Great Bear Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Great Bear Wilderness is located in northern Montana
, United States
, within Flathead National Forest
Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness comprises 286,700 acres (1,160 km²) and borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness
on the north. The Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wildernesses, along with the Scapegoat Wilderness
which borders the Bob Marshall to the south, collectively form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
, which is over 1.5 million acres (6,070 km²) of almost untouched landscape. Glacier National Park is separated from the Great Bear Wilderness by U.S. Highway 2.
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized
vehicles, including bicycle
s. Although camping
and fishing
are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging
or mining
, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act
. Wilderness areas within National Forests
and Bureau of Land Management
areas also allow hunting
in season.
The Great Bear is located west of the Continental Divide
which forms the eastern boundary. Great Northern Mountain (8,705 ft/2,653 m) is the highest peak in the wilderness which is dominated by dozens of other mountains, all part of the Rocky Mountain Front
, a huge overthrust fault
that spans for 400 miles (643 km) through Canada
and Montana. Great Bear is the origination point of the wild and scenic designated Middle Fork of the Flathead River
, which flows for 50 miles (80 km) through the wilderness and is rarely visited.
In the valleys a dense coniferous forest is dominated by various species of spruce
, pine
and fir
. Living up to its name, the wilderness is prime grizzly bear
habitat and has some of the most dense populations of the species anywhere in the lower 48 states. Black bear
s are more common however and there is a sizable number of black bears that are cinnamon colored here, which are often mistaken for grizzlies. Other mammals found in the wilderness include lynx
, wolverine
, mule deer
, elk
, moose
, mountain goat
, and bighorn sheep
. There are few lakes in the wilderness, but over 500 miles (800 km) of named streams and rivers.
300 miles (480 km) of hiking
trails exist in the wilderness, but many of them are poorly maintained. Much of the interior sections have no trails at all requiring travelers to have to bushwack. Visitors are urged when entering this remote landscape to be well versed in outdoor survival skills, have knowledge of the use of map
and compass
and to make sure someone knows where you're going and when you'll be back. Even on maintained trails frequent stream crossings are common and can be especially dangerous, particularly in the spring during snowmelt. For the most part, winter snows have completely melted by mid May, although higher terrain may continue to have small snowfields year round. Summertime brings pesky mosquito
s and thunderstorms which often produce more lightning
than rain
. The winters are often bitter with deep snowfalls and frigid temperatures. This is a wilderness for the experienced adventurer but guided packtrips are available.
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, within Flathead National Forest
Flathead National Forest
The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest covers of which about 1 million acres is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Indians who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains with elevations...
Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness comprises 286,700 acres (1,160 km²) and borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Bob Marshall Wilderness
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is a wilderness area in Flathead National Forest of western Montana in the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall , an early forester, conservationist, and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. The Bob Marshall Wilderness extends for 60 miles along the...
on the north. The Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wildernesses, along with the Scapegoat Wilderness
Scapegoat Wilderness
The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres spread across three different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in Lewis and Clark, Helena and Lolo National Forests...
which borders the Bob Marshall to the south, collectively form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex consists of three wilderness areas, all within the U.S. state of Montana totalling over 1.5 million acres . The largest wilderness area is the Bob Marshall consisting of 1 million acres...
, which is over 1.5 million acres (6,070 km²) of almost untouched landscape. Glacier National Park is separated from the Great Bear Wilderness by U.S. Highway 2.
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized
Mechanization
Mechanization or mechanisation is providing human operators with machinery that assists them with the muscular requirements of work or displaces muscular work. In some fields, mechanization includes the use of hand tools...
vehicles, including bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s. Although camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
or mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
. Wilderness areas within National Forests
United States National Forest
National Forest is a classification of federal lands in the United States.National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned by the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Land management of these areas...
and Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
areas also allow hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
in season.
The Great Bear is located west of the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
which forms the eastern boundary. Great Northern Mountain (8,705 ft/2,653 m) is the highest peak in the wilderness which is dominated by dozens of other mountains, all part of the Rocky Mountain Front
Rocky Mountain Front
The Rocky Mountain Front is an area extending over 100 miles from the central regions of the U.S. state of Montana to southern Alberta, Canada. Here, the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains and Canadian Prairie in an abrupt elevation rise of between 4,000 to 5,000 feet...
, a huge overthrust fault
Geologic fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement along the fractures as a result of earth movement. Large faults within the Earth's crust result from the action of tectonic forces...
that spans for 400 miles (643 km) through Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Montana. Great Bear is the origination point of the wild and scenic designated Middle Fork of the Flathead River
Flathead River
The Flathead River, in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Rocky Mountains near Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flathead Lake, then after a journey of , empties into the Clark Fork. The river is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, as the Clark...
, which flows for 50 miles (80 km) through the wilderness and is rarely visited.
In the valleys a dense coniferous forest is dominated by various species of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
, pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
. Living up to its name, the wilderness is prime grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
habitat and has some of the most dense populations of the species anywhere in the lower 48 states. Black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s are more common however and there is a sizable number of black bears that are cinnamon colored here, which are often mistaken for grizzlies. Other mammals found in the wilderness include lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
, wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
, and bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
. There are few lakes in the wilderness, but over 500 miles (800 km) of named streams and rivers.
300 miles (480 km) of hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails exist in the wilderness, but many of them are poorly maintained. Much of the interior sections have no trails at all requiring travelers to have to bushwack. Visitors are urged when entering this remote landscape to be well versed in outdoor survival skills, have knowledge of the use of map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
and compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
and to make sure someone knows where you're going and when you'll be back. Even on maintained trails frequent stream crossings are common and can be especially dangerous, particularly in the spring during snowmelt. For the most part, winter snows have completely melted by mid May, although higher terrain may continue to have small snowfields year round. Summertime brings pesky mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
s and thunderstorms which often produce more lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
than rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
. The winters are often bitter with deep snowfalls and frigid temperatures. This is a wilderness for the experienced adventurer but guided packtrips are available.
See also
- Glacier National Park
- Flathead National ForestFlathead National ForestThe Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest covers of which about 1 million acres is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Indians who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains with elevations...
- Stanton GlacierStanton GlacierStanton Glacier is located in the U.S. state of Montana in Flathead National Forest. The glacier is situated in a cirque on the northeast slope of Great Northern Mountain. Stanton Glacier is one of several glaciers that have been selected for monitoring by the U.S...