Based on the

U.S. Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

, there are at least 20 named

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

and

State Forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...

s in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. In addition to currently named forests, there are at least 22 former named forests that have been consolidated into current forest lands. National Forests are administered by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

, an agency of the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

. Montana State Forests are administered by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Current forests

State forests

Stillwater State Forest Headquarters in Montana on US93

* Clearwater State Forest,

Missoula County, Montana Missoula County is located in the State of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,922, making it Montana's third-most populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Missoula. The county was founded in 1860. Missoula Cou ...

, , el. * Coal Creek State Forest,

Flathead County, Montana Flathead County is in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, its population was 104,357, making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell. Its numerical designation (used in the issuance of license plates ...

, , el. * Lincoln State Forest,

Lewis and Clark County, Montana Lewis and Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,973. Its county seat is Helena, the state capital. The numerical designation for Lewis and Clark County (used in the issuance ...

, , el. * Stillwater State Forest,

, , el. * Sula State Forest,

Ravalli County, Montana Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. Its county seat is Hamilton. Ravalli County is part of a north–south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphir ...

, , el. * Swan River State Forest,

Lake County, Montana Lake County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,134. Its county seat is Polson. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total a ...

, , el. * Thompson River State Forest,

Sanders County, Montana Sanders County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,400. Its county seat is Thompson Falls. The county was founded in 1905. It has an annual county fair with rodeo at Plains. Geography Acc ...

, , el.

National forests

Beaverhead National Forest Beaverhead County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,371. Its county seat is Dillon. The county was founded in 1865. Much of the perimeter of the county is the Continental Di ...

Beaverhead County, Montana Beaverhead County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,371. Its county seat is Dillon. The county was founded in 1865. Much of the perimeter of the county is the Continental ...

, , el. *

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 Idah ...

, , el. *

Custer National Forest Custer National Forest is located primarily in the south central part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections. While in the wes ...

Powder River County, Montana Powder River County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,694. Its county seat is Broadus. History Powder River County's area was probably first entered by Europeans when French trappers worked ...

, , el. * Deerlodge National Forest,

Jefferson County, Montana Jefferson County is a county in Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,085. Its county seat is Boulder. The county was created in 1865 and named for President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson County is part of the He ...

, , el. *

Flathead National Forest The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest lies primarily in Flathead County, south of Glacier National Park. The forest covers of which about is designated wilderness. It i ...

, , el. *

Gallatin National Forest The Gallatin National Forest (now known as the Custer-Gallatin National Forest) is a United States National Forest located in South-West Montana. Most of the Custer-Gallatin goes along the state's southern border, with some of it a part of North- ...

Park County, Montana Park County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, the population was 17,191. Its county seat is Livingston. A small part of Yellowstone National Park is in the southern part of the county. History The Territorial Legis ...

, , el. * Gallatin Petrified Forest, Gallatin County, Montana, , el. * Helena National Forest,

, , el. *

Kaniksu National Forest The Kaniksu National Forest (pronounced "Kuh-NICK-su") is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle, and northwestern Montana. It is one of three forests that are aggregated into the Idaho Panhandle National ...

, , el. *

Kootenai National Forest The Kootenai National Forest is a national forest located in the far northwestern section of Montana and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho panhandle in the United States, along the Canada–US border. Of the administered by the forest, le ...

Lincoln County, Montana Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,677. Its county seat is Libby. The county was founded in 1909 and named for President Abraham Lincoln. The county lies on Montana's ...

, , el. *

Lewis and Clark National Forest Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "islan ...

, Meagher County, Montana, , el. *

Lolo National Forest __NOTOC__ Lolo National Forest is a national forest located in western Montana, United States with the western boundary being the state of Idaho. The forest spans 2 million acres (8,000 km2) and includes four wilderness areas; the Scapegoat a ...

, , el.

Other forests

* The Lubrecht Experimental Forest is managed by the W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation at the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fa ...

. The forest is in

, , el. .

Former national forests

* Absaroka National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest and Gallatin National Forest (1945) * Beartooth National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1932) *

Big Belt National Forest Big Belt National Forest was established as the Big Belt Forest Reserve by the United States Forest Service in Montana on October 3, 1905 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 part of Big Belt was combined with Ga ...

, now part of Helena National Forest and Gallatin National Forest (1908) *

Big Hole National Forest Big Hole National Forest was established as the Big Hole Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in Montana and Idaho on November 5, 1906 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 Big Hole was divided between Beaverh ...

, now part of Beaverhead, Deerlodge and Bitterroot National Forests (1908) *

Blackfeet National Forest Blackfeet National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Montana on July 1, 1908 with . On June 22, 1935 Blackfeet was divided between Flathead National Forest and Kootenai National Forest, and the name was discontinued. See also * ...

, now part of Flathead National Forest and Kootenai National Forest (1935) *

Cabinet National Forest Cabinet National Forest was established in Idaho and Montana by the U.S. Forest Service on March 2, 1907 with , mostly in Montana. On July 1, 1954 it was divided among Kaniksu, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests. See also * List of forests in ...

, now part of Kaniksu, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests (1954) * Crazy Mountain National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1908) * Ekalaka National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1908) *

Elkhorn National Forest Elkhorn National Forest was established as the Elkhorn Forest Reserve in Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the ...

, now part of Helena National Forest (1908) *

Flathead Forest Reserve The Flathead Forest Reserve was established in Montana by the General Land Office on February 22, 1897, with . On June 9, 1903, it was combined with the Lewis and Clarke Forest Reserve and its name was discontinued. The reserve area is approxima ...

, now part of Flathead National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest (1903) * Hell Gate National Forest, now part of Beaverhead, Deerlodge, Missoula and Bitterroot National Forests (1908) * Highwood Mountains National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1908) * Jefferson National Forest (Montana), now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1932) * Little Belt National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1908) * Little Rockies National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1908) * Long Pine National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1908) * Madison National Forest, now part of Beaverhead, Gallatin and Deerlodge National Forests (1931) * Missoula National Forest, now part of Lolo National Forest and Deerlodge National Forest (1931) * Otter National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1908) * Pryor Mountains National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1908) * Sioux National Forest, now part of Custer National Forest (1920) * Snowy Mountains National Forest, now part of Lewis and Clark National Forest (1908)

Notes

{{Protected Areas of Montana National Forests of Montana Former National Forests of Montana Montana state forests