Bitterroot National Forest

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Bitterroot National Forest
Trapper Peak in Bitterroot National Forest
Location	Ravalli / Missoula counties, Montana; Idaho County, Idaho, United States
Nearest city	Missoula, MT
Coordinates	46°13′58″N 113°57′49″W / 46.23278°N 113.96361°W / 46.23278; -113.96361
Area	1,587,070 acres (6,422.6 km2)
Established	1898
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Bitterroot National Forest

Bitterroot National Forest comprises 1.587 million acres (6,423 km²) in west-central Montana and eastern Idaho of the United States. It is located primarily in Ravalli County, Montana (70.26% of the forest), but also has acreage in Idaho County, Idaho (29.24%), and Missoula County, Montana (0.49%).^[1]

Founded in 1898, the forest is located in the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains with elevations ranging from 2,200 feet (650 m) along the Salmon River in Idaho to 10,157 foot (3,100 m) Trapper Peak. Roughly half the forest (743,000 acres, 3,000 km²) make up part or all of three distinct Wilderness areas. These areas include the Anaconda–Pintler, Selway–Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wildernesses. The distinction is that in wilderness areas, no roads, logging, mining or other construction is permitted and all access must be done either on foot or horseback; even bicycles are not permitted. Hunting, however is allowed forest-wide including wilderness areas.