Bob Marshall Wilderness

Located in northwestern Montana on both sides of the Continental Divide, the Bob Marshall Wilderness is the oldest and largest of the three areas that make up the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, alongside the Scapegoat and Great Bear Wilderness areas. Together they span more than 1.5 million acres, making this one of the largest wilderness landscapes in the lower 48 states. Visitors to this vast and rugged terrain can explore over 1,700 miles of trail that wind through alpine meadows, forested valleys, windswept ridges, and dramatic rock formations. One of the most iconic features is the Chinese Wall, a 22-mile-long limestone escarpment rising 1,000 feet along the Continental Divide. The Wild and Scenic South Fork of the Flathead River flows through the complex, offering opportunities for fishing, floating, and quiet reflection. Big Salmon Lake, the largest in the area, is a remote and rewarding destination deep in the backcountry. The complex is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, including grizzly bears, black bears, gray wolves, lynx, wolverines, moose, elk, deer, mountain lions, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep, roaming across ecosystems that range from lowland grasslands to subalpine forests. Named for wilderness advocate Bob Marshall, these connected landscapes offer a powerful experience of wild nature, solitude, and sweeping mountain beauty.