Land

Idaho is extremely mountainous with two-thirds consisting of a mountain massif broken only by valleys carved by rivers and streams, and by two prairies: the Big Camas Prairie around Grangeville and the Palouse Country around Moscow. The most important river of Idaho is the Snake River, which is also one of the longest lakes in the US. The Snake River Plain extends E-W across Idaho from Yellowstone National Park to the Boise area. Other main rivers are the Salmon River, Clearwater, Kootenai, Bear, Boise, and Payette. The important lakes include Pend Oreille, Coeur d'Alene, and Priest in the panhandle, and Bear on the Utah border. Among the most important ranges on Idaho are the Bitterroot (forming the border with Montana), Clearwater (the largest range), Salmon River, Sawtooth, Lost River, and Lemhi mountains. More than 40 peaks rise above 10,000 ft (3,000 m), of which the highest is Mt. Borah, at 12,662 ft (3,862 m), in the Lost River Range. The lowest point of Idaho is near Lewiston at 710 ft (217 m).There are ice caves near Shoshone and American Falls, and a large scenic cave near Montpelier. Near Arco is an expanse of lava, craters, and caves called the Craters of the Moon. The deepest gorge 7,913 ft (2,412 m) in North America is at Hell's Canyon.