North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River

Overview:

Flowing west out of southern Idaho, the rugged and lightly-roaded country of the offers scenery, beautiful geology and plenty of solitude. Clear nocturnal skies are the norm here where the lack of light pollution allows unimpaired views of the night sky.
The North Fork Owyhee offers very high quality backpacking opportunities. Excellent opportunities for early season (spring runoff) expert level kayaking on the 12 mile section between North Fork Crossing and Three Forks are also available. Numerous other recreational opportunities, including hunting, camping, wildlife viewing and photography are available in the area.

Know Before You Go:

  • This river is not for the inexperienced kayaker! Once you enter these deeply carved canyons, you will be a long way from help. Emergency access is extremely difficult, and cell phone coverage is nonexistent within the confines of the canyon.
  • The river can be accessed by vehicle at either the primitive Three Forks Recreation Site or at the semi-developed North Fork campground in Idaho.
  • When recreating on public lands, please practice Leave-No-Trace Principles.

Point of Interest:

This wild and scenic river spans state lines. There are 15.1 miles of the North Fork Owyhee classified as a Wild and Scenic River with 9.6 miles managed by the Oregon Bureau of Land Management and 5.5 miles managed by the Idaho BLM.

Photos

North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
North Fork Owyhee Wild and Scenic River
Bureau of Land Management

Adventure is at Your Fingertips

Phone

Activities

Iconograph of a fish head and a fishing hook on a line
FISHING
Iconograph of two people wearing backpacks and using walking sticks
HIKING
Iconograph of binoculars
WILDLIFE VIEWING
Iconograph of a camera
PHOTOGRAPHY
Iconograph of a person paddling a kayak.
PADDLING

Addresses

Vale District Office
100 Oregon Street
Vale
Oregon
97918

Geographic Coordinates

42.56222, -117.10374

Directions

Getting there is a challenge, but it’s worth the effort. Note: high-clearance four-wheel drive is highly recommended.
From U.S. 95 near Danner, Oregon: Approximately 16 miles west of Jordan Valley, Oregon, look for a sign marking the Soldier Creek Loop Road, Owyhee Canyon Overlook, and Three Forks. Turn south onto this dirt road and follow it for 36 miles until you reach the rim of the canyon.

Stay Limit

14 Days