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The 1.6-million acre Bitterroot National Forest in Idaho and Montana is part of the largest area without roads in the continental United States.
The forest contains two mountain ranges separated by the Bitterroot River valley. In the west, more than 30 deep glaciated canyons break the sharp face of the Bitterroot range, providing spectacular scenery. To the east, the Sapphire range presents a gentler horizon.
The Selway River offers world-class, white-water float trips and the Magruder Backcountry Road offers an unusual opportunity for both history and wildlife buffs.
Visitors can follow the trails of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe, view wildlife and enjoy the silent beauty of this forest.
In the drier valley floor and lower foothills there is an arid-lands mix of grasslands, shrublands, and ponderosa pine that borders cottonwood forest along rivers and streams. On grassland ecosystems, wildlife and domestic livestock share forage.
The forest is home to mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bear, mountain lions and moose.
Outdoor Activities |
Fishing in the Bitterroot River in the Bitterroot National Forest.
A raft approaches Devil's Teeth Rapids in the Bitterroot forest.
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