Wilderness Backpacking Adventures in Montana
When it comes to wilderness backpacking adventures, you can’t go wrong in Montana. National Forests in western Montana offer magnificent trails deep into richly canopied mountains and along wild and scenic creeks and rivers. Prairies rolling like a green sea reach out to a horizon impossibly far away which is the reason this Promised Land was given the name ‘Big Sky Country.’
When the sun has left that big sky and the good night slowly descends and blends in with the dark pines, stars take over in phenomenal numbers and the Milky Way actually looks like it did when they named it. And you never know when the Northern Lights might make an always welcome and eagerly anticipated guest appearance.
Although the National Parks, Yellowstone and Glacier, offer a splendid vantage of the ‘Purple Mountain’s Majesty,’ for our purposes here, I’m not including them and instead we’ll focus on three different National Forest’s spread out over the mountainous portion of our state. In any of those places you’ll encounter far less crowds, less rules (although following the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ policy to leave no trace in the wilderness should always be followed religiously as part of the backpacker’s code) and won’t have to pay any fees to explore some of the best alpine scenery in the world.
All of these wilderness areas have trails of various degrees of difficulty based on factors such as elevation gain, length, river crossings, and the condition and terrain of the trail in question. Start by buying a map which the U.S. Forest Service has for each of the designated wilderness areas described below. These are the best resources you can get and they have phone numbers for the ranger stations that are closest to the places you decide to backpack.
A list of the wildlife you may encounter is also included. This land is truly diverse, with each of the national forests I point out offering a distinctly different aura, characterized by different species of trees, flora, Fauna, and distinct overall looks. For instance, the remote northwest portion of the state is really rugged, cedar-rich country which almost feels like a rain forest, which is where we’ll begin in the second article, the link is below, in this series.
Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area
The Cabinet Mountain Wilderness of Montana is nestled up there between the Idaho pan handle and our Canadian friends to the north in the Kootenai National Forest. In that craggy wonderland you’ll find cascading streams rushing down over free stones providing a natural symphony that hasn’t stopped playing in thousands of years. It’s got a very lush feel to it, with a very dense collection of trees and underbrush due to the fact that it’s west of the Great Divide and tends to get a lot of that wet weather from the pacific northwest. The scenic vistas that look down on many high mountain lakes are breathtaking. With 20 trails to choose from, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for primitive camping and once you’re in amongst those mythic Red Cedars you might just forget that this world has any drawbacks at all. Apparently, French fur traders thought the mountains here looked like cabinets but that’s just foolish pride because humans could never make something that looks as good the sights in these north-country woods.
The Mission Mountain Wilderness Complex
The Mission Mountains were sacred ground to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes and the unforgettable skyline of jagged, mysterious peaks makes it easy to see why. Stunning hardly seems like an adequate description. It’s a paradise for backpackers pockmarked with high alpine lakes full of Cut Throat Trout fed by picturesque streams and there’s even a couple of glaciers tucked away at high elevations hiding from the sun. On the eastern side you’ll be looking across to the famous Bob Marshall Wilderness which has the kind of ridgeline that is as mesmerizing as the camp fires you’ll make and stare into at night.
On the western slope you’ve got epoch views of the gigantic Flathead Lake. I highly recommend a trip back to Turquoise or Hemlock Lake and try and pack a fly rod if you do, but remember this whole area is bejeweled with lakes. Part of this complex, accessed from the western side, is managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes as a Tribal Wilderness so you’ll have to get a tribal permit for that side. The good stewards there close off a remote section of acreage part of the year so as not to disturb a good number of Grizzlies who like to feed there. For all your queries, consult the Flathead National Forest for the particulars.
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
For some of the best Alpine meadows around, full of wildflowers of brilliant blues and yellows with meandering meadows of crystal clear water you’ll want to check out the often overlooked Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest surrounding the tall and regal Pioneer Mountains. We’re talking 3.2 million acres of very diverse and magnificent country.
It’s the largest forest in the state of Montana and the options for backpacker’s are practically endless. You don’t have enough time in your life to explore all the wonders down there. For a great bit of history, backpack into the old mining ghost town of Coolidge. It’s a fascinating remnant of the boon town era complete with truly ghostly and intact buildings no roads lead to but you’ve also got a host of incredible Peaks to bag right around there that offer amazing views of Southwestern Montana.
For all your planned trips backpacking Montana make sure you check in with the Ranger Station for that forest district to get the latest on trail conditions and advisories. The individual websites (links provided above) have some great information and those folks tend to be very helpful on the phone with any questions and concerns. Remember also, that it’s all Grizzly country which makes it even more exciting and wild but the Griz in these areas tend to be far more shy and weary of humans than the ones in the National Parks who like to showboat.