Idaho can be divided into four natural regions, or physiographic provinces, each of which is part of a larger physiographic region of the United States. The four natural regions are the Northern Rocky Mountains, Middle Rocky Mountains, Columbia Plateau, and Basin and Range province. The Northern and Middle Rockies are parts of a larger physiographic division, the Rocky Mountain System. The Columbia Plateau and the Basin and Range province are part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus.

The Northern Rocky Mountains occupy more than half of Idaho. In central Idaho the Salmon River Mountains and Clearwater Mountains form a vast, geologically complex highland mass. The Salmon River Mountains have a maximum elevation of 10,340 ft, at Twin Peaks, and the Clearwater Mountains attain elevations of more than 8,000 ft. Southeast of the Salmon River Mountains, Borah Peak, or Mount Borah, the highest point in Idaho, rises to 12,662 ft in the Lost River Range. Other ranges in the southern part of the region are the Sawtooth and Pioneer mountains, which rise to 12,078 ft at Hyndman Peak. To the east the Bitterroot Mountains forms a high, rugged barrier along the Idaho-Montana state line. In the Panhandle the mountains decrease in elevation, but they are no less rugged.

Deep canyons, rocky gorges, and innumerable ridges make transportation difficult throughout the region. There are few good passes through the mountains, especially the Bitterroot Mountains and Salmon River Mountains. Most of the mountains are heavily forested. This natural region is the source of most of Idaho’s mineral output.

The Middle Rocky Mountains occupy a belt along the Idaho-Wyoming boundary. The chief ranges include the Aspen, Bear River, Caribou, Preuss, and Snake River ranges. They attain heights of more than 10,000 ft and run from north to south.

The Columbia Plateau, in Idaho, is diverse, and includes the Snake River Plain, part of the Owyhee Uplift, and small portions of the Seven Devils, Craig Mountain, and Palouse sections.

The great crescent-shaped Snake River Plain descends from about 6,000 ft above sea level near the Wyoming border to less than 2,500 ft at the Oregon border. Thick lava flows cover or underlie most of the plain, which has numerous thermal springs, cinder cones, high basaltic cliffs, and other features of volcanic origin. The Snake River lies near the southern edge of the lava flows. The plain is far wider than the river valley, and it extends northward for as much as 50 mi from the river. Large irrigated areas support much of Idaho’s agriculture. Most of the state’s population lives in the Snake River Plain.

The Owyhee Uplift occupies the southwestern corner of Idaho. The main features of this section are the rugged Owyhee Mountains, high basaltic plateaus, and the deep Bruneau River canyon. The Seven Devils, Craig Mountain, and Palouse sections occupy a small portion of northern Idaho east of the part of the Snake River that forms the state’s western border. They contain a few small but productive areas of farmland, especially in the Lewiston area. In the Palouse section there are gently sloping hills that have a distinctive dunelike appearance. They were formed at the close of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago by the deposition of fine, wind-blown deposits called loess.

The Basin and Range province occupies a small area of southern Idaho between the Middle Rocky Mountains and the Snake River Plain. The principal ranges are between about 4,000 and 6,000 ft above sea level and run generally from north-south. Small valleys between the ranges, where water for irrigation is available, are used for farming, and the mountain slopes are used for livestock grazing.

The Continental Divide, which separates streams draining to the Pacific Ocean from those draining to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, follows part of the Idaho-Montana state line in the southern part of the Bitterroot Mountains. Consequently, nearly all the rivers in the state drain toward the Pacific. Most of Idaho lies within the drainage basin of the Columbia River system. The Snake River, which is the chief river in southern and central Idaho, follows a crescent-shaped course for about 490 mi across southern Idaho. It then swings northward along the Idaho state line and joins the Columbia River in Washington. Major tributaries of the Snake River in Idaho are the Boise, Payette, Clearwater, and Salmon rivers. The main tributaries of the Columbia River in northern Idaho are the Saint Joe and Coeur d’Alene rivers, which form the Spokane River at Coeur d’Alene Lake. The Kootenai, Clark Fork, and Pend Oreille rivers flow for part of their length in Idaho. Small areas in the south drain southward into the Great Basin.

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