THE PLACE

The Mallard-Larkins Roadless Area (not to be confused with the Cove-Mallard Area) is a heavily forested 260,000-acre wildland on the divide between the North Fork of the Clearwater and the upper St. Joe rivers. The landscape is dramatic: steep rocky ridges, deep canyons, rich forest, and nine major peaks over 6,500 feet. Flowing through the area are parts of three major river systems: the St. Joe, the Little North Fork of the Clearwater, and the main North Fork of the Clearwater, along with numerous fast-moving and crystal-clear streams, both large and small.

The Mallard-Larkins area is located about 60 miles northeast of Orofino, Idaho, or 25 miles northeast of Headwaters, Idaho. The northern half of this roadless area is administered by the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (the St. Joe Ranger district) and the southern half is administered by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.

ECOLOGY

There are thirty-eight mountain lakes large enough to be named; the largest of these, at 35 acres, is Heart Lake. Although there are abundant rock outcroppings, talus slopes, and barren areas, much of the area is heavily vegetated. Plant life is extremely diverse and includes low-elevation coastal-disjunct rainforest communities and impressive pockets of old-growth western red cedar, western hemlock, and inland western white pine. Near Isabella Creek, old-growth alder, Pacific yew, and many different ferns thrive among ancient cedar giants. Several rare and sensitive botanical varieties are also found throughout the Mallard-Larkins area.

The thirty-eight lakes lure visitors every summer. The rivers and larger streams are ideal for many species of fish, including bull trout, westslope cutthroat, and introduced Kokanee salmon. The flourishing wildlife communities range from elk, deer and moose, to black bears, mountain lions, and one of the largest populations of Rocky Mountain goats. Sensitive species such as fisher, wolverine, harlequin duck, Columbia spotted frog, Coeur d’ Alene salamander, and western toad find crucial sanctuary here as well.

MANAGEMENT HISTORY

Access is provided over a network of roughly 280 miles of low-standard trails, and while certain intrusions such as logging roads, outfitter camps, and establishments associated with fire control exist just outside the area’s border, there are swaths of up to 20,000 acres that are virtually undisturbed.

The Mallard-Larkins area has a long history of support for wilderness protection. Already in 1969, a 30,500-acre portion of the high country characterized by abrupt summits and icy lakes was designated as a “Pioneer Area.” Challenging and diverse terrain, blissful solitude, and humility amidst the wild landscape are readily found in this unparalleled, very special place.

CONSERVATION AND THREATS

Unfortunately, road-building and logging have diminished this roadless area over the years, motorized vehicles have degraded some of the landscape, and there are proposals for future mining. Ecosystem restoration work is needed around the edges of the area.

According to records from the Idaho Roadless Commission, there are plans for a landscape-scale burning project in the roadless area, supposedly as a way to produce forage for elk. There has not been a formal scoping period. If completed, this unnecessary fire would dramatically alter the temperate rainforests of the area, destroy old-growth forests, and damage habitat.

GETTING THERE