Idaho’s Secret Paradise Has Pristine River Valleys, Untouched Wilderness, and Native American Heritage

Salmon, Idaho

There’s remote, and then there’s Salmon, Idaho. This town of 3,000 is the last stop before the largest wilderness area in America: the 2.3 million Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.

It’s also home to some of the state’s best rafting, hot springs, and backcountry access, plus enough Lewis and Clark history to fill a textbook.

You can soak in six cascading hot pools after a good hike

Goldbug Hot Springs has six pools fed by waterfalls that reach up to 113°F, with different pools having different temperatures. You’ll hike 4 miles round-trip, climbing 1,350 feet and crossing four bridges to get there.

The main heart-shaped pool sits under a small cave where hot water pours down like a natural shower. If you visit in winter, you might have the pools all to yourself, but you’ll need special traction for your shoes on the icy trail.

Three scenic drives meet in this one small town

Salmon is the only place in Idaho where three National Scenic Byways come together, covering 297 miles of beautiful landscapes.

The Lewis & Clark Backcountry Byway is a 39-mile gravel road that passes Sharkey Hot Springs and takes you to Lemhi Pass, where Lewis and Clark first crossed the Continental Divide.

The Sacajawea Byway follows Highway 28, where you can see fossils of extinct lions and Native American rock art. Each route makes a perfect day trip from Salmon with plenty of stops for photos, history, and swimming.

You can hike parts of the famous Continental Divide Trail

The 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada runs through Lemhi County, and Salmon is an official gateway town.

When you hike the local sections, you’ll see some of the trail’s best mountain views, with heights ranging from 3,000 to 11,000 feet.

Lemhi County has 137.1 miles of the official trail, with dozens of places where you can get on for day hikes. These range from easy 2-mile walks to challenging 12-mile treks with big climbs.

Gold rush ghost towns take you back to the 1860s mining days

In Gilmore ghost town, 60 miles south of Salmon, you can still see 40 buildings standing, including two churches, homes, and a cemetery.

Leesburg, started in 1866, produced about $40 million in gold (worth over $1 billion today) and once had 7,000 people living there.

Miners dug more than 400 miles of ditches to bring water for mining operations, and you can still see many of these today.

You can drive right up to these sites and walk through buildings that have been standing for over 150 years.

North America’s second deepest canyon cuts right through town

The Salmon River Canyon drops 6,700 feet from top to bottom at its deepest point, running through the wilderness with 300 rapids in the main section.

The canyon walls show 1.5 billion years of earth’s history in the rock layers, some of the oldest rocks you can easily see in North America.

During spring, the river carries over 20,000 cubic feet of water per second through the canyon, creating big Class IV rapids that attract expert rafters from all over the world.

Sacajawea was born in the valley where you’re staying

Sacajawea was born in 1788 right here in the Lemhi Valley and lived here until she was 12, when she was captured by the Arikira people.

Her brother, Chief Cameahwait, led the local Shoshone band that gave horses to Lewis and Clark, which they needed to cross the mountains.

The expedition spent 11 days in the Lemhi Valley from August 13-24, 1805, when Sacajawea got to see her family again. You can visit the Sacajawea Interpretive Center to see exhibits, native plant gardens, and special events about her role in American history.

You can fish all year round in the local rivers and streams

The Lemhi River joins the Salmon River near town, creating a spot where four types of fish spawn (Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and westslope cutthroat trout).

Local streams stay between 50-65°F all year, making them perfect for trout fishing even when other mountain waters freeze.

In winter, you can use special “ice-off” fishing methods to catch big rainbow trout that average 18-22 inches, with some growing over 30 inches long.

You’ll find hundreds of miles of ATV trails in the mountains

Lemhi County has 782 miles of ATV trails ranging from beginner paths to tough terrain that climbs above 9,000 feet. The Sacajawea Motorsports Park in town has 12 miles of practice tracks on 320 acres, with routes for riders of all skill levels.

If you ride the Continental Divide ATV trail system, you’ll cover 137 miles of ridge riding with amazing views across Idaho and Montana. You can rent a two-person side-by-side for a day, and they’ll include all the safety gear you need.

You can taste beers made with pure mountain spring water

Salmon River Brewery uses water from a 289-foot deep well that taps into springs filtered through mountain granite. Their “River of No Return IPA” won the gold medal at the 2024 North American Beer Awards, beating 243 other beers.

In their tasting room, you’ll find 12 different beers on tap, including seasonal ones made with local huckleberries, elderflowers, and honey from valley beekeepers. You can take a free brewery tour every day at 2pm to see their unique 7-barrel copper brewing system.

You can stand at the source of America’s longest river

At Lemhi Pass, you can visit the spot where Lewis and Clark found the Missouri River’s source, where a small spring comes out of the ground at 7,373 feet elevation. This water travels 3,767 miles to reach the Gulf of Mexico, making it part of North America’s longest river system.

A bronze plaque marks the exact spot Meriwether Lewis visited on August 12, 1805, where he drank from the spring and stood with one foot on each side of the Continental Divide.

From this spot, you can see 360 degrees across both Idaho and Montana, just like Lewis did when he saw the “endless chains of mountains.”

Seven different climate zones exist in this 4,570 square mile county

Lemhi County’s big elevation changes create distinct climate zones close to each other, from high desert at 3,000 feet to alpine tundra above 11,000 feet.

The temperature difference between the valley floor and mountain peaks can be more than 40 degrees on the same day, creating small climate pockets that support 1,208 different plant species.

The county covers 4,570 square miles (bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined) but has only 7,974 residents, giving each person about 366 acres of space.

You can relax in a park on an island right downtown

Island Park sits on a natural island in the Salmon River that you can reach by walking across a bridge from Main Street. This 14-acre park has 0.8 miles of riverfront, a covered pavilion that fits 120 people, and 27 big shade trees that are over 100 years old.

From the observation deck, you can see four mountain ranges: the Bitterroots, Lemhi, Beaverheads, and Salmon River Mountains. Every Thursday evening from June through August, you can enjoy free concerts by regional musicians as part of the Summer Concert Series.