Everything about Lewis And Clark National Forest totally explained
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central
Montana,
United States. Spanning, the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of
grass and
shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here,
cattle leases to local ranchers as well as
timber harvesting are the norm. The western Rocky Mountain Division which straddles the
Continental divide, is more oriented more towards
preservation, primarily because much of the land has been designated as
wilderness.
The forest lands were originally created in
1897 which makes this forest one of the oldest forest preserves in the U.S. The forest is named in honor of the members of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition, which passed through the forest between
1804 and
1806. Prior to that the region was inhabited by Indians for a period of at least 8,000 years and when the expedition first came to the area, the
Blackfeet,
Sioux,
Cheyenne,
Flathead and
Crow Indians all utilized the forest for hunting and as protection from the winter.
Altitudes range from to the top of Rocky Mountain Peak at . The forest is divided into seven separate sections and encompasses eight
mountain ranges; the
Judith,
Big Snowy,
Little Snowy,
Crazy,
Castle,
Little Belt,
Big Belt and
Highwood Mountains. The westernmost section includes portions of the
Great Bear,
Scapegoat and the
Bob Marshall Wildernesses, and also borders
Glacier National Park, which is to the north.
The western Rocky Mountain Division consists of a dense
coniferous forest and has numerous species of
spruce,
fir,
larch and
pine. The Jeffereson Division is dominated by
ponderosa and
lodgepole pine which prefer a dryer climate. The
Grizzly bear and
wolf are found in the western sections of the forest, and are especially dense in the designated wilderness areas. In addition, the western section contains much of the wildlife present when the Lewis and Clark Expedition first passed through the region.
Mountain goats,
bighorn sheep,
elk,
mountain lions,
lynx,
wolverines and
black bears are most common nearest the Continental divide. In other sections of the forest, black bears,
mule deer and
white-tailed deer are the largest mammals found. Throughout the forest,
Bald Eagles,
grouse,
peregrine falcon and
red tailed hawks are increasing in numbers. Lakes and streams are more numerous in the western section due to a higher altitude and more precipitation and are home to the rare
westslope cutthroat trout, which may become the one of the latest
endangered species. In the of rivers and streams in the forest,
Rainbow trout,
brook trout and
northern pike are relatively common however. Excellent
fly fishing opportunities are plentiful, especially in the Smith River.
There are 29 vehicle-accessible
campgrounds to be found on the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Two
ski areas also operate within the forest. Almost of
hiking trails provide access to remote locations in the seven different mountain ranges over which the forest presides. Solitude is most common in the Crazy Mountains and in the wilderness areas near the Continental divide. Summertime average high temperatures are in the 70s °F (20s °C), but the winter can be very cold, especially in the more exposed eastern sections and snow can linger for up to 10 months of the year along the Continental divide.
The forest lies in parts of thirteen counties. In descending order of land area they're
Lewis and Clark,
Meagher,
Judith Basin,
Teton,
Cascade,
Pondera,
Fergus,
Wheatland,
Chouteau,
Glacier,
Golden Valley,
Sweet Grass, and
Park counties.
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