Wilderness Areas

3.5 million acres of the state’s wildest and most revered public lands

Sunset in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness (photo by Mike Maesar)
Sunset in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness (photo by Mike Maesar)
After 66 drafts and 18 hearings, the Wilderness Act of 1964 passed the House of Representatives with just one dissenting vote. One of the most broadly supported bills in U.S. history, this landmark conservation tool has led to the designation of 15 wilderness areas in Montana and served as a model for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe’s designation of the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness.

Wilderness areas comprise roughly 3.5 million acres (approximately 3.75%) of Montana’s landmass. They include snow-covered summits, as well as low-lying marshland and wild rivers. These wilderness areas are home to thousands of species of flora and fauna – a number of them threatened or endangered.

Hiking, backpacking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, and fishing are all allowed in wilderness areas. Motorized and mechanized uses are not, including mountain biking.

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape,” as the Wilderness Act states, “is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

According to Merriam-Webster, “untrammeled” means “not confined, limited, or impeded.” It describes a place where the “community of life” – the plants, animals, and water – are left to their own free will. These areas are protected from development, industry, and degradation, and thereby preserved as wild for generations to come.

But Wilderness, as defined in the Wilderness Act, is a fraught term. As Terry Tempest Williams writes, “There is no such thing as wilderness without humans. Our imprint on the land is a matter of time and scale and frequency.”

Indigenous peoples have lived on, stewarded, and cared for the land that is now the United States since time immemorial. The historical presence of Indigenous peoples and their ongoing connections to these ancestral lands must be acknowledged, respected, and celebrated.

We acknowledge that Montana’s public lands and wilderness areas are the traditional and contemporary homelands of many Indigenous nations, including but not limited to the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish); the Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel); the Ktunaxa (Kootenai); the Niitstapi or Pikuni (Blackfeet); the Ne-i-yah-wahk (Plains Cree); the A’aninin (Gros Ventre); the Nakoda (Assiniboine); the Lakota and Dakota (Sioux); the Tsetsêhesêstâhase and So’taa’eo’o (Northern Cheyenne); the Apsáalooke (Crow); the Annishinabe and Métis (Little Shell Chippewa); the Nimipuu (Nez Perce); and the Shoshone-Bannock peoples.

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

920,343 acres within the Custer Gallatin National Forest, between Billings and Yellowstone National Park
Traditional homelands of the Apsáalooke (Crow) and Shoshone-Bannock people

Designated in 1978, this wilderness area consists of two major mountain ranges, the Beartooths and the Absarokas, with peaks stretching in every direction. In the eastern part of the area, the Beartooths, with their huge alpine plateaus, are rugged, glaciated, granite and predominantly above the treeline. In the west, the Absarokas tower over Paradise Valley and the Yellowstone River. The Beartooth Range contains 29 peaks above 12,000 feet including the highest point in Montana, 12,799-foot Granite Peak. Ice carved out U-shaped valleys and created the distinct alternating plateau-canyon landscape. Water abounds in this Wilderness, with nearly 1,000 lakes, 300-foot waterfalls, countless cascades, and rushing creeks and rivers. It is a key part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with habitat for grizzly and black bears, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, mountain lion, pronghorn, bison, lynx, and marten.

Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness

158,615 acres within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Bitterroot National Forests, southwest of Butte
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish) and Shoshone-Bannock peoples.

Designated in 1964 with passage of the Wilderness Act, the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness is, with the exception of some stream valleys, mostly above 7,000 feet. West Goat Peak sits at 10,793 feet, and even the East Fork of the Bitterroot River flows at a lofty 5,400 feet. Along the Continental Divide, the Anaconda-Pintler country contains old-growth forest, windswept ridges, alpine meadows, and rugged alpine peaks. Lakes and U-shaped canyons reveal past glaciation, and cirques with alpine lakes and glacial moraines make for spectacular scenery. Some of the world’s finest trout streams, including Rock Creek and the Big Hole River, originate here. A dozen species of conifers thrive on the north slope; the south slope, drained by the Big Hole River, is mostly lodgepole pines, with spruce-fir on the wet canyon bottoms. The Anaconda-Pintler is especially notable for its stunning fall colors, when subalpine larch highlight mountain ridges and lake basins with splashes of gold. Elk, moose, black bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, puma, wolverine, and lynx all thrive in this area.

Bob Marshall Wilderness

1,063,503 acres within the Flathead, Lolo, and Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests, west of Great Falls and northeast of Missoula
Traditional homelands of the Niitstapi or Pikuni (Blackfeet), A’aninin (Gros Ventre), Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), and Qlispé (Pend d’Orielles, Upper Kalispel) peoples.

Designated in 1964 with passage of the Wilderness Act, “the Bob” is the core wildland in one of the largest roadless expanses in the Lower 48. Rugged peaks, big river valleys, mountain lakes, large meadows, and extensive coniferous forests characterize this area. The most remote reaches of the Bob stretch along the Continental Divide, the center of which is the Chinese Wall, an imposing limestone precipice, towering 1,000 feet and extending 13 miles. Moist pacific maritime weather on the west side results in lush, diverse forests, which is dramatically different to the east, where drier forests eventually give way to prairie grasslands. There are more than 100 lakes in the Wilderness. The blue-ribbon South Fork of the Flathead originates here. The Bob is the last great stronghold of the silvertip grizzly and is home to every species of mammal indigenous to the Northern Rockies, except for plains bison and mountain caribou.

Cabinet Mountains Wilderness

94,272 acres within the Kootenai National Forest, about 15 miles southwest of Libby
Traditional homelands of the Ktunaxa (Kootenai), Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), and Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel) peoples.

Designated in 1964 with passage of the Wilderness Act, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness comprises a narrow north-south range of snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, and steep valleys cut by streams and waterfalls. Parts of the Cabinets receive over 100 inches of precipitation annually, resulting in thick lowland forests of western red cedar, Douglas fir, western white pine, western hemlock, and other conifers. Although it is not a lofty range, rugged peaks, sharp ridges, and glacial cirques rise above the forests, lakes, and subalpine meadows, with sheer walls plunging 1,000 feet into deep valleys. There are more than 80 lakes in this Wilderness, including Lake Creek, which flows north to the Kootenai River, and Bull River, running south to the Clark Fork River. The highest point of the Cabinets is Snowshoe Peak, standing at 8,712 feet, high above the wet meadows, hanging valleys, and open stream bottoms. Wildlife typical of the Northern Rockies is plentiful in the area, although the grizzly population is among the most vulnerable in the Lower 48, with only 60 bruins estimated in the region. Other denizens include wolverine, deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and black bear.

Gates of the Mountains Wilderness

28,562 acres within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, near Helena
Traditional homelands of the Niitstapi or Pikuni peoples.

When Lewis and Clark first arrived in the Rocky Mountains, it seemed that the immense limestone cliffs along the Missouri River would block their passage. However, the river twisted through a narrow canyon, making a gate through the mountain and giving a name to this spectacular gorge. Designated in 1964 with passage of the Wilderness Act, the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness features dry canyons and low mountains decorated with dramatic limestone formations weathered into spires, sheer cliffs, outcrops, and walls with shallow caves. Forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, gentle meadows, and open bald ridges characterize the area. The area’s streams and springs disappear in the summer, revealing its true arid nature. No matter the climate, bighorn sheep and mountain goats are plentiful.

Great Bear Wilderness

286,700 acres within the Flathead National Forest, south of Glacier National Park
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), Niitstapi or Pikuni (Blackfeet), and Ktunaxa (Kootenai) peoples.

Designated in 1978, this wilderness encompasses the entire upper drainage of the Middle Fork Flathead River, from the Continental Divide west to the Flathead Range. Knife-edge ridges along the divide drop to heavily forested mountainsides, down to gently sloping meadows, and finally to open river bottoms. Glacial action created U-shaped valleys and cirques. The free roaming grizzlies in the area inspired Senator Lee Metcalf to achieve preservation of this northern habitat link between the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier National Park.

Lee Metcalf Wilderness

254,288 acres within the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Custer-Gallatin National Forests, southwest of Bozeman
Traditional homelands of the Shoshone-Bannock and Apsáalooke (Crow) peoples.

Designated in 1983, this region consists of spectacular alpine peaks, high sparkling lakes, U-shaped valleys, meadows and deep canyons. Lodgepole pines grow beneath craggy peaks and subalpine lakes. Elevations range wildly from 4,500 feet in the canyon country, along the Madison, to 11,015 and 11,316 feet atop Gallatin or Hilgard Peaks, respectively. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness is an important component of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and is crucial grizzly habitat.

Medicine Lake Wilderness

11,366 acres within the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, between Sidney and Plentywood
Traditional homelands of the Métis and Nakoda (Assiniboine) peoples.

Designated in 1976, this Wilderness preserves a portion of northeastern Montana’s marsh-filled prairie. Lying within a National Wildlife Refuge, it is the flattest and lowest of Montana’s wilderness areas, with a high point of only 2,025 feet. Southeast of the lake is the Sandhills Unit, containing sand dunes ranging from 20 to 40 feet in height, which are mantled with a blend of chokecherry and buffalo berry grasses. This prairie-pothole Wilderness is a haven for wildlife, providing a way station for hundreds of thousands of birds during spring and fall migrations and supporting a large nesting colony of white pelicans.

Mission Mountains Wilderness

73,877 acres within the Flathead National Forest, north of Missoula
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel), and the Ktunaxa (Kootenai) peoples.

Designated in 1975, this Wilderness’ steep slopes rise abruptly from the Mission Valley to jagged peaks, ranging from 3,500 to 9,820 feet in elevation. These mountains boast hidden basins, big lakes, and hanging valleys. An impressive 350 lakes, ponds, and pools, sparkling clear streams, and numerous waterfalls dot the Mission Mountains Wilderness, with Elizabeth Falls majestically plunging 1,000 feet. This Wilderness is filled with rocky crags, sheer cliffs, knife ridges, cirques, valleys, and active glaciers. Thick pacific northwest forests are composed of larch, Douglas fir, western red cedar, spruce, and lodgepole and ponderosa pines. A grizzly population inhabits the Missions, along with mountain goats, black bear, deer, wolverine, and lynx.

Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness

89,500 acres within the Flathead Reservation, southeast of Polson
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel), and the Ktunaxa (Kootenai) peoples.

Established in 1982, this Wilderness consists of tribal lands designated as Wilderness by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes – the first such designation by any tribe on its own. The tribes’ management of this Wilderness demonstrates their cultural and spiritual connections to the landscape. These mountains enjoy an abundance of water from the perpetual snowfields that feed one of the densest concentrations of alpine lakes in the northern Rockies. Waterfalls, creeks, and streams are plentiful here along the western slopes of the Mission Mountains.

Rattlesnake Wilderness

32,976 acres within the Lolo National Forest, four miles north of Missoula
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish) and Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel) peoples.

Designated in 1980, the Rattlesnake Wilderness contains high, winding ridges with steep, east-facing cirques and gentler western slopes. There are many lake-filled basins in these sloping forests and secluded hanging valleys, with waterfalls and steep-gradient streams. Timberline conifers drop into subalpine spruce-fir forests, then down to open parks with Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. Western larch and lodgepole pine are also abundant in the Rattlesnake. The U-shaped Rattlesnake basin is fed by more than 50 small creeks that seep from springs and melting snowbanks in the upper portion of the Wilderness.

Red Rock Lakes Wilderness

32,350 acres within the Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, west of Yellowstone National Park
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish) and Shoshone-Bannock peoples.

Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Red Rock Lakes Wilderness was designated in 1976. This remote, undeveloped basin holds an amazing system of waterways, which consist of lakes and connected marshes. More than 14,000 acres of wetlands are managed for wildlife, providing habitat and solitude for a stunning array of birds and other wildlife. Some 215 bird species have been observed here. The wilderness area comprises about 80 percent of this refuge, which was established in 1935 to safeguard the rare trumpeter swan. Red Rock’s high prairies and mountains combine with the water to create a habitat for moose, elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope.

Scapegoat Wilderness

259,966 acres within the Helena-Lewis and Clark and Lolo National Forests, southeast of Great Falls and east of Missoula
Traditional homelands of the Niitstapi or Pikuni (Blackfeet) and Sélish (Bitterroot Salish) peoples.

Designated in 1972, the Scapegoat was the first citizen-initiated wilderness area in the country, championed by former Wild Montana president, Cecil Garland. Straddling the Continental Divide, this Wilderness includes impressive 1,000-foot limestone cliffs that stretch nearly four miles on the east face, extending from the Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall. The Scapegoat’s highest point is the massive 9,202-foot Scapegoat Mountain. Scattered subalpine forests of spruce, whitebark pine, and fir open to grassy parks and gently sloping meadows. Wolverine, deer, elk, moose, grizzly and black bear, mountain goat, mountain sheep, and mountain lion inhabit the Scapegoat.

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

251,443 acres within the Bitterroot, Nez Perce-Clearwater, and Lolo National Forests west of Hamilton
Traditional homelands of the Nimipuu (Nez Perce), Sélish (Bitterroot Salish), and Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel) peoples.

Designated in 1964 with passage of the Wilderness Act, this Wilderness straddles the Montana-Idaho border. It is the third-largest Wilderness in the Lower 48, abutting the Lower 48’s largest wilderness, the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Elevations range significantly from 1,800 feet on the Selway and Lochsa Rivers to 10,000 feet in the Bitterroot Mountains. The Bitterroot Range is classically rugged and glacier-sculptured, featuring deep canyons with sheer walls, cliffs, and tumbling waterfalls. A rough landscape of jagged, treeless granite peaks changes to forested ridges, hanging valleys, and heavily forested valleys with surprising pockets of bogs and marshes. The area is tremendously diverse, including low valleys and old-growth stands of western red cedar, giant fir, Douglas fir, and western larch. Elk, moose, mountain goat, black bear, wolverine, and pine marten thrive in healthy numbers. Grizzly bears have, in recent years, been spotted here.

UL Bend Wilderness

20,819 acres within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, between Lewistown and Glasgow
Traditional homelands of the A’aninin (Gros Ventre), Nakota (Assiniboine), and Métis peoples.

Designated in 1976, the UL Bend Wilderness is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This Wilderness is located on a peninsula formed by a great bend in the Missouri River on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. The Wilderness consists of short prairie grasses, sagebrush, and greasewood on its gently rolling interior, with ponderosa pine and juniper in the coulees that drop to the shores of Fort Peck Lake. Cliffs and rock features in the northeastern corner of UL Bend support a prized bighorn sheep herd. UL Bend is also home to prairie dogs, mule and whitetail deer, antelope, and elk. The peninsula contains several historical cabins. When the Missouri was used by steamboats, passengers would disembark on one side of the peninsula, walk across, and be picked up on the other side to lighten the steamboat’s load as it navigated shifting sandbars in this shallow portion of the river. Today, pronghorn antelope frequently migrate (swim) across this portion of the river to access winter habitat to the south.

Welcome Creek Wilderness

28,135 acres in the Lolo National Forest, southeast of Missoula
Traditional homelands of the Sélish (Bitterroot Salish) and Qlispé (Pend d’Oreille, Upper Kalispel) peoples.

Designated in 1978, this is an area of forested slopes, exposed ridges, and deep canyons. There are no lakes, high cliffs, cirques, or hanging valleys. Steep rough breaks, covered with old-growth stands of lodgepole pine, Douglas fir, and spruce, as well as wet bottoms and park-like ridges are plentiful. The highest point is Welcome Mountain, at 7,723 feet tall. The Wilderness is bounded on the east by Rock Creek, a famous blue-ribbon trout stream. It is an important summer-range area for elk, with bobcats, raccoons, mink, weasels, and pine martens making their homes in this area as well. One access point to the Welcome Creek features a swinging suspension bridge across Rock Creek.

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