The United States Congress designated the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness in 1964 and it now has a total of 158,615 acres. All of the wilderness is in Montana and is managed by the Forest Service. Description
The Anaconda-Pintler wilderness straddles the Continental Divide in the Anaconda mountain range, encompassing high and rugged peaks, cirques, U-shaped valleys, and glacial moraines. Sparkling lakes and tumbling streams fed by the icy water running off the snowfields above the timberline enhance the beauty and offer excellent fishing for four species of trout, three of char, mountain whitefish, and arctic grayling (although the surfaces are usually frozen until early July). If you have the gear, try your luck in the headwaters of Rock Creek, a blue-ribbon trout stream, or the branches of the Bitterroot and Big Hole Rivers.
Black bears, moose, elk, deer, and mountain goats call this home. Elevations range from about 5,100 feet to 10,793 feet on West Goat Peak, with sagebrush and willow flats in the lower elevations rising to forests of pine, fir, and spruce and eventually to aspen, pine, fir, and larch. The highest slopes are often bare talus, with vegetation limited to lichens.
A 45-mile section of the 3,100-mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (here called the Hi-Line Trail) traverses the length of the Wilderness and provides access to many of the most rewarding spots. Horsepackers and backpackers come in approximately equal numbers. Despite the splendor of this Wilderness, hundreds of miles of other trails are rarely used.
Directions
Drive 90 minutes south from Missoula or an hour west from Anaconda. Access trailheads via US 93 from the west, MT 43 from the east and south, and MT 38 and MT 1 from the north.
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