USFS · Idaho, Montana

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

The Bitterroot Mountains form a rugged, glacier-carved border between Idaho and Montana. On both sides of this border is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the third largest Wilderness in the Lower 48. Only the 600 foot wide Nez Perce Trail (the Magruder Corridor), an unimproved dirt road, separates the Selway-Bitterroot from the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Except for the high crest of the Bitterroot Mountains, the area is dominated by ridges broken with raw granite peaks. Below the ridges are deep canyons covered with thick coniferous forest. Hidden low valleys are rich with old-growth cedar, fir, and spruce, with Ponderosa Pine dominating open grassy slopes along the rivers.

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).

Wilderness1.3 million acresUSFSIDMTDesignated 196427 campgrounds within 10 mi2 Forest Service sites203 trails
Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
4 fires
active
Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C (prescribed burn) · 27 mi from the center · 269 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StatesIdaho, Montana
Size1.3 million acres
Designated1964, by Congress
Center point46.13° N, 114.73° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12)

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.0°F averageFebruary: 27.5°F averageMarch: 34.6°F averageApril: 41.1°F averageMay: 49.5°F averageJune: 56.8°F averageJuly: 64.2°F averageAugust: 62.8°F averageSeptember: 53.8°F averageOctober: 41.8°F averageNovember: 30.9°F averageDecember: 23.9°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Powell, 26 miles from the center point at 3,530 feet, station USC00107320 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. The station sits about 1,900 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 26 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
Lost Spring Campground
First-come6 sites
FS · under 0.1 mi
Paradise Campground
First-comeID
FS · under 0.1 mi
Magruder Crossing Campground
First-come6 sites
FS · 1 mi
Schumaker Campground
First-come16 sites
FS · 1.4 mi
Wilderness Gateway
Reservable71 sites
FS · 1.9 mi
Sam Billings Memorial Campground
First-come12 sites
FS · 2 mi
Slims Camp
First-comeID
FS · 2.3 mi
Fales Flat Campground
Reservable3 sites
Show 4 more

15 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 2

The Forest Service lists 2 recreation sites inside this wilderness, among them 1 campground, 1 horse Riding. 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.

Trails

Trailhead Atlas →

203 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 1,611 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Eagle Mountain ↗43
Selway River Trail ↗38.4
East Moose Creek ↗36.3
Nez Perce Indian Trail ↗34.7
Big Rock ↗32
Beaver Ridge ↗30
Boulder Creek ↗27.5
North Moose/Isaac Lake ↗26.1
Lost Horse ↗25.5
Whitecap Creek ↗24.6

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

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C

    27 mi from the center point · 269 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 Piquett Creek

    32 mi from the center point · 2,210 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D3 Granite Graves 220

    43 mi from the center point · 10 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D3 Granite Graves 203

    43 mi from the center point · 31 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

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historical Park · 25 mi
Nez Perce National Historical Park
National Register listings within 15 miles · 100 in all · Register Atlas

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

Guidebooks for Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and Idaho

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 Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

1.3 million acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in?

The boundary crosses Idaho and Montana.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1964.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Selway-Bitterroot 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 Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 46.130° N, 114.726° W. Nez Perce National Historical Park is 25 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Is there a fire near Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C at 27 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Which national parks are near Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

Nez Perce National Historical Park (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness?

The National Register has 100 listings within 15 miles, including Gardiner Peak Lookout and St. Mary Peak Lookout.

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.