Great Bear Wilderness, Protected wilderness in Flathead National Forest, Montana.
Great Bear Wilderness is a protected area in the Flathead National Forest that covers hundreds of thousands of acres of rugged terrain. Mountains, dense forest, and the Middle Fork Flathead River shape the landscape, with an extensive trail system running through the region.
Congress designated this wilderness in 1978, connecting it to Glacier National Park and making it part of a larger protected landscape. The designation recognized the area's wild character and ecological importance.
The land holds deep meaning for the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, and Blackfeet peoples who hunted and gathered here for generations. Their connection to this territory remains an important part of the region's identity.
Access to the wilderness is available from U.S. Highway 2 and Montana Highway 83, with several trailheads located along these roads. Conditions are best from late spring through early fall when weather is milder and trails are more passable.
Schafer Meadows contains one of the few permitted airstrips in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, a landing site that existed before the wilderness designation in 1978. This unusual facility allows limited aircraft access in an otherwise pristine area.
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