Lee Metcalf Wilderness

The Lee Metcalf Wilderness consists of four separate units distributed across the Madison Range in southwest Montana. The Bear Trap Canyon unit is administered by the Bureau of Land Management and is the smallest of the four. The Spanish Peaks, Taylor Hilgard, and Monument Mountain units are administered by the Forest Service and lie in the Gallatin and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forests. The Wilderness includes a variety of physical and biological communities, ranging from low-elevation Bear Trap Canyon on the Madison River, at about 4,500 feet, to alpine ridges and peaks above 11,000 feet. There are no active glaciers, although the high cirque basins and U-shaped drainages provide evidence of Pleistocene glaciation. Precipitation is variable, from an average of 11 inches in the Bear Trap to over 60 inches in the Madison Range. At their most extreme, winter temperatures can drop as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures climb as high as 100, but seldom do; spring and fall are more moderate. Treeline is generally around 9,000 to 10,000 feet, and between treeline and the high rocky peaks alpine and sub-alpine vegetation dominates. Wildlife is abundant throughout and includes mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, cougars, and wolves. Cutthroat, rainbow, and brook trout can be found in the lakes and streams. In total there are 300 miles of trail and 28 trailheads. Of the acreage, about 6,347 acres are BLM-administered and about 235,721 Forest Service; Congress designated the area in 1983.