The Boise National Forest is a US national forest located north and east of the city of Boise, Idaho. It is about 2,612,000 acres (10,570 km?) in size, ranging in elevation from 2,600 to 9,800 feet (800 to 3000 m). The mountainous landscape developed through uplifting, faulting, and stream cutting. Most of the land lies within the Idaho Batholith, a large and highly erodible geologic formation. The major rivers that run through it include the Boise, the Payette and the South and Middle forks of the Salmon River. Portions of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, the Sawtooth Wilderness, and Sawtooth National Recreation Area are within the forest.

Conifer forest covers most of the Boise National Forest. Tree species include ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, Engelmann Spruce, lodgepole pine, grand fir, subalpine fir, western larch, and whitebark pine. Shrubs and grasses grow in the non-forested areas. Wildflowers splash color in both forests and shrub-land.

The Forest contains large expanses of summer range for big game species like mule deer and elk. Trout are native to most streams and lakes. Oceangoing salmon and steelhead inhabit tributaries of the Salmon River.

In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Valley, Boise, Elmore, Gem, Ada, and Washington counties. Forest headquarters are located in Boise, Idaho. There are local ranger district offices in Cascade, Emmett, Idaho City, Lowman, and Mountain Home.[1]

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