From its source in the
Boulder Mountains near
Galena Summit in the
Sawtooth National Recreation Area, the Big Wood River generally flows south between the
Boulder Mountains to the north,
Pioneer Mountains to the east, and the
Smoky Mountains to the west.
Highway 75 accompanies the river southward from
Galena Summit, to an area north of
Shoshone. Here, it carved
Black Magic Canyon. The river flows by
Sun Valley and
Ketchum, where it receives the tributary streams of Warm Springs Creek and Trail Creek. Below Ketchum, it is joined by the East Fork Wood River at
Gimlet before passing by the seat of
Blaine County,
Hailey. Continuing south, the river leaves the
Wood River Valley south of
Bellevue and enters the northern part of
Magic Valley, after which it flows into
Magic Reservoir. A tributary stream,
Camas Creek, joins the river in Magic Reservoir. Below
Magic Dam, the Big Wood River enters
Lincoln County, passing by many lava beds and irrigation canals before entering
Gooding County. Just west of
Gooding, the Big Wood River joins the
Little Wood River to form the
Malad River. Big Wood River's water flow is affected by numerous irrigation reservoirs and canals on the river itself and its tributaries. Variant names of the Big Wood River, according to the USGS, include
Malad River,
Malade River,
Wood River,
Poisonous Beaver River, and
Sickley River. ==See also==