Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness 2019 Rolls and Bags

2019 America the Beautiful Quarters® Program – Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Rolls and Bags

The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness quarter is the fifth in 2019 and 50th overall in the America the Beautiful Quarters Program.

The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness encompasses more than 2.3 million acres, is the largest single contiguous wilderness in the conterminous States and encompasses four national forests. The name of the wilderness has two roots. “The River of No Return” component derives from when boats could navigate down the Main Salmon River but not back upstream because of fast water and numerous rapids. “Frank Church” was attached to the site’s name in honor of late U.S. Senator Frank Church, who played a leading role in its preservation.

The wilderness is dominated by three dramatic mountain ranges–the Salmon River Mountains, Clearwater Mountains, and Bighorn Crags, which surround 14 strikingly beautiful clear water lakes.

The Salmon River Canyon is one of the deepest gorges in North America, deeper even than the Grand Canyon. It is known for the variety of landscapes visible from the river: wooded ridges rising to the sky, huge eroded monuments and bluffs, picturesque castles and towers, and solitary crags. Within this canyon, salmon participate in the largest inland migration in the continental U.S.

The reverse (tails) design depicts a piloted drift boat on the rushing river encompassed by the trees and rock formations of the wilderness. Inscriptions are “RIVER OF NO RETURN,” “WILDERNESS,” “IDAHO,” “2019,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”