The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex makes up a large fraction of the Flathead National Forest.

The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest covers 2.3 million acres (9300 km²) of which about 1 million acres (4000 km²) is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Indians who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains with elevations ranging from less than 4,500 feet to over 8,500 feet (1400 to 2600 m). The Forest provides habitat for approximately 250 species of wildlife and 22 species of fish. This includes the threatened grizzly bear, lynx, bald eagle, bull trout, a rare plant named water howellia, and the endangered gray wolf. Image File history File links en:United States Forest Service photo of Big Salmon Lake, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana. ... Image File history File links en:United States Forest Service photo of Big Salmon Lake, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana. ... The Bob Marshall Wilderness is located in western Montana in the United States and is named after Bob Marshall (1901-1939), an early forester, conservationist and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. ... This article is on national forests in the United States. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about: United States Wikinews has news related to this article: United States United States government Official website of the United States government - Gateway to governmental sites White House - Official site of the US President Senate. ... State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th)  - Land 377,295 km²  - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000)  - Population 926,865 (44th)  - Density 2. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 1,000 km² and 10,000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... Wilderness is land that has not been significantly modified by direct or indirect human activity. ... Kootenai group near tipis (ca 1900) The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend dOreilles Tribes. ... Rocky Mountain National Park (photo courtesy of NPS) The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. ... Threatened species refers to animal and plant species under a serious, but perhaps not imminent, threat of extinction. ... Binomial name Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is a species of bear that can reach weights of 130-700 kg (300 to 1500 pounds). ... Lynx can be: Lynx (cat), a type of wild cat. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a raptor that is indigenous to North America, and is the national symbol of the United States of America. ... Binomial name Salvelinus confluentus Suckley, 1859 The bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a char of the family Salmonidae. ... The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Wolf or Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ...

The Flathead National Forest is bordered by Glacier National Park and Canada (to the north, the Lewis and Clark National Forest and Glacier to the east, the Lolo National Forest to the south, and the Kootenai National Forest to the west. The wilderness areas in the forest are the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Great Bear Wilderness Area, and Mission Mountains Wilderness Area. Other specially-designated areas in the forest include Flathead Wild and Scenic River, Jewel Basin Hiking Area, and the Coram Experimental Forest. Some 270,000 acres (1,100 km²) of non-federal land are also included in the boundaries drawn for the national forest. This includes private land, commercial forest and part or all of Swan River State Forest, Stillwater State Forest and Coal Creek State Forest. There is also a non-adjoining national park in Canada by the same name. ... Broadly, a wilderness area is a region where the land is left in a state where human modifications are minimal; that is, as a wilderness. ... The Bob Marshall Wilderness is located in western Montana in the United States and is named after Bob Marshall (1901-1939), an early forester, conservationist and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. ... Middle Fork, near Essex, Montana Length 240 km Elevation of the source - m Average discharge - m³/s Area watershed - km² Origin British Columbia, Canada Mouth Basin countries Canada, United States The Flathead River starts in southeast British Columbia, Canada, and flows south through northwest Montana to Flathead Lake before draining...

Commercial activities in the non-wilderness sections of the forest include timber harvesting, two downhill ski resorts and a small amount of cattle grazing. Individuals can pick less than 10 gallons of beries without a permit. Larger amounts of berries, firewood and Christmas tree cutting, mushroom or mineral gathering and camping in wilderness areas require permits. Image File history File links Bear Creek in northern Flathead National Forest Photo by rmhermen,Aug 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Bear Creek in northern Flathead National Forest Photo by rmhermen,Aug 2003 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Timber Timber is a term used to describe clusters of trees. ... A twin-tip shaped downhill ski. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ...

The forest contains 1,700 miles (2,700 km) of roads, many of them primitive fire roads and 2,800 miles (4,500 km) of hiking trails. Beautiful natural scenes are common hiking destinations Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ...

While camping is allowed almost anywhere within national forests without a permit, Flathead National Forest also has 34 campgrounds with some facilities. The largest campground has only 40 sites and 2 campgrounds have only one site each. Most campgrounds do not have running water. There are also 11 cabins for rent in the forest. Camping is an outdoor recreational activity involving the spending of one or more nights in a tent, primitive structure, a travel trailer or recreational vehicle at a campsite with the purpose of getting away from civilization and enjoying nature. ...

External links

• Official website