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Montana

Lolo National Forest

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Lolo National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

2,639,224 acres (2,197,966 federal/ 441,258 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo

Overview

Located in western Montana, the elevation of Lolo National Forest ranges from less than 2,400 feet on the Clark Fork River below Thompson Falls to the top of 9,186-foot Scapegoat Mountain.  West of Missoula off Interstate 90, the Ninemile Historic Remount Depot preserves a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp and pack stock training facility.  Founded in 1907, the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery Area is also well developed for visitors, including an arboretum and cabin rentals in what were formerly the cookhouse and bunkhouse. 

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Highlights

Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, Lolo Pass Visitor Center, Lolo National Historic Trail, Fort Fizzle, Blue Mountain Recreation Area, Cascade Falls, Savenac Nursery, Petty Creek Bighorn Sheep Viewing Site, Clearwater Canoe Trail, Stark Mountain Vista, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Lolo National Forest surrounds Missoula, where the Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center offers guided tours and exhibits.  Right outside of the city are numerous hiking trails in Blue Mountain Recreation Area and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, which contains 73 miles of trails (and has its own blog entry on our website).  Following a path used by the Corps of Discovery in 1805, the Lolo National Historic Trail shadows Highway 12 west into Idaho (see Clearwater National Forest). Take time to stop at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Best Trail

Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail leads to a 90-foot-tall waterfall on the western slope of the Swan Range.  The trail is 5.5 miles out-and-back, mostly flat with some short inclines as it cuts through a burned area now full of beargrass and fireweed.  The waterfall cascades down a rocky outcrop and is well lit in the afternoon.  The trailhead is located 7.5 miles from Highway 83 on a good gravel road that has well-signed intersections.  Also nearby, the Pyramid Pass Trailhead provides access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in adjacent Flathead National Forest.

Watchable Wildlife

There are 60 species of mammals found in Lolo National Forest, including grizzly/brown bears, black bears, mountain lions, gray wolves, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, and mule deer.  Among the largest of the more than 300 birds spotted are bald eagles, golden eagles, and trumpeter swans.  The five rivers and over 100 lakes are home to 30 varieties of ducks and 20 types of fish.

Photographic Opportunity

Located on the western slope of the Swan Range, 90-foot-tall Morrell Falls is accessed on a 5.5-mile out-and-back hike.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The unpaved roads we took were in good shape to Morrell Falls National Recreation Trail and Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.

Camping

The forest has 12 improved campgrounds and several historic fire lookout towers available for overnight rental through the website Recreation.gov. 

Wilderness Areas

Rattlesnake Wilderness

Scapegoat Wilderness (also in Helena and Lewis and Clark National Forests)

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (also in Bitterroot, Clearwater, and Nez Perce National Forests)

Welcome Creek Wilderness

Related Sites

Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (Montana)

Beaverhead National Forest (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Douglas-fir cone setting on a larch branch
Fireweed
Beargrass
Fireweed
Lolo Pass Visitor Center

Conifer Tree Species

western redcedar, alpine larch, western larch, whitebark pine, ponderosa pine, grand fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, mountain hemlock

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, western serviceberry

Explore More – What is the origin of the name Lolo?

Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests.

Montana

Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

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Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

28,000 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/recreation/rattlesnake-national-recreation-area-wilderness

Overview

Situated only four miles from Missoula, Montana within Lolo National Forest, Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is a popular area for outdoor recreation year-round.  It was established in 1980, at the same time as the adjacent 32,976-acre Rattlesnake Wilderness, which ranges in elevation from 4,200 feet up to 8,620-foot McLeod Peak.  The National Recreation Area has one of the only Sphagnum bogs in the western U.S. and Rattlesnake Creek hosts bull trout, cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish. 

Highlights

Rattlesnake Main Trail, Ravine Creek Trail. Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail, Stuart Peak Trail

Must-Do Activity

There are 73 miles of hiking trails in the National Recreation Area, but the most heavily used are the first three miles of Rattlesnake Main Trail along Rattlesnake Creek.   These trails are also open to horseback riders, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers.  Be aware that mountain lions and black bears frequent the area, and we came across a bear on a warm morning in early August. 

Best Trail

Rattlesnake Main Trail follows an old logging road along the creek for the first nine miles before it gets steeper.  Other popular hiking options include Ravine Creek Trail, Sawmill Curry Gulch Loop Trail, Spring Gulch Trail with its moderate elevation gain, and Stuart Peak Trail that climbs steeply up into the Rattlesnake Wilderness.

Photographic Opportunity

Rattlesnake Creek attracts many animals, including the American dipper or ouzel, an aquatic songbird.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

From the Van Buren Street exit #105 off Interstate 90, head north as it turns into Rattlesnake Drive, which you drive for approximately three miles to the entrance.

Camping

There is no campground within the National Recreation Area and the closest ones in Lolo National Forest are much further west on Interstate 90 or to the north off Highway 83.

Related Sites

Helena National Forest (Montana)

Bitterroot National Forest (Montana)

Clearwater National Forest (Idaho)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Snowshoe hare
Snowshoe hare
Black bear
Black bear

Explore More – What species of native orchids can be found growing here?

Montana

Lewis and Clark National Forest

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Lewis and Clark National Forest

Montana

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Northern Region

1,999,256 acres (1,863,788 federal/ 135,468 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/helena-lewisclark

Overview

East of the Continental Divide in Montana, Lewis and Clark National Forest is split across eight mountain ranges east and west of the Missouri River.  The largest western section butts up against Glacier National Park to the north and includes parts of the Scapegoat and the Bob Marshall Wilderness areas, which provide crucial habitat for grizzly/brown bears and world-class places for backpacking.  The Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve dates back to 1897, with the now-defunct Jefferson and Absaroka National Forests added in 1932 and 1945 respectively.  Since 2014, it has been co-managed with Helena National Forest.

Highlights

King Hill Scenic Byway, Cataract Falls, Sun River Gorge, Gibson Reservoir, Mt. Wright, Deep Creek Loop National Recreation Trail, Windy Mountain Trail, Crystal Cascades Trail, Crystal Lake Shoreline Loop Trail, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

We have always wanted to visit the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service’s 25,000 square-foot Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana.  It features an exhibit hall, hiking trails, and a 158-seat theater, and it is open daily in the summer and Wednesday through Sunday in the offseason.  We have also wanted to backpack in the rugged Snowy Mountains, which draw backcountry skiers in the winter and horseback riders in the summer.  We will have to return to this central part of Montana, which includes one of our favorite places to explore: Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument run by the Bureau of Land Management.

Best Trail

One of the most famous formations along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is the 15-mile long Chinese Wall, a 1,000-foot-tall cliff composed of five-million-year-old limestone.  Its closest access is 15 miles one-way from the South Fork Sun Trailhead, which is often marked as Packers on maps at the end of the gravel Benchmark Road (Forest Road 235).  The trail begins by following the South Fork Sun River before crossing a bridge and entering the Bob Marshall Wilderness.  We got a late start on the way in and came across a grizzly/brown bear grazing near the trail that evening and, on the drive out, we stopped to photograph three moose near Wood Lake Campground and a common loon in Anderson Lake.

Watchable Wildlife

Grizzly/brown bears are the most famous residents of the National Forest.  Additional mammals include black bears, mountain lions, Canada lynxes, wolverines, mule deer, Columbian white-tailed deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, and moose.  Bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, and three types of grouse are often spotted.  There are excellent fly-fishing opportunities in the 1,600 miles of rivers and streams.

Photographic Opportunity

The 15-mile long Chinese Wall is an iconic landmark along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. 

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None except for the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, which costs $8 per person or you can use an America the Beautiful pass.

Road Conditions

We drove the gravel Benchmark Road (Forest Road 235), which was long and in excellent condition.

Camping

There are 29 vehicle-accessible campgrounds in Lewis and Clark National Forest, including Wood Lake Campground near the South Fork Sun Trailhead.  Backcountry and dispersed camping options abound.

Wilderness Areas

Bob Marshall Wilderness (also in Flathead National Forest)

Scapegoat Wilderness (also in Helena and Lolo National Forests)

Related Sites

Deerlodge National Forest (Montana)

Bighorn National Forest (Wyoming)

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Montana)

Nearest National Park

Glacier

Sego lilies
Grizzly bear
Beargrass
Chinese Wall
Glacier lilies
Three moose
Moose
Common loon

Conifer Tree Species

western redcedar, Douglas-fir, limber pine, whitebark pine, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, western larch, common juniper

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Rocky Mountain maple, western serviceberry

Explore More – Why is the 200 square-mile Badger-Two Medicine area of the National Forest managed differently?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

California

Lassen National Forest

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Lassen National Forest

California

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

1,375,593 acres (1,070,992 federal/ 304,601 other)

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/lassen

Overview

Lassen National Forest Reserve dates back to 1905, then a decade later when Lassen Peak explosively erupted (the first eruption to be photographed in the continental U.S.), 106,589-acre Lassen Volcanic National Park was carved out.  The two federal areas are connected by the 187-mile-long Lassen Scenic Byway (Highways 44 and 89) that traces the volcanic legacy of the southern Cascade Range.  The 41,100-acre Ishi Wilderness was named in 1984 to honor the last surviving member of the Yahi band of Southern Yanas, taken from his native home near Oroville in 1911 and employed as a janitor at the University of California’s Anthropology Museum in San Francisco until his death from tuberculosis five years later.

Highlights

Lassen Scenic Byway, Lake Almanor, Eagle Lake, Subway Cave, Hat Creek Recreational Area, Triangle Lake, Heart Lake National Recreation Trail, Bizz Johnson Trail, Spencer Meadows National Recreation Trail, Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Must-Do Activity

Lassen National Forest runs campgrounds and boat ramps on both Lake Almanor and Eagle Lake, although most of their shorelines are privately owned.  Between the two lakes is the town of Susanville, where a railroad bed abandoned in 1978 was converted into the Bizz Johnson Trail that follows the Susan River for 26 miles. The trail features 12 river crossings and two tunnels with scenic mountain views.  Camping is restricted to specific portions of the trail. The 20,546-acre Caribou Wilderness was one of America’s first Primitive Areas designated in 1932 and along with the 16,335-acre Thousand Lakes Wilderness was established immediately following passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act.  In a proposed Wilderness area on the west side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, Heart Lake National Recreation Trail is a 2.4-mile one-way hike up to a glacial lake that connects to the longer Twin Meadows Trail.

Best Trail

Subway Cave is only 1,300 feet long, but the lava tube is the main attraction in Lassen National Forest, with free guided tours offered on summer weekends.  Lava flowed through here less than 2,000 years ago and interpretive signs along the 0.7-mile loop trail explain lavacicles and other geologic oddities.  A flashlight is necessary to explore past the openings of the 46°F cave, which drops to four feet in some places with a maximum ceiling of 17 feet.  One mile south on the Lassen Scenic Byway (Highway 44) is the 1.7-mile roundtrip Spatter Cone Trail (across from Hat Creek Campground).  The trail passes a variety of volcanic formations in a forest of Jeffrey pine trees.

Watchable Wildlife

Lassen National Forest is home to black bears, pine martens, mountain lions, bobcats, red foxes, coyotes, and a few gray wolves that migrated south from Oregon.  You are most likely to see mule deer or one of the variety of chipmunks or squirrels.  Bird sightings include mountain chickadees, Steller’s jays, Clark’s nutcrackers (at high elevations), and eight species of woodpeckers such as pileated and white-headed.

Photographic Opportunity

Sitting at 4,505 feet in elevation, Lake Almanor stretches for 13 miles near Chester, California and is a good place for summer boating and fishing.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Subway Cave is located right off Lassen Scenic Byway (Highways 44 and 89) and most of the unpaved roads we have explored in the National Forest have been maintained, probably because of the continued harvesting activities that we witnessed on our field trip from Cal Poly University in 2010.

Camping

Lassen National Forest runs campgrounds on both Lake Almanor and Eagle Lake, plus Hat Creek Recreational Area has seven campgrounds.  If you are looking to disperse camp outside Lassen Volcanic National Park, take the road west outside the southern entrance (but keep a clean campsite as we saw a black bear in the area).

Wilderness Areas

Caribou Wilderness

Ishi Wilderness (also managed by BLM)

Thousand Lakes Wilderness

Related Sites

Lava Beds National Monument (California)

Devils Postpile National Monument (California)

Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area (California)

Nearest National Park

Lassen Volcanic

Subway Cave
Subway Cave
Subway Cave
Tiff in Subway Cave
Lake Almanor
White pelicans
Lake Almanor

Conifer Tree Species

red fir, white fir, western hemlock, Jeffrey pine, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, western white pine, California juniper, incense-cedar

Flowering Tree Species

quaking aspen, Fremont cottonwood, ceanothus, manzanita

Explore More – Other than the namesake for Lassen Peak, who was Peter Lassen?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our guidebook Out in the Woods

Colorado, Utah

La Sal National Forest

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La Sal National Forest

Utah, Colorado

Managed by U.S. Forest Service, Intermountain Region

535,288 acres

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal

Overview

La Sal National Forest is found in two separate sections of southeastern Utah surrounding the La Sal and Abajo Mountains, topping out on 12,721-foot Mt. Peale.  Much of the southern portion of the National Forest, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness, was included in the 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument, established in 2016 and then controversially reduced in size before being restored.  Since 1949, it has been administratively combined with the northern and separate Manti National Forest, so it can be difficult to find information for La Sal National Forest alone.  

Highlights

Bears Ears National Monument, La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway, Warner Lake, Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, Buckeye Reservoir, Elk Ridge Scenic Backway, Harts Draw Highway, Abajo Loop State Scenic Backway, Mt. Peale, Arch Canyon, Mt. Tukuhnikivatz

Must-Do Activity

Many visitors access the forest south from Moab on the mostly-paved La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway, a steep drive suitable for passenger vehicles that is accessible in the warmer months.  The often snow-capped La Sal Mountains are featured as the backdrop in nearly every photo of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.  The Sierra La Sal (“Salt Mountains” in Spanish) were a prominent landmark on the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles.  Be sure to make the dirt Gateway Road (FS 207) detour 5.4 miles to visit Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, where there is also a commanding view of Fisher Mesa and Bull Canyon.  Oowah Lake and Warner Lake are also located on unpaved side roads (3.2 and 5.2 miles respectively) from La Sal Mountain Loop Road.

Best Trail

The 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a well-maintained, though unpaved route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211, which connects to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park.  There are multiple trails along the way that provide access to the Dark Canyon Wilderness, an area known for old-growth forests, natural arches, and Ancestral Puebloan ruins and pictographs.  A high-clearance vehicle is not required to reach Big Notch Trailhead where a trail steeply drops into Dark Canyon.  Erosion has cut red clay walls that make navigation somewhat difficult in places.  About four miles in, not far past the large Cicada Arch on the north side, you reach a spring at the meeting with Drift Trail Canyon.  Another two miles takes you to Scorup Cabin, a good place to turn around or explore Horse Pasture Canyon.

Watchable Wildlife

Wildlife species are similar to Utah’s Dixie National Forest and Fishlake National Forest, including black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, skunks, badgers, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, and pronghorns.  Large birds include bald eagles, golden eagles, northern goshawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, common ravens, and various species of owls and woodpeckers.  Look for short-horned lizards in the Dark Canyon Wilderness.  There are many trout and other gamefish found in the streams and small lakes spread across the high-elevations of the La Sal and Abajo Mountains.

Photographic Opportunity

In the summer months, take La Sal Mountain Loop Scenic Backway to Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks to see 200-million-year-old therapod tracks, plus an awesome overlook to the north.

Peak Season

Summer

Fees

None

Road Conditions

La Sal Mountain Loop Road is mostly paved, but side roads to Bull Canyon Dinosaur Tracks, Oowah Lake, and Warner Lake are not.  The 58-mile-long Elk Ridge Scenic Backway is a rocky, unpaved route that leads north from Natural Bridges National Monument to Highway 211; and side roads to some trailheads require a high-clearance vehicle.

Camping

Warner Lake Campground takes reservations, as does Buckeye Reservoir in Colorado and a few others.  Dispersed camping is also an option, especially along lightly-traveled Elk Ridge Scenic Backway.

Wilderness Areas

Dark Canyon Wilderness

Wilderness

Related Sites

Arches National Park (Utah)

Bears Ears National Monument (Utah)

Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah)

Nearest National Park

Canyonlands

Warner Lake
Looking into Canyonlands National Park
Cicada Arch
Tiff beneath Cicada Arch
Cicada in Cicada Arch
Ravens about the forest

Conifer Tree Species

Utah juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, two-needle pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, white fir, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, Douglas-fir

Flowering Tree Species

Gambel oak, quaking aspen, Fremont cottonwood, Utah serviceberry, bigtooth maple, manzanita, sagebrush

Explore More – Due to an administrative error in 1908, what was the misspelled name of La Sal National Forest (which was quickly corrected)?

Learn more about this and the 154 other National Forests in our new guidebook Out in the Woods

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