Quick Tips
- Be grizzly bear aware, restrictions apply for food containers, keep a clean campsite
- Remove moose quarters as quickly as possible
On The Ground
This unit, found in west-central Montana, is entirely remote and rugged country consisting of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. This area is true backcountry and livestock will be needed for game retrieval. Good moose numbers can be found here but the population numbers are widely dispersed throughout the unit and locating a bull can be tough at times. This area is heavily timbered but also features vast expanses of old burns that make for excellent moose habitat and glassing opportunties.
Giant bull moose can be found here but densities are spread thin in this massive and backcountry area. Access will be a massive hurdle with hunters needing livestock for nearly all instances.
Terrain
8,700 foot Twin Peaks sits atop the Continental Divide, along with many other peaks that exceed 8,000 feet create a very formidable landscape for tag holders. The headwaters of the South Fork Flathead River in the southern portion are some 45 miles from the USFS landing strip at Meadow Creek and are reached by trailing through densely forested river bottoms and vertical mountains. Spotted Bear River drainage has it meager beginnings just north of Spotted Bear Pass near the north boundary. The entire district is difficult to travel through no matter the season due to sharp ridges, deep rocky drainages, steep sloped mountains and talus slope peaks.
Roughly 931 square miles
99.8% public land
Elevations from 3,300-8,700 feet
Vegetation
Dense stands of ponderosa pine, tamaracks, spruce and fir reach from sections of the Continental Divide to the edges of South Fork Flathead River. Above tree line alpine lakes and meadows offer willows, grasses and wildflowers. Moss and lichens cover vast areas of the terrain. On south facing slopes mountain shrubs grow up alongside short grass meadows. Creek and river drainages have thickets of willow along their bottoms.
Access
A well maintained system of Forest Service roads lead to trailheads that offer hundreds of miles of maintained trails deep into the backcountry of the wilderness. Wilderness travel is restricted to foot or horseback. Trailheads in the west can be reached off of Montana Route 83 and those in the east can be approached off U.S. Highway 287 near Augusta. Watch for heavy snow during late October and into November. Storms can close down both roads and trails used to head into the wilderness. Four-wheel drive and chains recommend during these weather conditions.
Camping and Lodging
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex allows for the use of a dispersed campsite for a period of 14 days. Please check with the local Forest Service regional office for all questions about use of wilderness areas. Seeley Lake in the west and Augusta in the east offer a limited number of motels, cafés and restaurants, medical facilities and gas and diesel. Great Falls, east of Augusta, provides a wide variety lodging, restaurants, has a regional medical facility and airport and access to Interstate 15.
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