Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

The Bitterroot Mountains stretch along the Idaho-Montana border for roughly 200 miles. The largest section of unspoiled wilderness associated with the Bitterroot Mountains, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is nearly 1.5 million acres. Slightly over 250,000 acres of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness lie inside Montana.

The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is the third largest roadless area in the Lower 48 States, surpassed in size only by California’s Death Valley Wilderness and Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is only separated from the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness by the Nez Perce Trail (The Magruder Corridor), a lightly traveled, unimproved dirt road.

Virtually the entire western side of the Bitterroot Valley leads into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. The exception is a corridor through Lost Horse Creek to Twin Lakes .

Several hiking trails lead into deeply glaciated canyons. Heavily forested drainages rise to rugged, barren, rocky ridges. This is an unspoiled land of breath taking beauty. Terrific fishing can be found in the numerous alpine lakes.

The hiking trails are friendly to even the most novice of hikers. Many trails have minimal elevation gains due to the deep canyons. There are numerous "day hikes" that take you to places only a few fortunate persons have seen.