Welcome Creek Wilderness
The Welcome Creek Wilderness is located in the Rock Creek drainage 25 miles east of Missoula, Montana. This 28,135 acre wilderness measures, approximately, nine miles by seven miles. The ridges are steep...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
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| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 28,248 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1978, by Congress |
| Center point | 46.6029, -113.7353 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 10) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
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
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 6 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Fire nearby
- WildfireBlack Bear
31 mi from the center point · 2,126 acres · 30% contained
- WildfireNature Grove
32 mi from the center point · 1,422 acres · 0% contained
- WildfireMoose
37 mi from the center point · 6,005 acres · 15% contained
- WildfireNorth Fork Lost Horse
42 mi from the center point · 118 acres · 70% 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
- 7.3 miRock Creek Guard Station (24gn165) ↗Philipsburg, MT
- 13.3 miCarlton Community Church ↗Florence, MT
- 14.1 miBitter Root Cooperative Creamery ↗Stevensville, MT
- 14.1 miCook, Wilbur, House ↗Stevensville, MT
- 14.1 miCochran, William, House ↗Stevensville, MT
- 14.1 miHarrington, Rose, House ↗Stevensville, MT
- 14.2 miMetcalf House ↗Stevensville, MT
- 14.2 miLockridge House ↗Stevensville, MT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Welcome Creek Wilderness?
28,248 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Welcome Creek Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Welcome Creek Wilderness in?
Montana.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Welcome Creek Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1978.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Welcome Creek Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Harry's Flat Campground, 0.1 miles out. 6 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
How do I get to Welcome Creek Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 46.603, -113.735. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Welcome Creek Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Black Bear at 31 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Welcome Creek Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 10 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Welcome Creek Wilderness?
43 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Rock Creek Guard Station (24gn165) and Carlton Community Church.
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.
- 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.