Zone 26 covers the Salmon River corridor upstream from the town of Salmon, including the Lemhi Range and portions of the Salmon National Forest. The terrain is a mix of open sagebrush-covered foothills, timbered mountain slopes, and dramatic canyon country along the Salmon River. Elevations range from about 3,900 feet at the river bottom near Salmon to over 11,000 feet in the Lemhi Range. The lower country is classic high-desert sage and bitterbrush with scattered patches of Douglas fir in the draws; mid-elevations carry lodgepole pine and aspen groves; and the high Lemhis feature alpine meadows, cirques, and rocky ridgelines. Land ownership is mostly Salmon-Challis National Forest and BLM, with private ranch land concentrated in the river valley and along creek bottoms. The town of Salmon provides full services — fuel, lodging, groceries, and even a couple of sporting goods shops that can give you current conditions. Highway 93 runs through the heart of the zone, and forest roads climb into the surrounding mountains from various access points. Road conditions vary widely — some are well-maintained gravel, others are rough two-tracks that turn to mud when wet. The Lemhi Range can see significant snow accumulation by late October, and access to high-elevation trailheads can be cut off early. Cell service is available in and around Salmon but fades quickly in the backcountry. Zone 26 along the Salmon River corridor near the town of Salmon operates under both general and controlled hunt systems depending on species and unit. Wolf packs are established in the surrounding mountains but at lower densities than the deep wilderness zones, and elk numbers remain reasonable for the habitat. No wilderness designations apply within the zone core, though the Frank Church Wilderness borders to the west. The Lemhi Range on the east side provides excellent mule deer habitat in the mahogany-sage transition, while elk concentrate in the higher timbered country. A tags cover general rifle season; B tags extend for antlerless management. The zone is known for its dual-species appeal — quality mule deer hunting in the open, arid Lemhi Range and Salmon River canyon breaks alongside timbered elk hunting in the higher country, all with the town of Salmon as a convenient and well-equipped staging point.