Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Great Bear Wilderness (map) in 1978 and it now has a total of 286,700 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Montana and is managed by the Forest Service. The Great Bear Wilderness is bordered by the Bob Marshall Wilderness to the south.

Description

This Wilderness, on the western side of the Continental Divide, shares its southern border with Bob Marshall Wilderness, which in turn shares its southern border with Scapegoat Wilderness. Together, the three areas form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, an area of more than 1.5 million acres. Glacier National Park lies just across U.S. 2 to the north of Great Bear.

Grizzly bear, lynx, wolverine, deer, elk, moose, black bear, mountain goat, and mountain sheep roam about these rugged ridge tops, gently sloping alpine meadows, and thickly forested river bottoms.

The upper Middle Fork of the Flathead River rises here and runs Wild and Scenic through the area for about 50 miles, raging below cliff faces and over boulder-strewn rapids in what some refer to as Montana's wildest waterway. Elevations range from 4,000 feet on the Middle Fork to 8,705 feet on Great Northern Mountain.

More than 300 miles of trails provide access to virtually unlimited backpacking and horse-packing, hunting and fishing, backcountry skiing, and mountain climbing, but much of the interior has no trail.

Planning to Visit the Great Bear Wilderness?

• Print a fact sheet
• General things to consider when visiting any wilderness
• Regulations
• Contact the Forest Service

Leave No Trace

How to follow the seven standard Leave No Trace principles differs in different parts of the country (desert vs. Rocky Mountains). Click on any of the principles listed below to learn more about how they apply in the Great Bear Wilderness.

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

For more information on Leave No Trace, Visit the Leave No Trace, Inc. website.