Sawtooth NRA Stock Users Guide Pamphlet
Author: FSDefaultUser

The Stock User’s Guide

Sawtooth
National Recreation Area

“It was a land of vast silent spaces, of lonely rivers, and of plains where the wild game stared at passing horsemen. We felt the beat of hardy life in our veins, and ours was the glory of work and the joy of living.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Contents

1	Welcome, Weeds and / Frontcountry Camping
2	Avoiding Bruises (and Bears)
3	Where should I go?
4	A few Sawtooth facts
5-6	Leave No Trace at a Glance
7-10	Sawtooth Wilderness / Backcountry Stock Tie Areas
11-12	Sawtooth Wilderness / Regulations
13-14	Boulder-White Clouds / Backcountry Stock Tie Areas and Regulations
15	Checklist: What to Take
Back Cover	Contact Us

Welcome!

The mountain meadows, alpine lakes and jagged peaks of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) await your visit. The task of keeping this area beautiful and undamaged belongs to all of us. As a stock user, you must take extra precautions to safeguard the land. The introduction of noxious weeds, overgrazing, tree girdling and other impacts can be easily avoided with a bit of skill and preparation.
This user’s guide can help you prepare for your trip. For example, did you know you must get a free wilderness permit from a Forest Service office if you are taking stock overnight into the Sawtooth Wilderness? Are you aware that the eastern side of the Wilderness is closed to grazing? So if you go, bring certified weed seed free feed (no loose hay or straw). For more useful tips, please read on, and have a great journey.

\ No Weeds, Please

Noxious weeds kill native plants, multiply quickly and reduce forage for wildlife. Help Idaho fight this problem by taking a few simple precautions:

	Use certified weed-seed-free feed on all public lands
	Familiarize yourself with Idaho’s most problematic noxious weeds. Visit http:/uidaho.edu/weeds
	Make sure your stock has not been eating weed-infested feed at least three days before you visit the forest
	Check your clothing, shoes, stock and dogs for any seeds that may be attached and remove them before leaving / home

Frontcountry Camping Ñ

To camp with stock in the frontcountry, try Casino Creek or Grandjean Campground. For more locations, contact a Forest Service office.

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Avoiding Bruises W

Summer thunderstorms, wildlife and rugged terrain—they make for an amazing backcountry trip, but they can also make it dangerous. Most accidents can be prevented with careful planning, good equipment and acquired skills.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Before you leave, let someone know your trip itinerary
Fill out a permit or sign in at the trail registration box
Get a current weather forecast
Bring a first aid kit—know what’s inside and how to use it
Find out about animals or insects of concern (biting flies, bears, ticks etc.)
Bring equipment and clothing for extreme weather—both hot and cold (it can snow any day of the year)

While You’re Out There

Drink lots of water
Always purify your water! Use a filter or tablets or boil it
Be aware of storms and sudden weather changes
Your safety is your responsibility

Be Bear Aware

The black bears of the SNRA usually pose no threat to people. Unfortunately, carelessness with food, garbage and livestock feed turns bears into “problems”. When bears become accustomed to finding food in camps, they become a nuisance and sometimes aggressive. Often, this results in a need to kill the bear. A few precautions can prevent this cycle.
Hang your food and garbage in a tree. Only take it down during meals. Bears can climb, so hang it at least 12 feet up and 6 feet from the trunk. Keep livestock feed in a bear safe container. Don’t burn or bury food scraps.
If you encounter a bear, stay calm. Pick up children, restrain your dog, talk calmly and back away slowly.

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Where Should I Go?

The Sawtooth Wilderness & Boulder-White Clouds offer differences in both scenery and regulations. Use the chart below to decide which area might be best for your group:

	Sawtooth Wilderness	Boulder-White Clouds
Group Size	Groups are limited to 12 people & 14 head of stock.	Groups are limited to 20 people & 25 head of stock.
Campfires	Where campfires are allowed, they must be built on a fire pan or fire blanket. No rock fire-rings are allowed.	Where campfires are allowed, they must be built in existing fire-rings. Don’t leave any trash in the fire ring.
Dogs	To respect other visitors & wildlife, keep your dog leashed when on a trail. Mandatory from July 1 - Labor Day.	To respect other visitors & wildlife, keep your dog leashed when on a trail. Strongly recommended, but not mandatory.
Permits	Free, self-issuing permits are required. Pick one up at a trailhead, ranger station or wilderness boundary. Large groups with more than 8 people and those using stock overnight must obtain a permit in advance.	Permits are not required, but please sign in at the trailhead registration box.
Motorcycles & Bicycles	As in all wilderness, these are not allowed	2-wheeled motorcycles & bikes are allowed, but only on designated trails.
Leave No Trace	Leave No Trace techniques should be practiced to minimize your impact.	Leave No Trace techniques should be practiced to minimize your impact.
Stock Tie Areas	Designated stock tie areas are available with high lines. See pages 7-10.	Please use the available stock tie areas. See page 13.
Grazing	Grazing is allowed only on the west side of the wilderness. Certified, weed-seed-free feed must be used on the east side. No loose hay or straw.	Grazing is allowed throughout the area, but any feed brought in must be certified, weed-seed-free.

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A few SNRA facts

4b	The Sawtooth Wilderness encompasses 217,088 acres.
o	The Boulder-White Cloud Mountains encompass approximately 400,000 acres.
z	More than 700 miles of trails exist within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Ô	More than 2,000 alpine lakes can be found within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Ð	42 peaks over 10,000 feet are within the Sawtooth Wilderness and 10 peaks over 11,000 feet are within the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains.
<	More than 40,000 people visit the roadless areas within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area between mid-June and late / September.
¤	The Salmon, Big Wood, South Fork of the Payette, and Middle Fork of the Boise Rivers all begin in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

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Plan Ahead And Prepare
☼Know the regulations
☼Be prepared for any weather
☼Repackage food to reduce waste
☼Get a map and know how to use it
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
☼Good campsites are not made…they are found
☼Camp well away (200 feet) from water
☼In popular areas, use camps and trails showing use
☼In pristine areas, disperse your impact
Dispose of Waste Properly
☼Pack out all garbage, including “biodegradable” stuff
☼Bury human waste 200 feet away from water (and camp) in a cat-hole 6-8 inches deep. Cover and disguise the hole when you are finished. Pack out your toilet paper in a plastic bag
☼Wash dishes and use all soap (even biodegradable) at least
200 feet from water sources

Leave No Trace

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At A Glance

Minimize Fire Impacts
☼Use a fire pan or fire blanket (required in the Sawtooth Wilderness) to avoid scarring and sterilizing the land
☼Burn campfires down to ash & scatter cold ashes
☼Keep fires small—use sticks found on the ground that are smaller than your wrist (never saw or break limbs off a tree)
Respect Wildlife
☼Never feed animals
☼Observe wildlife from a distance
☼Control your dog! Don’t let your dog chase wildlife
☼Protect wildlife, and yourself, by hanging trash and food
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
☼Be courteous and let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud
voices and noises
☼Take breaks and make camp away from trails and visitors
☼Step to the downhill side when encountering horses
Leave What You Find
☼Don’t build structures (rock benches, log rafts, etc)
☼Preserve the past, present and future: it is against the law
to take cultural artifacts, rocks, plants and other objects
☼ Avoid introducing noxious weeds

Camp Stove

Fire Pan

Fire Blanket

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Sawtooth Wilderness

“A wilderness...is an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
1964 Wilderness Act

Wilderness Stock Tie Areas
Please use these and other impacted areas when visiting the wilderness.
Maps and GPS Coordinates are approximate.
T

Alice Lake
ST10,665234mE4866593mN

Ardeth Lake
ST9,659038mE4870201mN

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Baron Lakes
ST4,657650mE4883001mN

Bench Lakes ST3,663930mE4886709mN

Elk Lake
ST6,654770mE4876427mN
ST7,654933mE4875991mN

Flytrip Creek & Camp Lake
ST17,660367mE4866942mN
ST18,659050mE4865554mN

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Hell Roaring Lake
ST1,666007mE4876792mN

Imogene Lake
ST16,663686mE4872938mN

Johnson Lake
ST20,648186mE4867456mN

Pat’s Lake
ST8,650322mE4870437mN

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Queens River Trail ST21,646179 mE4864549mN

South Fork of the Payette River Trail
ST5,649822mE4881202mN

Virginia, Edna, Vernon & Toxaway Lakes
ST13,661117mE4871185mN
ST14,661560mE4879170mN
ST15,660919mE4869547mN
ST12,662879mE4869687mN
ST11,662354mE4869202mN

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Spangle Lake
ST19,658207mE4867400mN

Sawtooth Wilderness Regulations

S Permits & Groups
All wilderness users must have a permit for wilderness use.
Groups with 8 or more people or any overnight stock use in the wilderness must obtain a permit from a Forest Service office. Self-issued wilderness permits are available at trailheads for all other users.
Groups may not exceed 12 people & 14 head of stock May 1 to Nov. 30. Smaller groups are recommended when traveling off-trail to protect fragile areas.
Groups may not exceed 20 persons & 14 head of stock Dec. 1 to April 30.
Ñ Stock
Use proper stock containment methods. If you must tie to live trees, limit it to periods of less than 1 hour.
Stock are not to be tethered within 100 feet of springs, lakes & streams, nor grazed within 200 yards of lake shores. Keep bacteria out of water sources & protect fragile lake & stream shores.
Grazing of equine stock is not allowed in the Salmon River drainage (east side of wilderness). Feed is very limited.
Carry pelletized, certified weed-seed-free feed. Packing in loose hay or straw is prohibited. Prevent noxious weeds.
No stock are allowed in the Goat Creek drainage (tributary of the South Fork of the Payette) or Alpine Creek drainage (near Alturas Lake). Help protect these fragile areas.
Equine stock are not allowed overnight at Edith Lake. Help protect this fragile area.
Stock are allowed in campsites only when loading and unloading.
< Camping
Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes & streams. Use existing camps in high traffic areas.

“To secure for the American people
of present and future generations
the benefits of an enduring resource
of wilderness.” 1964 Wilderness Act

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Í Dogs
Dogs must be on leash while on trails from July 1 to Labor Day. Control your pet. Stock users must have their dog under physical restraint. Shock collars are acceptable. Loose dogs can harass wildlife, stock and disturb other visitors.
Dogs are not allowed in the Goat Creek drainage (tributary of the South Fork of the Payette River).
f Fire
All campfires must be on a fire pan or fire blanket. Use of gas stoves is highly recommended. If you must build a fire, use only dead and down wood. Fires damage vegetation, sterilize soil and scar the land.
Campfires are not allowed: Wood is limited and use is high in these areas.
Off-trail from July 1 to Labor Day.
In the following drainages: Alice/Twin Lakes, Toxaway/Farley Lakes, Goat Creek (tributary of the South Fork of the Payette River), or Alpine Creek.
Within 200 yards of Sawtooth, Goat & Alpine Lakes near Iron Creek, Alpine & Saddleback (Shangri-la) Lakes in the Redfish drainage & the Scenic Lakes.
^ Sanitation
Pack out all trash. This includes food scraps. Help remove evidence of your stay and keep the area clean.
Wash 150 feet away from lakes and streams. Even “biodegradable” soap pollutes. Keep it pure!
Bury human waste at least 100 feet from water sources. Catholes should be 6-8 inches deep and covered with soil.
Properly dispose of toilet paper. We prefer that you carry it out (doubled plastic bags work great for this!).
z Etiquette
Do not disturb natural features. Leave them for others to enjoy.
Stay on the trail. Cutting switchbacks causes erosion.
Respect the quiet that wilderness offers. Shouting, music & other loud noises disrupt solitude and disturb wildlife.
Remember—as in all wilderness—bicycles, motor vehicles, carts & aircraft are not allowed. Protect primitive wilderness characteristics.

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Boulder-White Clouds

“Backcountry horsemen around the world support low impact wilderness use and endorse the principles and ethics of Leave No Trace.”
Backcountry Horsemen of British Columbia

Chamberlain Lakes 1 & 3
Frog Lake 2
Walker Lake
For additional stock tie areas, please contact the Forest Service offices listed on the back cover of this guide.

Boulder-White Cloud Regulations

S Permits & Groups
Groups may not exceed 20 people & 25 head of stock. Smaller groups are recommended when traveling off-trail to protect fragile resources.

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Backcountry Stock Tie Areas
T

Ñ Stock
Stock are not to be tethered within 100 feet of springs, lakes & streams. Keep bacteria out of water sources and protect fragile lake and stream shores.
All feed must be certified noxious weed-seed-free. Prevent the introduction of weeds by packing pelletized feed.
Use proper stock containment methods. If you must tie to live trees, limit to periods of less than one hour.
< Camping
Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes & streams. Use existing camps in high traffic areas.
f Fire
Build campfires only in existing fire rings. Carry out all trash, don’t burn it.
Use of gas stoves is highly recommended. If you must build a fire, use only dead and down wood. Fires damage vegetation, sterilize soil & scar the land.
Campfires are not allowed within 200 yards of the following lakes: Cirque, Cove, Sapphire, Sheep, Slide, Tin Cup, Gunsight, Four Lakes Basin, Scree, Shallow, Castle and Chamberlain 9849. Wood is limited in these areas.
^ Sanitation
Pack out all trash. This includes food scraps. Help remove evidence of your stay and keep the area clean.
Wash 150 feet away from lakes and streams. Even “biodegradable” soap pollutes.
Bury human waste at least 100 feet from water sources. Catholes should be 6-8 inches deep and covered with soil.
Properly dispose of toilet paper. We prefer that you carry it out (doubled plastic bags work great for this!).
z Etiquette
Do not disturb natural features. Leave them for others to enjoy.
Stay on the trail. Cutting switchbacks causes erosion.
Respect the quiet that the wild country offers. Shouting, music & other loud noises disrupt solitude and disturb wildlife.

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Checklist for You

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Required Items
Wilderness Permit (Sawtooth Wilderness)
Fire Pan or Fire Blanket (if having a fire in the Sawtooth Wilderness)
Camping Gear
Lightweight Stove
Fuel
Waterproof Matches or Lighter
Cookware
Utensils
Water Filter
Water Containers
Collapsible Buckets
Trowel or Small Shovel
Lightweight Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Lightweight Tent
Personal Items
Pocket Knife
Maps
Compass
Flashlight and Batteries
First Aid Kit
Bug Repellent
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Camera
Plastic Bags for Trash
Clothing
Riding Boots and Camp Shoes
Shirts
Pants
Jacket
Socks
Hat
Gloves
Rain Gear

Checklist for Your Stock

Saddles
Pack Saddles
Saddle Blankets and Pads
Halter and Rope
Headstalls
Pelletized Feed
Nose Bags
Hobbles
Highline and Tree Saver Straps
Panniers or Manties and Rope
Bug Repellent
Stock First Aid Kit
Brush and Comb
Temporary Horse Shoe

Contact

Sawtooth National Recreation Area Headquarters
5 North Fork Canyon Road
Ketchum, ID 83340
(208) 727-5000
Stanley Ranger Station
HC 64 Box 9900
Stanley, ID 83278
(208) 774-3000
Redfish Lake Visitor Center (June to Labor Day)
(208) 774-3374
Please call for more information or to schedule a
free Leave No Trace program for your riding group.

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To file a complaint of discrimination, write the USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250, or call 1-800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
23.317.414.08/04

US Forest Service
Department of Agriculture