Salmon Challis Trails

In the recent past, various trail user groups pursuing trail maintenance activities in Central Idaho had been approaching a very large problem individually, or from separate approaches, creating competition where cooperation would make much more sense and be much more efficient. Salmon Challis Trails & partners are working to remedy this and bring more collaboration to the user-driven trail maintenance process.

Salmon Challis Trails aims to shift the old way of doing business to a new "Shared Stewardship" model of trails management, where public lands agencies, trail users, and stakeholders form a collective community of stewards who provide support and receive shared benefits from local trails.

Here in Central Idaho, the Salmon-Challis National Forest (SCNF) trail system is in a state of disrepair—only about 25% of its 3,500 mile trail system is maintained to USFS trail standards and accessible by recreationalists. Dedicated state and local trail funding primarily comes from motorized sources through Idaho Dept. of Parks and Recreation’s (IDPR) motorized trail fund, and that burden would ideally be shared more equally among all trail users. Until new proposed non-motorized trail maintenance funds are developed in the state of Idaho, trail stewardship groups will need to get creative and collaborative in their fundraising approach. Additionally, given the vast size of the and chronically low federal budgets, it’s likely that all of these trail stewardship goals (planning, maintenance, information sharing, etc.) will only be accomplished with the help of local entities with a stake in the plan and the system. 

It only makes sense to work together--because trails connect us.

Thank you so much for helping Salmon Challis Trails in our goal to protect and enhance valuable recreational access on our public lands trails.

Please visit our website at www.SalmonChallisTrails.com for more information about our work!