- Helena National Forest
Infobox_protected_area | name = Helena National Forest
iucn_category = VI
caption =
locator_x = 73
locator_y = 28
location =Montana , USA
nearest_city = Helena, MT
lat_degrees = 46
lat_minutes = 35
lat_seconds = 0
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 111
long_minutes = 50
long_seconds = 0
long_direction = W
area = 976,000 acres (4,000 km²)
established = 1907
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Forest ServiceHelena National Forest is located in west-central
Montana , in theUnited States . Covering 976,000 acres (4,000 km²), the forest is broken into several separate sections. The eastern regions are dominated by theBig Belt Mountains , and are the location of theGates of the Mountains Wilderness , which remains much as it did when theLewis and Clark Expedition passed through the region. The western sections have both thecontinental divide and theScapegoat Wilderness area, which is part of theBob Marshall Wilderness complex. The southern region includes theElkhorn Mountains .The forest is composed of a mixture ofgrass andsagebrush covered lowlands with "island" pockets oflodgepole pine and more mountainous areas whereDouglas fir ,spruce andlarch can be found. Therocky mountains in the region do not exceed 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Thegrizzly bear has a sizeable sustained population in the northwestern section of the forest, especially in the Scapegoat Wilderness. Black bears are numerous as areelk ,moose ,mule deer , and antelope. There are also small populations ofbighorn sheep andmountain goat s. Alongstream s andlake s, sightings of nestingbald eagle s and otherbird s of prey are becoming more common due to protection of thesespecies and their vitally important waterways.700 miles (1100 km) of
hiking trail s are located in the forest along with numeroustrout stream s and severallake s. There are over a dozen improvedcampground s.Snowmobile use is common in the winter months as iscross-country skiing .Interstate 15 runs north-south and
U.S. Route 12 runs east-west through the area.The largest nearby city is Helena,Montana , which is also thestate capital , and the headquarters location for the forest.The forest was the site of the 1949
Mann Gulch fire , which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters and which was the subject ofNorman Maclean 's bookYoung Men and Fire .In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Lewis and Clark, Broadwater, Powell, Jefferson, and Meagher counties.
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