Horse Heaven Cabin

The Horse Heaven Cabin is a historic cabin that sits between two scenic wilderness areas in central Idaho. It provides access to a variety of trails and recreational opportunities unique to the area, and was built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps for use as a fireman's cabin. Visitors to the area enjoy big and small game hunting; proper licenses are required to hunt within Idaho and neighboring Montana. There are a variety of hiking and horseback riding trails in the area. Bicycles and motorized travel are not allowed within wilderness boundaries. The one-room, 16-by-18 cabin is equipped with two built-in bunk beds that can accommodate up to four people. It has a table and chairs, a wooden bench, a propane cook stove, propane lantern and a wood stove for heat. Basic cooking and eating utensils are provided, as well as cooking pots, pans and a coffee pot. Firewood for the stove is available outside the cabin, and a splitting maul is located inside. A small stream may provide water during the summer, but it should be boiled or treated before it is used for drinking or cooking. A vault toilet is provided in an outhouse near the cabin. Sleeping pads are provided for the bunks, but guests will need to bring their own sleeping bags or bedding, propane fuel for cooking and lighting, and water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Food, matches, flashlights and garbage bags are not provided. Guests must clean, dry and store dishes used, carry out all trash and clean the cabin prior to their departure. The cabin is accessible by four-wheel drive and high-clearance vehicles. The last 300 yards from the main corridor road into the cabin is rough and rocky. Guests are encouraged to bring a saw, as trees fall along the wilderness corridor road frequently. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety. Livestock are not allowed at this facility. The cabin is situated at an elevation of 7,100 feet on a road that divides the 1.2 million-acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the 2.3 million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas. While the cabin is on the edge of an open meadow, most of the area is covered by coniferous forests, and wildland fires have burned around the cabin in recent and in years past. The vast wilderness provides a secluded habitat for a wide variety of wildlife: mountain lions and grey wolves live in the area, as well as coyote, fox, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, deer and black bears. The cabin lies near the southern Nez Perce Trail, which was used by Native American tribes as a seasonal migration and subsistence route between eastern Oregon and Idaho and the buffalo country in eastern Montana; today the dramatic winding road serves as a boundary between the two designated wilderness areas. Salmon Mountain Lookout is a historic and active fire lookout on the Bitterroot National Forest, and the less than 2 mile hike offers spectacular views of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, along with high mountain larch, white barked pine and abundant wildlife.