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Welcome to the Flathead National Forest
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Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
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The view when hiking on Big Mountain |
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The Flathead National Forest is located in northwestern Montana in the Rocky Mountain Province. All of the major landforms are structurally controlled with most of the mountain ranges being formed by block faults. Glaciations from the last ice age influenced the shape of the land as well as the composition of the soil.
The 2.3 million-acre Flathead National Forest is bordered by Canada to the north, Glacier National Park to the north and east, the Lewis and Clark National Forest to the east, the Lolo National Forest to the south, and the Kootenai National Forest to the west. Over 270,000 acres of State of Montana and private land are within the Flathead National Forest boundary. These include checkerboard sections of land owned by Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc., two State forests, and other scattered tracts of private land.
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Congress has designated over one million acres of the Flathead National Forest as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System: The Bob Marshall, Great Bear, and Mission Mountains Wildernesses comprise approximately 46 percent of the Forest's total land base. Roads, timber harvest, and motorized travel are not permitted in these areas. Other designated special management areas are the Flathead Wild and Scenic River, Jewel Basin Hiking Area, and Coram Experimental Forest. The remaining 1.3 million non-wilderness acres may have roads and are open to timber harvest, recreation based motorized travel, and other activities that are restricted in the Wilderness areas.
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If we can be of assistance to you, please contact one of our offices
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Flathead NF- Supervisors Office 650 Wolfpack Way Kalispell, MT 59901 (406) 758-5200
Spotted Bear Ranger District 10 Hungry Horse Drive Hungry Horse, MT 59919 (406) 758-5376 (summer) (406) 387-3800 (winter)
Swan Lake Ranger District 200 Ranger Station Road Bigfork MT, 59911 (406) 837-7500 |
Hungry Horse Ranger District 10 Hungry Horse Drive Hungry Horse, MT 59919 (406) 387-3800
Tally Lake Ranger District 650 Wolfpack Way Kalispell, MT 59901 (406) 758-5200
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| Recreational Opportunities |
There
are 34 developed campsites within the Forest with a total of 400 family
units |
| Downhill Skiing |
| The Big Mountain Ski Area (http://www.bigmtn.com) currently ranks first in skier visits of all ski areas in the Northern Region of the Forest Service. Montana's newest ski area, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area (http://www.blacktailmountain.com), is also located on the Flathead National Forest. Details on these commercial ski areas can be found at the Flathead Convention and Bureau site listed at the bottom of the page. |
| Wild Scenic Rivers and Floating | |
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The Flathead National Forest offers a multitude of recreational opportunities pertaining to usage of rivers and lakes. The North Fork, Middle Fork, and portions of the South Fork of the Flathead River are within the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and are used for floating excursions. No permits are required for floating use. There are several commercial outfitters that offer float trips. There are several commercial outfitters that offer float trips. Details on these commercial rafting companies can be found at the Flathead Convention and Visitor Bureau site linked at the bottom of the page. |
Rafting on Middle Fork of the Flathead |
| Wilderness and Jewel Basin | |
| Flathead National Forest's Jewel Basin is a 15,000 acre hiking area is maintained exclusively for hiking and camping. The Jewel Basin is located at the north end of the Swan Mountain Range east of Kalispell and is used heavily everyday throughout the summer. |
Hiking in Jewel Basin |
| Hiking | |
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Backpacking above the South Fork of the Flathead |
The Forest has 2,600 miles of hiking trails and 200 miles of designated National Recreation Trails, mostly in designated wilderness areas. The Danny On Memorial Trail is very popular and located within the Big Mountain Ski Area north of Whitefish. This self guided trail provides you with an opportunity to observe and learn about plants and animals of the high country. |
| Driving | |
| Roads throughout the Non-Wilderness portion of the Forest provides you with an opportunity to view the landscape from your own vehicle. There are about 1,700 miles of road on the Forest open for motor vehicle travel. However, to protect some natural resources, a number of roads may be closed at various times throughout the year. Maps of the area can be obtained at any of the Ranger Districts or on the Forest Map Order Form. | |
| Picking Berries | |
| The Flathead National Forest hosts some of the best huckleberry picking in Montana. Huckleberries are ripe from mid-July to October and the best picking is usually found in areas that have been opened up by forest fires, timber cutting, or along roads. No permit is required for huckleberry picking and the limit is 10 gallons per adult. | |
| Dispersed Camping | |
| The main camping season on the Flathead National Forest is Memorial Day through Labor Day. While camping at one of the 34 camping areas provides varied accommodations and access, camping throughout the Forest is allowed and can give a one-of-kind camping experience. If you plan on camping away from a designated campsite, please research that area beforehand and follow all posted rules and regulations during your stay. | |
| Hunting and Fishing | |
| The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has responsibility for regulating and managing fishing and hunting throughout Montana. Licenses are available from their office and at most local sporting goods stores. Fishing and hunting licenses are not available from the Forest Service. | |
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All or part of three Congressionally-designated wilderness areas occur on the Flathead National Forest. I. The 1,009,356-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness extends about 60 miles north to south along the Continental Divide. II. The 285,000-acre Great Bear Wilderness is adjacent to and north of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, encompassing much of the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. III. The 74,000-acre Mission Mountains Wilderness encompasses a portion of the Mission Mountain Range southeast of Flathead Lake. The wilderness Act of 1964 provides the basic guidelines for Wilderness Area Management. This general direction is to allow natural processes to operate in an area where man is a visitor. The area is open to recreation by primitive means of travel- foot, horseback, or raft. Those interested in visiting the area should follow these Leave No Trace principles:
For planning ahead the following Ranger Districts can be contacted for information: I. Mission Mountain Wilderness managed by the Swan Lake Ranger District II. The Bob Marshall, Great Bear, and Scapegoat Wilderness areas are managed as The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex by the Spotted Bear and Hungry Horse Ranger Districts.
The Complex is one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states. Within the Bob Marshall Complex management allows natural processes to continue including lightening ignited fires to burn. During July, August, and September visitors may encounter fires. Some trails are closed at times due to active fires, so always check the nearest Ranger District before finalizing trip plans. No permits are required to make use of any Wilderness areas or designated hiking areas. Researching the areas beforehand will maximize your enjoyment of the Wilderness areas.
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| Multiple Use Management |
| Like all National Forests the Flathead National Forest is managed under the multiple use concept for water, fish & wildlife habitat, timber, grazing, recreation, wilderness, and minerals. Beyond the recreation and Wilderness uses described above, approximately 1/3 of the Forest is considered suitable for timber management and may be used for the harvest and sale of commercial timber. The grazing of livestock is a minor use that occurs within only a few locations. No commercially valuable mineral deposits have been discovered on the Forest. Clean cold water is an important resource on the Flathead National Forest. In addition, the Forest provides habitat for approximately 250 species of wildlife and 22 species of fish. This includes the threatened grizzly bear, lynx, bald eagle, bull trout, a rare plant named water howellia, and the endangered gray wolf. All of the wildlife that lived in the area prior to the arrival of European man still live there. |
| Management Activities |
| As directed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) the potential effects of management actions and management plans on the natural resources found on the Forest are analyzed before actions are taken. These effects are described in either an Environmental Assessment (EA) and/or the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The current projects being analyzed can be found on the NEPA Project List. |
| Links of Interest |
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Updated Campgrounds map and information on individual campgrounds and their whereabouts within the Flathead National Forest. Forest Map Order Form for information on how to order maps of the Flathead National Forest. Montana's Flathead Valley for information on the many recreational activities throughout the Flathead National Forest.
Bob Marshall Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the trail system in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and to promoting wilderness values through education.
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