Bitterroot Forest
Bitterroot Forest
If camping and/or hunting in America’s pristine wilderness is the perfect holiday for you, then you will have over a million acres to choose from in the Bitterroot National Forest. Located in west-central Montana and eastern Idaho, the forest includes the Sapphrie mountain ranges, a beautiful northern section of the Rocky Mountains.
There are three main wilderness areas, parts of which can only be reached on foot or on horseback. Who wouldn’t want to see this wilderness just as the first explorers did in 1805? A gold rush in the 1860s brought mining towns, some of which are now ghost towns. It is in this wilderness that you will find the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, a path taken when the tribe retreated from Idaho to Montana in 1877. It was also home to The Confederated Salis and Kootenai Tribes whose ancestors inhabitant parts of Montana, Idaho, British Columbia and Wyoming. Who knows, maybe they left behind a few arrowheads.
Naturally, the wilderness is not all forests. The grasslands are vast and are sometimes leased to landowners for grazing, so don‘t be surprised if you come across cattle or sheep. The wildlife you might see include black bear, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, mountain lion, and moose all in their natural habitat. Although found in different areas, the types of trees in the forests consist of Douglas fir, larch, lodge pole pine, Engelmann Spruce and whitebark pine.
Dozens of rivers, streams and lakes have delighted a multitude of fishermen looking to catch brook, rainbow, and brown trout. Campers will find several campground available and over a thousand miles of trails to hike. In summer visitors can also enjoy rafting, boating, kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and wildlife watching. Winter visitors are also welcome and will be delighted with downhill and cross-county skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. The Bitterroot National Forest’s “Walk by the Light of the Moon” is a series of interpretive walks and offered by the forest service year around.
Perhaps the most admired in The Bitterroot National Forest is the awesome canyons which can be seen from your bike, a hiking trail or a vehicle. Don’t own a camper? No worries, the forest service offers rustic rental cabins at various lookout locations or within the wooded areas at very reasonable prices.
The forest service sometimes set fires to prevent the wildfire tragedies of past years, so be sure to check with them before planning your trip. Some passes and permits will be needed for such things as cutting down Christmas trees. However, you may pick all the mushrooms you like.
The largest nearby city is Missoula, Montana. When hiking, be sure to take a picnic lunch and your camera — you‘ll not want to leave once you‘ve seen the Bitterroot National Forest.
Marti Talbott, author of The Highlander Series
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