Forty miles does not sound outrageous until there is no road underneath those forty miles. Deep in one of Idaho’s wildest corners, reaching the nearest road can mean crossing mile after mile of backcountry on foot or horseback. Nearly 40 miles from a road is not just far. Routes can be long, services are limited, and conditions change quickly in mountain country. Understand Why This Wilderness Feels So WildThe Selway-Bitterroot became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1964.