USFS · National forest · Montana

Lolo National Forest

Lolo National Forest is a national forest located in western Montana, United States with the western boundary being the state of Idaho. The forest spans 2 million acres (8,000 km2) and includes four wilderness areas; the Scapegoat and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness are partially within the forest while the Welcome Creek and Rattlesnake Wildernesses are solely in Lolo National Forest. The forest was created in 1906 from 4 different previous forests which were combined for administrative purposes. Lolo National Forest is west of the Continental divide and has a biodiversity influenced by both continental and maritime weather creating a transitional forest that has a high number of different plant and tree species.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest2.6 million acresUSFSMT64 campgrounds within 10 mi70 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Camp Creek · 19 mi from the center · 9,725 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateMontana
Size2.6 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0116, region 01
Center point47.1540, -113.1552
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10)

Boundary map

5 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 29 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
Big Hole Lookout
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Big Larch Campground
Reservable58 sites
FS · Inside
Big Nelson Campground
First-comeMT
FS · Inside
Bighorn Campground
First-comeMT
FS · Inside
Bitterroot Flat Campground
First-comeMT
FS · Inside
Cabin City Campground
Reservable25 sites
FS · Inside
Cascade Campground
Reservable2 sites
FS · Inside
Copper King Campground
First-comeMT
Show 4 more

52 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 70

The Forest Service lists 70 recreation sites in this forest, among them 32 campgrounds, 14 cabins, 4 viewing Wildlifes, 4 picnic areas. 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; 10 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
  • Wildfire
    Camp Creek

    19 mi from the center point · 9,725 acres · 99% contained

  • Wildfire
    Silvertip

    47 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 Register listings within 15 miles · 173 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Lolo National Forest?

2.6 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Lolo National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Lolo National Forest in?

Montana.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Lolo National Forest?

35 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Big Hole Lookout, Big Larch Campground and Big Nelson Campground. 64 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 Lolo National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 70 recreation sites here, including 32 campground campgrounds, 14 cabin rentalss and 4 viewing wildlifes. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Lolo National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 47.154, -113.155. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Lolo National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Camp Creek at 19 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Lolo National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Lolo National Forest?

173 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Camp Paxson Boy Scout Camp (24mo77) and Cougar Peak Lookout.

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: Lolo 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.