Bitterroot National Forest

Activities:

Backpacking

Biking

Camping

Canoeing

Climbing

Fishing

Hiking

Horse Back Riding

Hunting

Kayaking

Picnicking

Rafting

Skiing

Welcome to the Bitterroot National Forest sprawling across western Montana and Eastern Idaho. The Bitterroot National Forest consists of two mountain ranges, the Bitterroot Mountains and the Sapphire Mountains and elevation ranges from as low as 2,200 feet along the banks of the Salmon River and as high as 10,157 feet.

Forest History: The land that is now Bitterroot National Forest was first settled by humans over 8,000 years ago. Some of the Native American tribes who have inhabited this region include the Bitterroot Salish and the Nez Perce tribes. The first known Europeans to arrive in the region were members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who arrived in 1805. In 1887, the Nez Perce followed the Lewis and Clark trail on their way back to Idaho when they were confronted by a battalion of soldiers, sparking the Battle of the Big Hole. In the 1860's the gold rush came to Idaho and Montana and more and more European settlers arrived in the region. In the 1880's the loggers arrived in the region and cut much of the virgin forest located on the public lands until the establishment of the Bitterroot Forest Reserve in 1897. A decade later in 1907, the U.S. Forest Service was established and Bitterroot Forest Reserve became Bitterroot National Forest.

Wildlife: Bitterroot National Forest helps protect the home of numerous wild animals including deer, bears, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, mountain lions, bald eagles, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, coyotes, and many others. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Bitterroot National Forest boasts alpine lakes, man-made reservoirs, and mountain streams for anglers, over 1,600 miles of multipurpose trails, mountains to be climbed, the Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Resort (highest snowfall in the state!), and so much more. Come on out and have a blast!