Areas

West Central Idaho is a sport enthusiast’s paradise, with the gateway to Hells Canyon and the Snake River as close as Cambridge. Wherever you are, you are close to hunting and fishing in the nearby hills, mountains, lakes, rivers, and streams.

Western Idaho has also set aside much of its land for public use. There are literally millions of acres (that enough for you?) of National Recreation area and Forest land available for people to enjoy. The two most prominent and popular of these are nearby Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and Payette National Forest.

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (USFS)

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is located along the upper 40 miles of Hells Canyon, where the Snake River, infamous for its whitewater, forms the border for northeast Oregon and west central Idaho. Water flowing from the Wallowa Mountains and other sources has helped create America’s deepest canyon, even deeper than the Grand Canyon!

Payette National Forest (USFS)

Payette National Forest provides a varied landscape, from the low elevations of Hells Canyon to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, which rises over 9,500 feet. Payette National Forest is bordered by the Salmon and Snake Rivers, and offers opportunities for hiking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing at the Payette Lakes Ski Club Little Ski Hill and Brundage Mountain Resort ski areas.