Lolo National Forest

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Forestwide Map | The Land and People
Organizational Overview and Office Information | Origin of the Name "Lolo"

Forestwide Map

The Lolo National Forest (NF) is located in western Montana, geographically surrounding the the city of Missoula and bounded by other national forests and the Flathead Indian Reservation. View the forestwide map for more details.

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The Land and People

The two-million-acre Lolo National Forest (NF) in west central Montana is one of ten national forests in Montana. Created in 1906, the Lolo NF now includes former national forests originally named the "Cabinet," "Hell Gate,""Missoula," and "Selway" National Forests.

Located west of the continental divide, the Lolo NF is influenced by both continental and maritime climates. These climates provide for a wide range of environmental gradients producing a forest of high diversity. Diverse ecosystems range from wet, western redcedar bottoms to high alpine peaks, and forests of alpine larch and whitebark pine.

These diverse ecosystems are home for 17 conifer and 5 hardwood tree species, over 300 bird species, at least 20 fish species, over 60 mammal species and an estimated 1,500 plant species, including 250 non-native plant species. Within the Lolo NF, are record-sized trees, the Montana Champion ponderosa pine located in the Fish Creek drainage and a national co-champion western larch near Seeley Lake.

Elevation ranges from less than 2,400 ft. on the Clark Fork River below Thompson Falls to many peaks over 7,000 ft. and topping out at over 9,000 ft. at Lolo Peak near the town of Lolo and Ptarmigan Point near Seeley Lake. The highest point is Scapegoat Mountain within the Scapegoat Wilderness.

Water is plentiful within the Lolo NF producing over 100 named lakes and nearly 1,000 named streams including five major rivers.

Headquarters for the Lolo NF is in Missoula, Montana; a community of 60,000. Five Ranger Districts administer portions of the forest. See our office information on the Contact Us page for addresses and phone numbers.

Nearly 300 Forest Service employees provide day-to-day contact with the public and manage the Lolo NF. These employees have a wide variety of skills that include:

managers -

• a Forest Supervisor,
• District Rangers,
• administrative staff,
• program managers,

specialists such as -

• archeologists,
• computer and communications,
• engineers,
• fire managers/fire fighters,
• fisheries biologists,
• forest ecologists and silviculturists,
• geologists,
• hydrologists,
• law enforcement officers,
• land and realty specialists,
• public affairs specialists,
• range conservationists,
• recreation specialists,
• visitor information specialists,
• and wildlife biologists.

To learn more about your Lolo NF, view our forest web pages or contact the us. Please let us know if we can be of service as you enjoy your Lolo National Forest!

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Organizational Overview and Office Information

The forest is divided into five administrative units referred to as, "ranger districts." There are ranger district offices in Missoula, Ninemile (located near Frenchtown), Plains, Seeley Lake, and Superior. The office overseeing these units is the, "Supervisor's Office" which is located in Missoula.

For addresses, phone numbers, and maps of each district, visit our information on the Contact Us page.

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Origin of the Name "Lolo"

Does the name "Lolo" sound Native American? Guess again! Read about the origin of the forest's name, "Lolo."

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