Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Looking up a large forested valley to a myriad of jagged peaks beyond.

Library image #1218

Introduction

The United States Congress designated the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (map) in 1964 and it now has a total of 1,340,502 acres. Idaho contains approximately 1,089,059 acres. Montana contains approximately 251,443 acres. It is managed by the Forest Service. The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is bordered by the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to the south (separated by the Magruder Corridor and Highway 12).

Description

The Bitterroot Mountains form a rugged, glacier-carved border between Idaho and Montana. On both sides of this border is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the third largest Wilderness in the Lower 48. Only the 600-foot-wide Nez Perce Trail (The Magruder Corridor), an unimproved dirt road, separates the Selway-Bitterroot from the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. A much smaller (less than one-fifth of the area, but still considerable) portion of the Selway-Bitterroot is protected by Montana, and the Idaho side includes the large Moose Creek Ranger District (560,000 roadless acres), the only district in the Forest Service System entirely within a Wilderness. Except for the high crest of the Bitterroots, the area is dominated by ridges broken with raw granite peaks. Below the ridges are deep canyons covered with thick coniferous forest. Hidden low valleys are rich with old-growth cedar, fir, and larch, and extensive stands of subalpine spruce and fir can be found higher up. Hardly any humans visit the huge trailless portions of this Wilderness, which makes it all the more appealing for the large Selway elk herd, plus deer, moose, black bears, and mountain lions.

Hundreds of miles of trails, more than 700 in the Moose Creek Ranger District alone, wind through the area, but they are rarely maintained. Many miles of trails provide access to the Montana side, but large sections are also unmaintained and rugged. The Divide Trail (Trail 16) follows the Bitterroot Divide for approximately seven miles north of Nez Perce Pass, offering outstanding views across the Montana and Idaho portions of the Wilderness. From Big Fog Saddle a trail suitable for foot and horse traffic marches toward the heart of the area. Along the Selway River, the hiking rates as moderate. Leave the river and you'll find drastic elevation changes, making for difficult going.

Water is plentiful in lakes, bogs, and marshes. The Wild and Scenic Selway River rushes out of the mountains of Idaho to join the Moose Creek drainages and the Middle Fork of the Selway. Many rafters ride the river, and at lower elevations in the Selway River Canyon you'll find the warmest temperatures year-round. But the weather varies like the terrain. Spring and fall bring rain lower down, while it is snowing higher up. Summer days are typically warm and dry with nighttime temperatures low enough to send you burrowing deep into your sleeping bag. You should be prepared for avalanches in winter.

In the high country in summer, mosquitoes and biting flies are frequent campsite companions. Rattlesnakes and black bears are common. Hunters are attracted to elk, deer, mountain lions, and grouse. Hunters may track moose and bighorn sheep with a special permit. Trout fishing can be excellent in well over 100 mountain lakes. By late July, wildflowers bloom at elevations over 5,000 feet, luring many photographers.

Planning to Visit the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

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 Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

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