The Salmon River, also known as the "River of No Return", is a river located in the U.S. state of Idaho in the western United States. It flows for 425 miles (685 km) through central Idaho, draining a rugged, thinly populated watershed of 14,000 square miles (36,000 km 2).

It was created in 1980 by the United States Congress and renamed in 1984 as the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area in honor of U.S. Senator Frank Church. At 2.367 million acres (9,580 km 2), it is the largest contiguous federally managed wilderness in the United States outside of Alaska.

The treacherous waters of the Main Salmon River slice through a chasm deeper than the Grand Canyon—hence its moniker as the River of No Return. Portions of this 2.4 million acre Wilderness are located on five different national forests—the Boise, Bitterroot, Nez Perce, Payette, and Salmon-Challis.

The River of No Return. It earns its name “The River of No Return” for its wilderness shrouded, roadless section which spans a massive piece of country between the outposts of Salmon and Riggins Idaho. This stretch once nearly 200 miles in length with canyon depths upwards of 5,000 feet was and in some regards still is, a one way street.

2020年7月25日 · The Frank Church-River of No Return is a wilderness of steep, rugged mountains, deep canyons, and wild, whitewater rivers. The Salmon River Mountains, located south of the Main Salmon and west of the Middle Fork, are the most massive range, and dominate the Wilderness.

“The River of No Return” is a term that has long been associated with the roadless section of the Salmon River between the towns of Salmon and Riggins. In this area, the Salmon River flows through a canyon that is five thousand feet deep and nearly two hundred miles long.

2024年9月11日 · In the heart of Idaho lies America’s largest (and most breathtaking) contiguous Wilderness area outside of Alaska, The Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness. Steep canyons, pristine forests, untouched Wilderness, incredible wildlife, and world-class whitewater rafting comprise this epic 2.3 million acre road-less area.