Great Bear Wilderness
Great Bear Wilderness is a 286,659-acre wilderness area in Flathead County, Montana. It rises from about 3,674 to 8,685 ft. The nearest town is Snowslip, 0.5 miles away in a straight line.
Great Bear Wilderness map
Great Bear Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Snowslip, MT is the nearest town, 0.5 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Great Bear Wilderness is about 8,685 ft, and its lowest about 3,674 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model). Its highest named summit is Great Northern Mountain, about 8,670 ft.
Who manages Great Bear Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Service | 286,659 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Hungry Horse Ranger District, 406-387-3800 |
Getting to Great Bear Wilderness
- Snowslip, MT is the nearest town, 0.5 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Great Bear Wilderness
- Giefer Creek Trailhead (0.3 mi outside the boundary, 4,635 ft), at 48.2641, -113.4150
- Bear Creek Trailhead (0.54 mi outside the boundary, 3,884 ft), at 48.2338, -113.5650
- Devil Creek Trailhead (0.7 mi outside the boundary, 4,390 ft), at 48.2522, -113.4634
- South Creek Trailhead (0.74 mi outside the boundary, 4,288 ft), at 47.9744, -113.4631
Trailhead locations: Forest Service recreation sites layer , accessed 2026-09-30. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Named summits, canyons, and springs in Great Bear Wilderness
- Great Northern Mountain summit
- Mount Grant summit
- Trilobite Peak summit
- Almeda Lake lake
Features whose official location is inside the boundary, from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, accessed 2026-09-30. Summit elevations measured on the USGS 3DEP elevation model, which can read a few feet under a surveyed summit height.
Campgrounds in and around Great Bear Wilderness
Devil Creek Campground (0.7 miles outside the boundary): its sites, fees, and reservations on campgroundsdb.com.
Public lands next to Great Bear Wilderness
- National forestGreat Bear Wilderness lies inside Flathead National Forest.
- Wilderness areaGreat Bear Wilderness borders Bob Marshall Wilderness.
- National forestGreat Bear Wilderness borders Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
- National Park Service unitGlacier National Park is 0.3 miles away, straight line between the two boundaries.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Montana
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- apps.fs.usda.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.