The Salmon-Challis National Forest joins just 34 forests nationwide that have its own smartphone app.
So, what’s it like to experience a National Forest through a smartphone? It feels a lot like flipping through a guidebook.
Users can swipe through the app to read up on history, visitor stops, trailheads, camp sites — and even nitty gritty details like hunting and fishing regulations and where to find bathrooms.
On forests like the Salmon-Challis, cell coverage is spotty. Having the free app downloaded means users can take a lot of information with them on the go.
Right now the app includes a number of the forest’s historical sites: the boom town of Bonanza, the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge and the Custer Motorway.
"I could see us uploading information on our rivers, such as the Middle Fork of the Salmon and the Main Salmon, because those are also two areas that are popular to visit," says Salmon-Challis public affairs officer Amy Baumer.
Baumer says more National Forests are exploring whether technology — like smartphone apps — can help them better serve visitors.
"I do think it's a nationwide trend," Baumer adds. "Again, [visitors] can get information when they're out visiting us and on the go, versus having to do it all prior to their trip."
Elsewhere in Idaho, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest also has its own app.
For those interested in seeing all the National Forests with apps, the National Parks Explorer app is a one-stop-shop kind of download. You can download it here for iPhones and here for Androids.
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