Idaho Heartland - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 267

Wordofthelovelysettinghaslongsincespread,andthetownisnowapopularvacation
spot, with each season offering something special.
In spring you can troll the lake's depths for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. Sum-
mers are an ideal time to take a dip and then dry off in the bright mountain sunshine. Hik-
ing, of course, remains excellent most of the year, but the trails at Ponderosa State Park
are especially pleasing when autumn colors contrast vividly with the lake. Come winter,
nearbyBrundageMountainattractsskierswithitsfinepowdersnow.Fromtheslopesvisit-
ors can enjoy a heart-stopping panorama that stretches from the gentle scoop of Long Val-
ley to Seven Devils Mountains and neighboring Oregon.
5. Riggins
Like a world-class museum that offers one masterpiece after another, the drive reveals new
delights with nearly every turn. Veering away from the North Fork Payette River, it hooks
up with Rte. 95 at the town of New Meadows and heads north along the Little Salmon
River. Both the road and the river pass through meadows ablaze with wildflowers in sum-
mer, descending toward the tiny town of Riggins and the confluence of the Little Salmon
and the Salmon rivers.
Withapopulation ofjust450,Rigginsisapleasantly typical Idahotown—friendly,un-
pretentious,andencompassedonallsidesbysoothingforestedslopes.Once,loggingdrove
the area's economy, but when the local mill burned down in 1980, recreation took center
stage. A variety of trips down the Salmon River are now available, with outfitters in Rig-
gins offering guides, rafts, and kayaks. The town also serves as a jumping-off point for ex-
peditions into the wilderness. The Payette National Forest lies to the southeast; to the west
are the Seven Devils Mountains and awesome Hells Canyon—at an astounding 8,000 feet,
the deepest gorge in North America.