The Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness is a protected wilderness area in the states of Idaho and Montana, in the northwestern United States.
At 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²), it is one of the List of largest wilderness areas in the United States, largest designated wilderness areas in the United States (14th overall, but third-largest outside Alaska).
The Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness spans the Bitterroot Range, Bitterroot Mountain Range, on the border between Idaho and Montana, and covers parts of Bitterroot National Forest, Clearwater National Forest, Lolo National Forest, and the Nez Perce National Forest. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area is immediately to its south, separated from it only by a dirt road (the Magruder Corridor). Together with adjoining public land, the two wilderness areas form a five million-acre (20,000 km²) wild region.
It is here that the Lochsa River, Lochsa and Selway River, Selway rivers form and flow westward to their confluence at Lowell, Idaho (outside the wilderness along U.S. Route 12 in Idaho, U.S. Route 12) to form the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River (Idaho), Clearwater River. The land ranges in elevation from on the Lochsa River to at Trapper Peak (Montana), Trapper Peak in the Bitterroot Mountains.
One of the largest elk herds in the United States calls the wilderness home, and it also boasts a healthy population of bighorn sheep. This wilderness is one of the areas being used to reintroduce wild packs of the grey wolf. The high-elevation areas around the Bitterroot peaks are rugged alpine parkland. Lower areas are covered by dense Pinophyta, coniferous forest.
See also
*List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
*North American inland temperate rainforest
References
External links
*
Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness Information & Maps
mdash;Information from the Bitterroot National Forest
Wilderness.netTopoQuestNational Public Radio
report on the Wilderness Act from the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness]
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Wilderness areas of Idaho
Wilderness areas of Montana
Bitterroot Range
Protected areas of Idaho County, Idaho
Protected areas of Missoula County, Montana
Protected areas of Ravalli County, Montana
Bitterroot National Forest
Lolo National Forest
Nez Perce National Forest
Clearwater National Forest
IUCN Category Ib
Protected areas established in 1964
1964 establishments in Montana