USFS · Wilderness area · Montana

Anaconda Pintler Wilderness

One of the jewels of the Northern Rockies, the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, managed by the Forest Service, encompasses 158,615 acres in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Bitterroot national forests. It was...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Wilderness158,712 acresUSFSMTDesignated 196418 campgrounds within 10 mi1 Forest Service site
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
4fires
active
Moose · 14 mi from the center · 6,005 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateMontana
Size158,712 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1964, by Congress
Center point45.9497, -113.4702
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13)

Boundary map

1 outline

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 →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 18 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · 0 mi
Mccart Lookout
Reservable1 site
FS · 1.3 mi
Seymour Creek Campground
First-comeMT
FS · 1.4 mi
East Fork Cabin
Reservable1 site
FS · 1.5 mi
Pintler Campground
First-comeMT
FS · 1.6 mi
Martin Creek Campground
First-come7 sites
FS · 1.8 mi
Mussigbrod Campground
First-comeMT
FS · 2.5 mi
Copper Creek Campground
First-come8 sites
FS · 2.6 mi
Spillway Campground
Reservable13 sites
Show 4 more

6 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 1

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 backpacking. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

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
    Moose

    14 mi from the center point · 6,005 acres · 15% contained

  • Wildfire
    Bobcat Lakes

    25 mi from the center point · 10,896 acres · 72% contained

  • Wildfire
    Black Bear

    25 mi from the center point · 2,126 acres · 30% contained

  • Wildfire
    Nature Grove

    26 mi from the center point · 1,422 acres · 0% 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 Battlefield · 12 mi
Big Hole National Battlefield
National Register listings within 15 miles · 29 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

158,712 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Anaconda Pintler Wilderness in?

Montana.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Anaconda Pintler Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1964.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Mccart Lookout, 0 miles out. 18 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site here, including 1 backpacking. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 45.950, -113.470. Big Hole National Battlefield is 12 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Anaconda Pintler Wilderness right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Moose at 14 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 13 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 Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?

Big Hole National Battlefield (12 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • 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.