Salmo-Priest Wilderness
Tucked among the Selkirk Mountains in the extreme northeastern corner of Washington, the U-shaped Salmo-Priest Wilderness extends its borders along those of Idaho and British Columbia. Its most prominent features are two very long ridges, generally running southwest to northeast, connected near their northern ends by a ridge crowned by 6,828-foot Salmo Mountain. The eastern ridge stands lower, more wooded, more rounded off and more accessible than the steep-sided, rocky-crested western ridge. Streams have cut deep drainages into both ridges. Water from the eastern side of the eastern ridge ends up in Idaho's Priest River. The remaining Wilderness drains generally westerly via Sullivan Creek and the Salmo River into the Pend Oreille River.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Washington |
| Size | 41,307 acres |
| Designated | 1984, by Congress |
| Center point | 48.90° N, 117.22° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 9 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
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Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 5 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 2 backpackings, 2 paddling accesss, 1 viewpoint. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 2 miCrater Lake ↗Viewpoint
- 4 miWatch Lake ↗Paddling access
- 5 miGypsy Lake ↗Paddling access
- 8 miShedroof Divide #512 ↗Backpacking
- 10 miSalmo Cabin #531 ↗Backpacking · Summer
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
15 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 81 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Shedroof Divide ↗ | 16.9 | |
| Salmo Basin ↗ | 8.8 | |
| Crowell Ridge ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Hughes Fork ↗ | 7.5 | |
| Jackson Creek ↗ | 6.5 | |
| North Fork Sullivan Creek ↗ | 5.9 | |
| Shedroof Divide ↗ | 5.1 | |
| Thunder Creek ↗ | 5.1 | |
| Slate Creek | 4.3 | |
| Jackson Mountain | 3.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSl Rx - Limestone Timber Sale
9 mi from the center point · 38 acres
- Prescribed3R Rx - Silver Gna
15 mi from the center point · 100 acres
- PrescribedSl Rx - Lost Creek Stewardship
20 mi from the center point · 24 acres
- PrescribedNp Rx - High Noon Stewardship
22 mi from the center point · 345 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 3.9 miWashington Hotel ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 4 miPend Oreille Mines and Metals Building ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 4.1 miLarson, Lewis P., House ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 4.1 miMetaline Falls School ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 6.6 miUnited States Border Station ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 8.1 miIdaho and Wash. Northern Rr Bridge ↗Metaline Falls, WA
- 11 miDonohue, Michael and Myra, House ↗Eastsound, WA
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Washington
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
41,307 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Salmo-Priest Wilderness in?
Washington.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Salmo-Priest Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1984.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 48.898° N, 117.218° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Salmo-Priest Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Sl Rx - Limestone Timber Sale at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Salmo-Priest Wilderness?
The National Register has 7 listings within 15 miles, including Washington Hotel and Pend Oreille Mines and Metals Building.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.