Lolo National Forest
Encyclopedia
Lolo National Forest is located in western Montana
, United States
with the western boundary being the state of Idaho
. The forest spans 2 million acres (8,000 km2) and includes four wilderness
areas; the Scapegoat
and the Bob Marshall Wilderness
are partially within the forest while the Welcome Creek
and Mission Mountains Wilderness
es are solely in Lolo National Forest. The forest was created in 1906 from 4 different previous forests which were combined for administrative purposes. Lolo National Forest is west of the Continental divide
and has a biodiversity
influenced by both continental
and maritime weather
creating a transitional forest that has a high number of different plant
and tree
species
.
Western red cedar, larch
and whitebark pine
share the forest with a variety of spruce
and fir
tree species
. Western red cedars grow larger in Lolo National Forest than any other tree species does anywhere in Montana, attaining over 8 feet (250 cm) in diameter and almost 200 feet (60 m) in height. In total, 1,500 plant species exist in the forest as well as 60 species of mammal
s, 20 varieties of fish
and 300 species of bird
s. Large mammals found in Lolo National Forest include the grizzly
, black bear
, mountain goat
, bighorn sheep
, elk
, moose
and mule deer
. Both the bald
and golden eagle
reside in the forest along with trumpeter swan
, heron
s and 30 varieties of ducks.
The forest has a dozen improved campgrounds and 700 miles (1,100 km) of hiking trails. There are over 100 named lake
s and five river
s including the Flathead River
. The city of Missoula, Montana
is the location for the forest headquarters and is centrally positioned within sight of the forestlands. There are local ranger
district offices in Huson, Missoula, Plains
, Seeley Lake
, and Superior
. The tallest point in the Lolo is Scapegoat Mountain at 9186 feet (2,799.9 m).
In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Mineral
, Missoula
, Sanders
, Granite
, Powell
, Lewis and Clark
, Flathead
, and Ravalli
counties.
Lolo National Forest was established on September 20, 1906 with 1211680 acres (4,903.5 km²). On December 16, 1931 part of Missoula National Forest
was added, followed by portions of Selway National Forest
in 1934 and part of Cabinet National Forest
in 1954.
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,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the western boundary being the state of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The forest spans 2 million acres (8,000 km2) and includes four 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...
areas; the Scapegoat
Scapegoat Wilderness
The Scapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres spread across three different National Forests in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1972, the wilderness is located in Lewis and Clark, Helena and Lolo National Forests...
and the Bob Marshall Wilderness
Bob Marshall Wilderness
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is a wilderness area in Flathead National Forest of western Montana in the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall , an early forester, conservationist, and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. The Bob Marshall Wilderness extends for 60 miles along the...
are partially within the forest while the Welcome Creek
Welcome Creek Wilderness
The Welcome Creek Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness is within Lolo National Forest, and protects the northern portion of the Sapphire Mountains....
and Mission Mountains Wilderness
Mission Mountains Wilderness
The Mission Mountains Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1975, the wilderness is within the Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest....
es are solely in Lolo National Forest. The forest was created in 1906 from 4 different previous forests which were combined for administrative purposes. Lolo National Forest is west of the Continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
and has a biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
influenced by both continental
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
and maritime weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
creating a transitional forest that has a high number of different plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
and tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
.
Western red cedar, larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
and whitebark pine
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
share the forest with a variety of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
tree species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Western red cedars grow larger in Lolo National Forest than any other tree species does anywhere in Montana, attaining over 8 feet (250 cm) in diameter and almost 200 feet (60 m) in height. In total, 1,500 plant species exist in the forest as well as 60 species of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, 20 varieties of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and 300 species of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. Large mammals found in Lolo National Forest include the grizzly
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
, bighorn sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
and mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
. Both the bald
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
and golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
reside in the forest along with trumpeter swan
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
, heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s and 30 varieties of ducks.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s and five river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s including the Flathead River
Flathead River
The Flathead River, in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Rocky Mountains near Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Flathead Lake, then after a journey of , empties into the Clark Fork. The river is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, as the Clark...
. The city of Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
is the location for the forest headquarters and is centrally positioned within sight of the forestlands. There are local ranger
National Park Ranger
National Park Service Rangers are among the uniformed employees charged with protecting and preserving areas set aside in the National Park System by the United States Congress and/or the President of the United States...
district offices in Huson, Missoula, Plains
Plains, Montana
Plains is a town in Sanders County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,126 at the 2000 census. It was originally founded as Horse Plains. The name was later shortened to Plains when the US Postal Service established a presence in 1905.-Geography:...
, Seeley Lake
Seeley Lake, Montana
Seeley Lake is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
, and Superior
Superior, Montana
Superior is a town in and the county seat of Mineral County, Montana, United States. The population was 893 at the 2000 census. Superior was named after its founders' hometown of Superior, Wisconsin in 1869...
. The tallest point in the Lolo is Scapegoat Mountain at 9186 feet (2,799.9 m).
In descending order of land area the forest is located in parts of Mineral
Mineral County, Montana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,884 people, 1,584 households, and 1,067 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile . There were 1,961 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, Missoula
Missoula County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Flathead National Forest *Lolo National Forest *Rattlesnake National Recreation Area-Demographics:...
, Sanders
Sanders County, Montana
Sanders County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of 2010, the population was 11,413. Its county seat is Thompson Falls.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Granite
Granite County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Deerlodge National Forest *Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,830 people, 1,200 households, and 784 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 2,074 housing units at an average...
, Powell
Powell County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest * Flathead National Forest * Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site* Helena National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Bob Marshall Wilderness Area...
, Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Flathead National Forest * Helena National Forest * Lewis and Clark National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area -Demographics:...
, Flathead
Flathead County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail * Flathead National Forest * Glacier National Park * Kootenai National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, and Ravalli
Ravalli County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge*Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000 , there were 36,070 people, 14,289 households, and 10,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile...
counties.
Lolo National Forest was established on September 20, 1906 with 1211680 acres (4,903.5 km²). On December 16, 1931 part of Missoula National Forest
Missoula National Forest
Missoula National Forest was established as the Missoula Forest Reserve by the U.S. Forest Service in Montana on November 6, 1906 with . It became a National Forest on March 4, 1907. On July 1, 1908 Missoula received a portion of Hell Gate National Forest...
was added, followed by portions of Selway National Forest
Selway National Forest
Selway National Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho on July 1, 1911 with from parts of Clearwater National Forest and Nez Perce National Forest. On October 29, 1934 the entire forest was divided between Bitterroot, Clearwater, Lolo and Nez Perce, and the name was discontinued...
in 1934 and part of Cabinet National Forest
Cabinet National Forest
Cabinet National Forest was established in Idaho and Montana by the U.S. Forest Service on March 2, 1907 with , mostly in Montana. On July 1, 1954 it was divided among Kaniksu, Kootenai and Lolo National Forests. -External links:*...
in 1954.
Special Places
- Ninemile Wildlands Training Center - Located near FrenchtownFrenchtown, MontanaFrenchtown is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 883 at the 2000 census...
, Ninemile Remount Depot listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation... - Lolo National Historic Trail - Historic network of trails traveled by the Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark.
- Savenac Historic Tree NurserySavenac Nursery Historic DistrictSavenac Nursery Historic District is located near Haugan in Mineral County, Montana. It is 15 miles from St. Regis, Montana. Savenac was once one of the largest and oldest USDA Forest Service tree nurseries in the western United States, operating from 1907 until 1969...
- Located near HauganHaugan, MontanaHaugan is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, Montana, United States. Haugan is situated east of the Idaho border and west of Missoula on Interstate 90 at the Haugan Exit #16....
, former USDA Forest Service nursery designated a National Historic SiteNational Historic Sites (United States)National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
External links
- "Lolo National Forest: Special Places". Lolo National Forest.
- "Lolo National Historic Trail". Lolo National Forest.