Introduction
The United States Congress designated the Owyhee River Wilderness (
map) in 2009 and it now has a total of
267,328 acres.
All of this wilderness is located in
Idaho and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Description
The Owyhee River Wilderness is centered on the Owyhee River and its tributaries, in the southwest part of Idaho near the Oregon border. It is a land defined by rivers, cutting steep canyons out of high desert, sagebrush plateaus. It’s also a landscape of no trails and only rough roads to gain access to empty, open land. Hiking cross-country — without trails — requires a focus on landmarks, a compass or GPS assisted sense of direction, a good map and an interest in scrambling. The attractions are many: fields of lupine, stark bitterroot flowers, cougars, bighorn lambs, prairie falcons, pronghorn antelope. River enthusiasts come from around the country to challenge the famous white water rapids of these rivers.
Map: Owyhee River Wilderness
