The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 state of Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

. The forest covers 2351761 acres (9,517 km²) of which about 1 million acres (1000000 acres (4,046.9 km²)) is designated wilderness

Wilderness

Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...

. It is named after the Flathead Indians who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 with elevations ranging from less than 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) to over 8,500 feet (1400 to 2600 m).