Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
Area Management
The Anaconda Pintler Wilderness is part of the 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of lands provides clean air, water, and habitat critical for rare and endangered plants and animals. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. You play an important role in helping to "secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by the Congress of the United States through the Wilderness Act of 1964. Please follow the requirements outlined below and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness to ensure protection of this unique area.General Wilderness Prohibitions
Motorized equipment and equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited on all federal lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles, motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for in specific legislation.In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use of motorized equipment or mechanical transport are described in the special regulations in effect for a specific area. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific information.
These general prohibitions have been implemented for all national forest wildernesses in order to implement the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act requires management of human-caused impacts and protection of the area's wilderness character to insure that it is "unimpaired for the future use and enjoyment as wilderness." Use of the equipment listed as prohibited in wilderness is inconsistent with the provision in the Wilderness Act which mandates opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation and that wilderness is a place that is in contrast with areas where people and their works are dominant.
Wilderness-Specific Regulations
Wilderness managers often need to take action to limit the impacts caused by visitor activities in order to protect the natural conditions of wilderness as required by the Wilderness Act of 1964. Managers typically implement 'indirect' types of actions such as information and education measures before selecting more restrictive measures. When regulations are necessary, they are implemented with the specific intent of balancing the need to preserve the character of the wilderness while providing for the use and enjoyment of wilderness.The following wilderness regulations are in effect for this area. Not all regulations are in effect for every wilderness. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific information about the regulations listed.
ALL VISITORS
All persons entering into the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness are required to fill out a self-issuing, free, mandatory registration card available at trailheads.
Group size is limited to a maximum number of 12 people and 12 head of stock.
Camping with stock within 1/4 mile of Sawed Cabin Lake, Oreamnos Lake, and Ripple Lake is prohibited.
Campfires within 1/4 mile of the following lakes is prohibited: Oreamnos Lake, Upper Phyllis Lake, Surprise Lake, Buck Lake, the Unnamed Lake below Queener Mountain, Lost Lakes, Sawed Cabin Lake, Upper Carpp Lake, Bear Lake, Emerald Lake, Lower Phyllis Lake, Continental Lake, Sauer Lake, Park Lakes, the Unnamed Lake west of Warren Lake.
Camping between Big Johnson Lake and Johnson Stock Camp Trail #111.1 and Johnson Lake Trail # 96 is prohibited. Contact the Pintler Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest at 406-859-3211 for a map of the designated area.
On the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest portion of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness: (1) Camping or occupancy by any person or group is limited to 16 consecutive days in one place, (2) A person or group cannot relocate within a five-mile radius of the original site for the next 14 days, (3) Camping equipment must be removed by the end of the 16 day limit or the equipment may be impounded.
On the Bitterroot National Forest portion of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness: (1) Camping or occupancy by any person or group is limited to 14 consecutive days in one place.
Possessing or using a bicycle, motor vehicle, wagon, cart (including game carts), aircraft or other motorized equipment is prohibited.
STOCK USERS
Grazing, hitching, tethering or hobbling stock within 200 feet of any lake is prohibited.
Only certified weed-seed-free hay, grain, straw, and cubes are authorized for possession or storage and must have written certification.
Stock use within 200 feet of Big Johnson Lake is prohibited except on designated trails. Contact the Pintler Ranger District of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest at 406-859-3211 for a map of the designated trails.
Stock use on the Pintler Ranger District from April 1 to July 1 is prohibited.
Learn more about why regulations may be necessary in wilderness.
