Anaconda Pintler Wilderness

Discover the breathtaking Anaconda Pintler Wilderness—one of the true gems of the Northern Rockies. Named for the rugged Anaconda Mountain Range and early Big Hole Valley settler Charles Ellsworth Pintler, this iconic landscape spans 158,712 pristine acres across the Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Bitterroot National Forests. Protected since 1964, the year the Wilderness Act became law, the area remains a sanctuary of wild beauty and adventure.

Stretching along the Continental Divide in southwestern Montana, the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness is perfectly positioned between the sweeping Bitterroot Valley and the wide-open Big Hole Valley. Here, crystal-clear streams flow toward the Bitterroot and Big Hole rivers and Rock Creek, weaving through a landscape sculpted by ancient glaciers. Visitors are treated to dramatic cirques dotted with alpine tarns, massive U-shaped valleys, razor-sharp arêtes, and striking moraines. Elevations range from 5,100 feet in the lower canyons to a towering 10,893 feet atop West Goat Peak—one of several peaks rising above 10,000 feet.

This mountain range tells a rich geological story, blending Precambrian and Paleozoic limestones, sandstones, and other ancient formations infused with igneous intrusions. Its ecological diversity is just as impressive. Riparian forests and willow thickets thrive in the canyons, while mountain slopes transition from sagebrush foothills to lush spruce-fir and pine forests, ultimately giving way to subalpine meadows of quaking aspen, whitebark pine, and alpine larch. Along the high Divide, dramatic expanses of bare rock, tundra, and snowfields dominate the skyline.

Wildlife enthusiasts will find the area equally inspiring. Many of the Rockies’ iconic species still roam this wilderness, including mule deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolverines, gray wolves, mountain lions, and black bears.

Whether you’re seeking solitude or adventure, the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness offers endless opportunities. Numerous trailheads are easily reached from U.S. Highway 93 and Montana Highways 38, 1, and 43. A spectacular 45-mile stretch of the Continental Divide Trail cuts right through the heart of the wilderness, inviting backpackers to explore high alpine lakes and rugged peaks—while practicing Leave No Trace principles to help preserve this fragile environment. And for mountaineers, the high summits offer challenge, beauty, and unforgettable views.

General Wilderness Prohibitions

• Possessing or using a motor vehicle, motorboat or motorized equipment except as authorized by federal law or regulation.  36 CFR 261.18(a)
• Possessing or using a hang glider or bicycle. 36 CFR 261.18(b)
• Landing of an aircraft, or dropping or picking up of any materials, supplies, or persons by means or aircraft including a helicopter.  36 CFR 261.18(c)

Prohibited by Special Order in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness

• Self-Issued Registration required for Wilderness access.
• Any group over 12 people and 12 head of stock. (36 CFR 261.57b & 261.58f)
• Grazing or tethering of stock within 200 feet of any lake. (36 CFR 261.57a & 261.57e)
• Stock use on Hope Lake Trail #424. (36 CFR 261.57a & 261.57b)
• Campfires within a ¼ mile of Lakes: Oreamnos, Sawed Cabin, Upper Phyllis, Upper Carpp, Surprise, Bear, Buck, Emerald, Lost Lakes, Lower Phyllis, Park Lakes, Sauer, Continental, unnamed lake below Queener Mountain, and unnamed lake west of Warren Lake. (36 CFR 261.52a)
• Use of stock on Pintler District from April 1 to July 1. (36 CFR 261.57a & 261.57b)
• Camping with stock within ¼ mile of: Sawed Cabin, Oreamnos, and Ripple Lakes. (36 CFR 261.57a & 261.57b)
• Caching storing equipment, personal property, or supplies for more than 16 consecutive days within any 45-day period. (36 CFR 261.58a &261.57f)
• Unacceptable Food Storage between March 1 and December 1. (36 CFR 261.58)
• There may be other special regulations in specific areas.  Contact a Forest Service office before you visit to get information on any fire, camping, group size, or grazing restrictions.

Stock Use

Forage is scarce and in some areas nonexistent.  It's advisable to pack in stock feed. Pelletized feed or certified weed seed free hay is required in the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness.  Grazing or tethering of stock within 200 feet of any lake is prohibited.