those engaging in such activities have the proper licenses and permits. Recreation There are no roads in the wilderness, and motorized vehicles are prohibited. However, several unpaved roads provide access to the wilderness, but are usually only accessible during the summer months. No permits are required for recreational visits, but group size is limited to 20 people and 20 head of stock and there is a fourteen-day limit for camping at one site. In 1982 it was estimated that the wilderness had 29,000 recreation visitor days. Half of summer use is from hikers, half of which camp in the wilderness. The majority of visitors during the fall are hunters. Geography and geology Elevations in the wilderness range from at the Wind River pack bridge across the Salmon River to at the summit of Buffalo Hump. The Salmon River forms the southern border of the wilderness and separates it from the adjacent Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness. Several alpine lakes are located in high-elevation basins below the mountain peaks in the wilderness. Rock units in the wilderness include gneiss along the Salmon River, the Hood Quartzite and Yellowjacket Formation (Precambrian in age), and undifferentiated granite of the Idaho Batholith. Natural Resources The southern section of the wilderness is dry and sparsely forested, while the northern section is moist and heavily forested. Mean annual precipitation ranges from along the Salmon River to at higher elevations, and snowpacks can reach at higher elevations. At lower elevations ponderosa pine and cheat grass dominate, while higher elevations are covered by lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine along with whortleberry and beargrass. The two parts of the wilderness are separated by the mountain divide for which the wilderness is named. Fish present in the wilderness include sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, rainbow trout, westslope cutthroat trout, bull trout, mountain whitefish, and smallmouth bass. Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bears, mountain lions, mountain goats, gray wolves, moose, and bighorn sheep are large mammals found in the wilderness. Hunting and fishing are permitted in the wilderness, provided proper permits are obtained in the appropriate season. See also List of U.S. Wilderness Areas Wilderness Act References External links Nez Perce National Forest Wilderness.net TopoQuest topographic map Friends of the Clearwater Gospel Hump Page Protected areas of Idaho County, Idaho IUCN Category Ib Regions of Idaho Wilderness areas of Idaho Protected areas established in 1978 Nez Perce