Wilderness by the Numbers
South Fork of the Teton River from near Headquarters Pass (Kerry Neils)
Here are some fast facts to help you understand the state of Montana’s – and the nation’s – wildlands.
Montana Wilderness Facts
Montana landbase (acres): 94,109,542
Total Wilderness acres: 3,443,038
Percent of land base: 3.7%
Total number of Wilderness areas: 15
Total Forest Service Inventoried Roadless Area acres: 6,397,000
Percent of land base that is Roadless: 6.8%
National Wilderness Facts
Number of wilderness areas: 756
Total Wilderness acres nationwide: 107,436,608
State with most acres: Alaska contains 57,422,302 of the total acres, approximately 53%
Percent of national landbase: 4.41% of the continental United States. Excluding Alaska, wilderness comprises only
2.5%of our national landbase
Percent of land base that is Roadless: 2%
Loss of Roadless acres in past 20 years: Over 3.5 million
Montana Wilderness and Public Lands Statistics
Total Acres in Montana |
94,109,440 acres |
Total Square Miles in Montana |
145,556 square miles |
Total Remaining Montana Wildland Base |
9,839,100 acres |
Total Wilderness Acres in Montana |
3,443,038 acres |
Percent of Land Base |
3.7% |
Total Number of Wilderness Areas |
15 |
Total Unprotected Wilderness1 Acres in Montana |
6,397,000 acres |
Percent of Land Base |
6.8% |
Total Acres of Public Lands in Montana |
27,378,247 acres |
Percent of Land Base |
29% |
Total Public Acres by Managing Agency
Agency |
Acreage (% of Montana) |
U.S. Forest Service |
16,893,000 (18%) |
National Park Service |
1,222,314 (1%) |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
1,227,478 (1%) |
Bureau of Land Management |
8,060,382 (9%) |
Total |
27,378,247 (29%) |
Federally Protected/Designated Wilderness |
3,443,038 (3.7%) |
Designated Wilderness by Agency
Agency |
Acreage |
U.S. Forest Service |
3,372,503 |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
64,535 |
Bureau of Land Management |
6,000 |
Total |
3,443,038 |
Remaining Roadless Lands and Potential Wilderness
Agency |
Acreage |
U.S. Forest Service |
5,337,694 |
National Park Service |
1,037,160 |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
157,000 |
Bureau of Land Management |
447,327 |
Total |
6,979,181 |
Forest |
Supervision Office |
Approximage Acres |
Beaverhead-Deerlodge |
Dillon |
3.32 million acres |
Bitterroot |
Hamilton |
1.6 million acres |
Custer |
Billings |
1.3 million acres |
Flathead |
Kalispell |
2.3 million acres |
Gallatin |
Bozeman |
1.8 million acres |
Helena |
Helena |
975,407 acres |
Kaniksu |
Coeur D’Alene, ID |
2.1 million acres |
Kootenai |
Libby |
2.2 million acres |
Lewis & Clark |
Great Falls |
1.8 million acres |
Lolo |
Missoula |
2.0 million acres |
National Forest Totals |
|
19.39 million acres |
Forest Service Wilderness Areas Acreage
Wilderness/Forest |
Acres |
Absaroka-Beartooth |
|
Custer NF |
345,599 |
Gallatin NF |
574,744 |
Anaconda Pintler |
|
Bitterroot NF |
41,162 |
Bob Marshall |
|
Flathead NF |
709,356 |
Lewis & Clark NF |
300,000 |
Cabinet Mountains |
|
Kaniksu NF |
44,320 |
Kootenai NF |
49,952 |
Gates of the Mountains |
|
Helena NF |
28,562 |
Great Bear |
|
Flathead NF |
286,700 |
Lee Metcalf |
|
Beaverhead NF |
107,694 |
Gallatin NF |
140,594 |
Mission Mountains |
|
Flathead NF |
73,877 |
Rattlesnake |
|
Lolo NF |
32,976 |
Scapegoat |
|
Helena NF |
80,697 |
Lewis & Clark NF |
84,407 |
Lolo NF |
74,832 |
Selway-Bitterroot |
|
Bitterroot NF |
241,676 |
Lolo NF |
9,767 |
Welcome Creek |
|
Lolo NF |
28,135 |
Bureau of Land Management Wilderness Areas Acreage
Wilderness |
Acres |
Lee Metcalf |
6,000 |
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wilderness Areas Acreage
Wilderness |
Acres |
Medicine Lake |
|
Medicine Lake NWR |
11,366 |
Red Rock Lakes |
|
Red Rock Lakes NWR |
32,350 |
UL Bend |
|
UL Bend NWR |
20,819 |
Total Wilderness Acres in Montana |
3,443,038 |
National Wild, Scenic and Recreation Rivers Wilderness Areas Acreage
Wilderness |
NFS |
Other |
Total |
Flathead National Wild River |
|
|
|
Flathead NF |
38,346 |
19,054 |
57,400 |
Sources:
- U.S. Census TIGER data for State border
- The USGS National Hydrography Dataset
- Natural Heritage Program Stewardship/Ownership Data
- Montana State Library, Natural Resource Information System
- USDA Forest Service
For detailed information on each of Montana Wilderness Areas, we recommend you visit wilderness.net. (Please note: Montana Wilderness Association is not associated with Wilderness.net.)