USFS · National forest · Montana

Flathead National Forest

The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest lies primarily in Flathead County, south of Glacier National Park. The forest covers 2,404,935 acres of which about 1 million acres (4,000 km2) is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Native Americans who live in the area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.7 million acresUSFSMT65 campgrounds within 10 mi91 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
3fires
active
Sb Horse Ridge Rx (prescribed burn) · 13 mi from the center
2 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateMontana
Size2.7 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0110, region 01
Center point48.0286, -113.8051
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 9)

Boundary map

3 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

35 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 30 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Anna Creek Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Ashley Lake South Campground
First-comeMT
FS · Inside
Beaver Creek Campground
First-comeMT
FS · Inside
Big Creek Campground
Reservable23 sites
FS · Inside
Challenge Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Devil Creek Campground
Reservable13 sites
FS · Inside
Devil Creek Campground
ReservableMT
FS · Inside
Devil's Corkscrew Campground
First-comeMT
Show 4 more

53 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 91

The Forest Service lists 91 recreation sites in this forest, among them 24 campgrounds, 18 boat launchs, 15 cabins, 14 trailheads. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 31 more are on the Forest Service site.

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Sb Horse Ridge Rx

    13 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Sb Silver Mule Rx

    16 mi from the center point

  • Wildfire
    Silvertip

    28 mi from the center point · 7,280 acres · 99% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Park · 13 mi
Glacier National Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 134 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Flathead National Forest?

2.7 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Flathead National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Flathead National Forest in?

Montana.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Flathead National Forest?

35 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Anna Creek Cabin, Ashley Lake South Campground and Beaver Creek Campground. 65 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Flathead National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 91 recreation sites here, including 24 campground campgrounds, 18 boating - motorizeds and 15 cabin rentalss. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Flathead National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 48.029, -113.805. Glacier National Park is 13 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Flathead National Forest right now?

3 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Sb Horse Ridge Rx at 13 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Flathead National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 9 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Flathead National Forest?

Glacier National Park (13 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Flathead National Forest?

134 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Lake McDonald Lodge and Two Medicine General Store.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Flathead National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.