Central

Central Idaho covers the high mountain heart of the state, the rugged country built around the Sawtooth, White Cloud, and Pioneer ranges and the Salmon River drainage. Elevations climb above 12,000 feet at Borah Peak (the highest point in Idaho), with deep glacial valleys, alpine lakes, and the upper reaches of the Salmon and Big Wood rivers cutting through. Most of the region sits within national forest, wilderness, or federal monument boundaries. Blaine, Custer, Lemhi, Camas, and Butte counties cover the region. Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey anchor the southern tier; Stanley sits at the foot of the Sawtooths; Salmon and Challis cover the Salmon River corridor; Arco serves the western edge near Craters of the Moon. Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness (the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48), and Sun Valley Resort handle most of the visitor weight. Trips here split sharply by season. Winter is Sun Valley ski territory; summer carries hiking and paddling in the Sawtooth NRA, fly fishing on Silver Creek and the Big Wood, river running on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and the cooled-down lava fields at Craters of the Moon.