Anaconda Pintler Wilderness
One of the jewels of the Northern Rockies, this Wilderness takes its name from the Anaconda Range and Charles Ellsworth Pintler, a Big Hole Valley settler of the late 1800s. The Wilderness is managed by the Forest Service and encompasses 158,615 acres in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Bitterroot National Forests. The Wilderness straddles the Continental Divide along the crest of the Anaconda Range in southwestern Montana, positioned between the Bitterroot Valley to the northwest and the Big Hole Valley to the south. Streams and rivers in the Wilderness drain to the Bitterroot and Big Hole Rivers as well as Rock Creek.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 158,712 acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 45.95° N, 113.47° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 13) |
Boundary map
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.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
None of the 13 federal campgrounds within ten miles sit inside the boundary. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
1 more within ten miles is not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
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.
- 12 miEast Fork Trailhead ↗Backpacking
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
49 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 355 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Bitterroot-Rock Creek Divide ↗ | 84 | |
| Hiline Trail ↗ | 25.3 | |
| Copper Creek Trail ↗ | 13 | |
| Twin Lakes ↗ | 12 | |
| West Fork Lamarche ↗ | 12 | |
| East Fork ↗ | 11.5 | |
| Mudd Lake ↗ | 10.6 | |
| Beaver Creek ↗ | 10.4 | |
| Carpp Creek Trail ↗ | 10.1 | |
| Buck Creek ↗ | 8.8 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx D3 Tepee 12 Johnson Wf Landings
13 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx Cutaway
13 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx Bowles And Daly
22 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C
35 mi from the center point · 269 acres
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
- 0.1 miMcCart Fire Lookout ↗Sula, MT
- 1.5 miMoose Lake Camp Historic District ↗Philipsburg, MT
- 12.8 miFurst, John, House ↗Anaconda, MT
- 12.8 miEck, Theodore, House ↗Anaconda, MT
- 12.8 miMatheson, Duncan, House ↗Anaconda, MT
- 13.1 miDeer Lodge County Courthouse ↗Anaconda, MT
- 13.2 miSt. Mark's Episcopal Church ↗Anaconda, MT
- 13.2 miWaddell, George, House ↗Anaconda, MT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Montana
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
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?
Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities, and the managing agency page has the permit rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 45.950° N, 113.470° W. 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 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D3 Tepee 12 Johnson Wf Landings at 13 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
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
Are there historic places near Anaconda Pintler Wilderness?
The National Register has 29 listings within 15 miles, including McCart Fire Lookout and Moose Lake Camp Historic District.
Source: Register Atlas
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.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- 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.