Nez Perce National Forest

About Us - Ranger Districts

Moose Creek Ranger District

The Moose Creek Ranger District, headquartered at Fenn Ranger Station contains approximately 870,000 acres within the 1.3 million acre Selway River Subbasin. 560,000 acres are within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness; 275,000 acres are inventoried roadless; and approximately 35,000 acres are roaded.

Prehistorically, Native American groups, consisting mostly of ancestral Nez Perce (also known as Nimiipuu), but also including the Salish, and perhaps the Shoshone and Bannock occupied the Selway area throughout their seasonal movements. The Selway area remains a culturally and spiritually significant area for the Nez Perce Tribe.

The area is also rich in Forest Service heritage and tradition. The District maintains two historic ranger stations; Moose Creek Ranger Station, built in 1922, and Fenn Ranger Station, constructed by the CCC in 1939. Both of these Ranger Stations are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are several other historic cabins still in use on the District including Shearer Guard Station (old Ranger Station @ Bear Creek), Meadow Creek Cabin (circa 1922), and Selway Falls Cabin (circa 1907). The Moose Creek Ranger District through its wilderness and packing programs, continues to carry the traditional Forest Service legacy into the future. Moose Creek serves as a reminder of the history and traditions that made this organization what it is today. We are proud of our history and tradition.

Local communities served primarily include the river communities of Lowell, and Syringa. The small local businesses in these communities cater to the recreation use on the Lochsa, Middlefork, and Selway Rivers. The District serves several communities of interest that includes wilderness advocates and users, whitewater enthusiasts, and motorized and non-motorized trail user groups among others. A significant portion of the developed recreation use within the “recreational” section of the Selway River is from return visitors who have been recreating on the Selway for many years.

The hallmark of the District program is Wilderness Management. The District manages 40% (560,000 acres) of the 1.3 million acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. There are over 1,000 miles of trails on the District. Developed recreation also plays a key role in the program of work with 14 developed sites located along the “recreational” section of the Selway River.

How to contact the Moose Creek Ranger District.