2013 Map of Vinegar Hill

About this map

Payette National Forest dominates this section of the central Idaho interior, where the high ridges of Cold Mtn Ridge and Vinegar Hill define the drainage patterns of the Salmon River mountains. The landscape is carved by a complex network of waterways, including Big Creek and S Fork Cottonwood Cr, which have shaped the deep basins and saddles used for backcountry travel. Historical infrastructure is limited to specialized sites like the Cold Mountain Lookout and the Cabin Creek USFS Airport, reflecting the area's role as a managed wilderness. The boundary between Idaho County and Valley County bisects the terrain, marking a remote divide between high peaks like Horse Mtn and the low-lying reaches of Towhead Basin. This survey provides a precise look at the land's contours before recent environmental shifts, documenting the primitive access points used by forest rangers and backcountry pilots.