Bob Marshall Wilderness
Located in northwestern Montana on both sides of the Continental Divide, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex includes the Bob Marshall, Scapegoat, and Great Bear Wilderness areas. Together, they span more than 1.5 million acres—making this one of the largest wilderness landscapes in the lower 48 states. Visitors to this vast and rugged terrain can explore over 1,700 miles of trail that wind through alpine meadows, forested valleys, windswept ridges, and dramatic rock formations. One of the most iconic features is the Chinese Wall, a 22-mile-long limestone escarpment rising 1,000 feet along the Continental Divide.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 1.1 million acres |
| Designated | 1964, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.68° N, 113.16° 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 21 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
9 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Trailheads and sites
The Forest Service lists 1 recreation site inside this wilderness, among them 1 trailhead. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.
- 16 miYoungs Danaher Backcountry Access ↗Trailhead
Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.
Trails
254 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 1,618 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Big River ↗ | 43.7 | |
| Main South Fork ↗ | 38.9 | |
| Spotted Bear River ↗ | 33.9 | |
| Holland-Gordon ↗ | 28.9 | |
| Hobnail Tom ↗ | 27.4 | |
| South Fork Sun ↗ | 25.3 | |
| Smith - Little Salmon ↗ | 23.3 | |
| West Side South Fork ↗ | 23.3 | |
| East Side South Fork ↗ | 23.1 | |
| North Fk Sun ↗ | 22.5 |
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
- PrescribedArrowleaf Rx
28 mi from the center point · 50 acres
- PrescribedSl Beaver Plie Rx
33 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx D6 Seeley Creek Ski Trails
37 mi from the center point · 10 acres
- PrescribedRx D6 Horseshoe West Unit 38
38 mi from the center point · 40 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
- 8.4 miDouble Arrow Lodge ↗Seeley Lake, MT
- 8.7 miCamp Paxson Boy Scout Camp (24mo77) ↗Lolo National Forest, MT
- 9.1 miLaird's Lodge Historic District ↗Seeley Lake, MT
- 10.4 miDouble Arrow Lookout ↗Seeley Lake, MT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Bob Marshall Wilderness and 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 Bob Marshall Wilderness?
1.1 million acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Bob Marshall Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Bob Marshall Wilderness in?
Montana.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Bob Marshall Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1964.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Bob Marshall 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 Bob Marshall Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.681° N, 113.157° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Bob Marshall Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Arrowleaf Rx at 28 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
Are there historic places near Bob Marshall Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Double Arrow Lodge and Camp Paxson Boy Scout Camp (24mo77).
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.