Sawtooth Wilderness, Protected wilderness area in central Idaho, United States.
Sawtooth Wilderness is a protected mountainous area in central Idaho that contains dozens of high peaks and hundreds of alpine lakes formed by ancient glaciers. The terrain features dramatic rock formations, dense forests, and open meadows spread across thousands of acres.
The area was first protected in 1937 as a primitive area and later became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1972. This designation prevented development and preserved the landscape for future generations.
The name comes from the jagged ridgeline, which resembles the teeth of a saw. The wilderness lies within the 756,019-acre Sawtooth National Recreation Area, dedicated on the shores of Redfish Lake on September 1, 1972. Visitors enter on foot or horseback; hunting and fishing are allowed with Idaho licenses and permits.
You can only explore this area on foot, as motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed and you must stick to hiking trails. Before camping or fishing, check on local requirements, as some areas have specific rules.
The wilderness spans land that once belonged to three national forests: 150,071 acres of Boise National Forest, 12,020 acres of Challis National Forest and 54,997 acres of Sawtooth National Forest. Its northern peaks rose from the Eocene Sawtooth batholith, while south of Alturas Lake the rock is Cretaceous granodiorite of the Idaho Batholith.
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