Pole Creek Wilderness

The landscape within the Pole Creek Wilderness, in the southwest part of Idaho near the Oregon border, is diverse, ranging from river canyons over a thousand feet deep to vast expanses of sagebrush and grassland plateaus. This ecosystem provides habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, songbirds, raptors, and numerous rare plant species. The river canyons in Owyhee County have been called the largest concentration of sheer-walled volcanic rhyolite and basalt canyons in the western United States. Elevations within the Wilderness range from 5,200 to 5,700 feet, and many of the canyons are more than 1,000 feet deep — nearly twice as deep as the Washington Monument is tall. River enthusiasts come from around the country to challenge the famous whitewater rapids of these rivers.