Center for the Sawtooths

Introducing the

The Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association (SIHA) is embarking on a unique and exciting long-term legacy project and we want you onboard!

SIHA is the recipient of a generous land donation, the old “Sessions Lodge” property, located in Obsidian, Idaho. We are calling this mid-valley hub the Center for the Sawtooths.

Our vision for the property is a public education center that protects and supports the Sawtooth National Recreation Area in the following ways:

Community Asset

Benefiting our local community.

This centrally-located site will be a community gathering space, available to the public for meetings, lectures, and programs.

Home for Nonprofits

A home for area nonprofits.

Workforce housing is a challenge across the country. This site will offer office space and reliable staff housing to the Sawtooth Association and other nonprofits who preserve and protect the SNRA. Together we will collaborate to maximize our impact.

Education Center

Educating the public.

A facility with year-round access will allow us to provide educational and interpretive programs that deepen understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural history of the SNRA.

Visitor Resource

Providing visitor services.

An onsite visitor center along side our education center will provide interpretive programs and area information, teach visitors to recreate responsibly, and advance visitors' understanding of Wilderness ethics.

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Volunteer your time: Serve on a planning or fundraising committee.

Volunteer your services: Planning |Fundraising Design | Construction

Have a conversation to see how your unique skill set is most helpful.

The location of Sessions Lodge is just south of the Williams Creek Trailhead in the Sawtooth Valley. Its history highlights the development that, in part, led to the establishment of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA). The trailers and small houses you see in the photos below were removed after the US Forest Service paid the appraised value of the properties. This subdivision was directly across the highway from Sessions Lodge and consisted of over 150 quarter-acre and half-acre plots and an airstrip.

At the Center for the Sawtooths we plan to share this and other stories that explain why the Sawtooth National Recreation area was established.