UL Bend Wilderness
Approximately 125 miles from the Fort Peck Dam, you'll find the UL Bend Wilderness, north of a tight U-shaped bend in the Missouri River. Situated within the Charles M. Russell and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuges, this area is characterized by breaks (badlands), steep-sided forested coulees, prairie grasslands, cottonwood river bottoms, and an abundance of wildlife: elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, coyotes, badgers, bobcats, Canada geese, grouse, and a wide variety of raptors. Prairie dogs have established "towns" here, complex systems of interconnected burrows that cover thousands of acres.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 20,819 acres |
| Designated | 1976, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.54° N, 107.88° W |
| Night sky | Very dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 21) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
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
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is UL Bend Wilderness?
20,819 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages UL Bend Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is UL Bend Wilderness in?
Montana.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was UL Bend Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1976.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to UL Bend Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.536° N, 107.878° W. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
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.