We invite you to explore the Northern Region's 16 congressionally-designated wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, or 2,539 miles of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and much more.
(Click on map for a larger view.)

As as place for individuals and families to enjoy the outdoors, the Northern Region's public lands offer hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, skiing, kayaking, and countless other adventures. These very special areas protected from development offer the ability to escape the crowds of the city and encounter nature at its best - to experience the solitude and challenges of wildlands.

As residents and visitors enjoy summer, fire management organizations want the public to easily know what fire restrictions and closures may be in place. A new public web site, www.firerestrictions.org, has been created to communicate wildland fire restriction and closure information and the Northern Rockies during the 2008 wildland fire season. the Northern Rockies includes Montana, Idaho, North Dakota and Northwest South Dakota.

As weather continues to become warmer and dryer, we urge individuals to be fire safe as they work and recreate outdoors.

Climate Change

The Forest Service has several inter-related programs to help forests, grasslands and humans mitigate and adapt to global climate change.

The Spring 2008 version of the Northern Region News is avaialable in .PDF format at 3.09 MB. This is a large file and will take a moment to open.

"You may wish to visit this
National Forest empire of yours"

"Views from the National Forests" is an album project that began in the early 1930s and is comprised of images that date as late as 1939. The album is presented in its entirety for historical purposes, despite noted changes in Forest Service policy over the last 100 years. The language within the text reflects the Forest Service of the period.

The album was intended to bring the "flavor of the forests, if only for a short half hour" to those who sought to explore the landscape and commune with nature. In the album's introduction, the Forest Service extends a welcome to those who have come to seek the atmosphere of the frontier west. The album's message is of a landscape owned by none and accessible to all.

"Views from the National Forests" offered an overview of the diversity and opportunities to be found in the Northern Region.

Today it provides a view of the early days of the Forest Service in the Northern Region.

We invite you to peruse these images and to continue to explore your National Forests.

NOTE: This is a 1.94MB .PDF Show file that is 40 pages long. It may take a moment to open. You can move forward, back, or end the show by clicking on the various arrows on the menu.

Whenever possible a named photographer and date are noted. The author of the text is unknown at this time. Please direct any questions or comments on the exhibit to the email addresses listed at the end.