Gospel-Hump Wilderness

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service NEZ PERCE NATIONAL FOREST

A guide to wilderness recreation opportunities Climate Temperatures vary with the elevation. Summer afternoon temperatures along the Salmon River often exceed 100 degrees, but frosty mornings are possible even in midsummer in the high country. Roads and trails are usually free of snow from mid-July through mid- October, although snow squalls can occur at any time. Temperatures can change dra- matically within a few hours. Be prepared for all kinds of weather.

Fish and Game The streams and lakes within and Gospel-Hump Wilderness adjacent to the Wilderness support In 1978, Congress recognized many kinds of fish. The Salmon 206,053 acres of undeveloped River is a travelway for migrat- federal land east of Riggins, Idaho, ing sockeye salmon. The river and and north of the main Salmon River many tributaries contain spawning as a special area and designated it and rearing habitat for steelhead the Gospel-Hump Wilderness. Since and chinook salmon. In addition to then, the area has been managed to these ocean-going species, several preserve its natural condition and to resident trout species are present. provide opportunities for primitive Sturgeon, whitefish and smallmouth and unconfined types of recreation. bass are less common. Elevations in the Gospel-Hump Big game species like elk, mule and Wilderness range from 1,970 feet at whitetail deer, black bear, cougar, the Wind River pack bridge on the moose, mountain goat and mountain Salmon River to 8,940 feet at the sheep live within the Wilderness. summit of Buffalo Hump. Chukar, grouse and other game birds inhabit the area. Squirrels, The northern part of the Wilder- songbirds and other nongame wild- ness is moist and heavily forested; life species can frequently be seen the southern part is dry and sparsely or heard. vegetated. The two parts are sepa- rated by a rugged, glaciated divide For information about hunting and which contains the peaks for which fishing seasons and regulations, the wilderness is named. visit any vendor of Idaho hunting and fishing licenses. 2 Gospel-Hump Wilderness Access Map To Elk City To Legend Grangeville Paved Road 14 Unpaved Road Creek

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S 222 c Salmon Vinegar 1614 River Creek To Mackay Bar To Riggins Roads and Trails Several unpaved roads provide • Dixie Road 311 from Dixie access to the Gospel-Hump Wilder- These roads are shown on the For- ness during the summer months. est Visitor Map available at the Nez • Forest Roads 444 and 444A from Perce National Forest headquarters Forest Road 221. and district offices. • Salmon River Road 1614 and Trails both within and adjacent to Slate Creek Road 354 from High- the Wilderness are shown on the way 95. Forest Visitor Map. Although many • Sourdough Road 492, Orogrande miles of trails are maintained an- Road 233 from Highway 14. nually, some may be impassable, extremely challenging or unsuit- • Orogrande to Orogrande Summit - able for pack stock. Check with a "not suitable for trailer towing." district office for specific details. • Orogrande Summit to Lake Creek 3 Cultural Heritage The Nez Perce Indian culture dates back to 6,000 BC in central Idaho. The Gospel Peak and Buf- falo Hump areas were used by the Nez Perce Indians long before the arrival of settlers. As part of their seasonal subsistence rounds, they hunted elk, deer and bear, and used game trails to access the Salmon River for fishing. Placer gold was discovered at Flor- ence, just outside the Wilderness, in 1861. These deposits, while rich, Photo by Dean Geouge were soon depleted. In 1898, an extensive quartz vein was discovered at the base of Buffalo Hump. The Wilderness Legacy The discovery touched off one of "...man himself is a visitor who the last major gold rushes in the does not remain." This key pas- western United States. Thousands sage from the Wilderness Act of of prospectors moved in, and two 1964 leaves little doubt about wagon roads were built so supplies human occupancy in a wilderness. could be moved. Law or administrative regulations alone, however, cannot fully protect The mining boom subsided in 1903 a wilderness. only to be revived during the De- pression. Remnants of placer mines, Only you can. diggings, and abandoned boom towns are still evident. Prospecting On the following pages are some and mining continue today outside hints about how you can reduce the Wilderness. your impacts on the Gospel-Hump Wilderness. Adopt these hints during your visit, and be guided by this simple question: "Will others know I have passed this way?"

4 Special Regulations There is a 14-day limit on camping or storing equipment and supplies at a site. A site is defined as any location and the surrounding five mile area.

Travel is permitted only by foot or by stock.

Group size is restricted to 20 people and 20 head of stock.

Use of wheeled vehicles and mo- Campfires torized equipment is prohibited. To help preserve the Wilderness, use a lightweight stove. If you must build a campfire, please: • Use an existing fire ring if possible. If not, scrape down to bare soil, and then dig a small hole for the fire. • Burn only down, dead wood and burn only what you need. • Attend your campfire at all imes. Be particularly careful Campsite Selection during dry conditions. To reduce camp impacts: • Make certain your fire isdead • Select a campsite 200 feet or out before naturalizing your more from water. Meadows campsite. streambanks and lakeshores are very fragile. • Gather up cool ashes and scat- ter them away from the camp- • Pitch camp 200 feet or more site. from other campers. Respect the solitude of others. • Pack out aluminum foil, snap tabs, cigarette butts, twist ties • Use an existing campsite if pos- and other nonburnable trash. sible, but avoid sites that show evidence of heavy use. • Replace the duff or sod over the fire hole, and thus restore it to • Resist the temptation to dig near-natural condition. trenches or construct anything. 5 Stock Use Trail Courtesy To minimize impacts from the use Hikers and stock use many of the of pack and riding stock: same trails:

• Carry as little equipment as • Stock should be kept in a single possibleto reduce the number of file to avoid creating multiple pack animals needed. parallel trails.

• Hobble, picket or highline stock overnight. Avoid tying stock to Sanitation trees or near tree roots for long Human waste and waste water periods of time. threaten the delicate balance maintained in wilderness. Please follow • Use certified weed-free feed. these guidelines: A ration of 12 to 18 pounds of pellets per head per day is suf- • Dispose of human waste, toilet ficient for most stock. paper and waste water at least 200 feet from water and where rain and snow runoff will not carry the contaminants to lakes and streams. • Bury human waste in a hole 6 to 8 inches deep. Let nature do the rest. • Wash dishes with biodegrad- able, non-phosphate soap in a dishpan or other suitable con- tainer. Dispose of soapy water well away from fresh water. • Hikers should yield to stock traffic. Stand on the downhill • Bathe well away from lakes and side of the trail whenever pos- streams if soap is used. sible. • Both hikers and stock should stay on the trail instead of cut- ting across switchbacks, which causes erosion. • At rest stops, stock should be tied well off the trail with a highline or tree-saver straps. 6 Permits Permits are not required for either backpackers or persons with stock. A permit is required if you plan to float, jetboat or kayak the Salmon River from June 20th to September 7th. Poison North Fork Ranger District Ivy Salmon-Challis National Forest (208) 865-2700

Salmon River Ranger District Nez Perce National Forest (208) 839-2211 (Jet Boat Only)

Black Bear

Beware! Poison ivy, rattlesnakes and black bears are common along the Salmon River and the lower reaches of its tributaries. Ticks can be particularly abundant during the spring months and may carry Rocky Mountain Maps spotted fever. Mosquitoes, biting Gospel-Hump Wilderness maps are flies and no-see-um gnats can also available at Forest Service offices. make life miserable. Carry repellent. Detailed topographic maps of Some surface water in the Gospel- the Gospel-Hump Wilderness are Hump Wilderness may contain available. Fifteen maps are needed microbes which can cause intestinal for complete coverage. The maps disorders. All drinking water should can be obtained from: be treated. Chemical treatments such as iodine or chlorine are not US Geological Survey wholly reliable. To be sure, use a Box 25286, Denver Federal Ctr water filter or boil the water for at Denver, CO 80225 least 3 minutes. Several regional bookstores also For short trips, bring a supply of stock these USGS "quad" maps. water that is known to be safe. 7 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Salmon River Ranger District 304 Slate Creek Road White Bird, ID 83554 The United States (208) 839-2211 Department of FAX (208) 839-2730 Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the Red River Ranger District basis of race, color, 300 American River Road national origin, age, disability, and where Elk City, ID 83525 applicable, sex, marital (208) 842-2245 status, familial status, parental status, religion, FAX (208) 842-2150 sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, or Nez Perce National Forest reprisal. Persons with disabilities who require Headquarters alternative means for 104 Airport Road communication of program information Grangeville, ID 83530 (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should (208) 983-1950 contact USDA’s TARGET FAX (208) 983-4099 Center at (202) 720- 2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office WEBSITE: of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, www.fs.usda.gov/nezperce S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720- 6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity provider and employer. Cover Photo by Jennifer Stephenson

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