Quick Tips
- Be bear aware around campsite
- Practice shooting at extreme angles
- Quality optics recommended
On The Ground
This district lies along the western slope of the Continental Divide and contains the headwaters of the Middle Fork Flathead River. It is made up of a large portion of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Great Bear Wilderness and the Flathead National Forest, offering hundreds of square miles of public lands.
This district is over 20 miles from the nearest highway in some of the most untamed wilderness in the Lower 48. Packing in with stock is recommended to access the backcountry. Grizzly bears frequent this area, so it is important to keep a clean camp and move away from harvest site as soon as possible. Horns typically range 8-9” long
Terrain
The Lewis and Clark Range along the Continental Divide feeds many drainages with spring snowmelt runoff and summer rains that form the Middle Fork Flathead River. The Trilobite Range includes Pentagon and Keven Mountains feeding both the Basin and Clack Creeks setting the western boundary. This is an extreme vertical untamed wilderness area with stark alpine ridges, timberline basins and lakes, deep canyons and hardly any level ground.
Roughly 224 square miles
100% public land
Elevations from 4,816-8,873 feet
Vegetation
The high elevation alpine area has sloping meadows of wildflowers, moss and lichens with some barren ground willows along streams. Below timberline are thick forests of spruce, fir, ponderosa and lodgepole pine. Mountain shrubs and small grassy meadows are found on south facing slopes and thick brushed streambeds.
Access
No Forest Service Roads get close to this area. A remote Forest Service airstrip can be found along the headwaters of the Flathead River at Schafer Meadows in the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. The airstrip is recommended for experienced pilots. Miles of pack trails lead across mountain passes into the heart of the district. DIY may work fine if you have a string of horses, llamas or mules to carry your camp into and out of the backcountry. Otherwise hire an outfitter who is licensed to travel into and hunt this district. This is a multi-day adventure with a couple of days in and out.
Camping and Lodging
Wilderness camping is what to expect. There are no communities within 30 miles of the Upper Middle Fork District. North of the area are the communities of West and East Glacier. Miles to the east are the cities of Browning and Choteau and to the west are Swan and Seeley Lakes. These communities and cities offer motels, restaurants, medical facilities, gas and diesel.
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