| Scapegoat Wilderness | |
|---|---|
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 Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex | |
| Location | Lewis and Clark /Powell counties,Montana,United States |
| Nearest city | Missoula, MT |
| Coordinates | 47°07′N112°44′W / 47.117°N 112.733°W /47.117; -112.733 |
| Area | 239,936 acres (970.99 km2) |
| Established | 1972[1] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
TheScapegoat Wilderness consists of 239,936 acres (971 km2) spread across two differentNational Forests in theU.S. state ofMontana. Created by an act ofCongress in 1972, the wilderness is located in theHelena-Lewis and Clark andLolo National Forests. The Scapegoat Wilderness is a part of the 1.5 million acre (6,070 km2)Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex as it shares a boundary with theBob Marshall Wilderness, which in turn is connected to theGreat Bear Wilderness further north.
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allowmotorized ormechanized vehicles, includingbicycles. Althoughcamping andfishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also nologging ormining, in compliance with the 1964Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests andBureau of Land Management areas also allowhunting in season.
TheContinental Divide creates the western boundary of the wilderness. Rising as much as 1,500 feet (460 m) in places, theChinese Wall, a portion of the expansiveRocky Mountain Front, stretches a distance of 20 miles (32 km) through the wilderness. With elevations between 5,000 to 9,000 feet (1,500 to 2,700 m) or more above sea level, the wilderness lies just west of theGreat Plains, and from the higher mountaintops the views to the east extend for 70 miles (110 km) . The highest peak in the wilderness is Red Mountain 9,414 feet (2,869 m). TheContinental Divide Trail travels through the wilderness roughly north to south.
With most of the wilderness heavily forested inconifers, the primary tree species found includeEngelmann spruce,ponderosa pine,lodgepole pine andDouglas fir. Thewolf andgrizzly call the wilderness home as doblack bears,moose,elk,mountain goats,bighorn sheep andmule deer. Rare sightings ofwolverine andmountain lions are possible along withbald eagles,peregrine falcons,trumpeter swans andpelicans. Eight species of fish inhabit the lakes and streams withrainbow trout andnorthern pike being the most common game fish. Fourteen lakes are located in the wilderness as well as the headwaters of theBlackfoot River.
Considered an excellentbackpacking region, there are over 150 miles (240 km) of trails which generally follow the numerous streams and rivers. Pack trips onhorseback are also a popular mode of travel.
Located about 75 miles (120 km) northeast ofMissoula, Montana, the best access is from forest service roads offU.S. Highway 287 and Montana highways 200 and 83.
Bugle Mountain (also known as "Bugle Peak"), located in the Scapegoat Wilderness, was the setting of a forest fire in the fictional 1952 motion pictureRed Skies of Montana. The film, based in part on the tragic 1949Mann Gulch fire, was filmed inMontana.
Red Mountain (Lewis and Clark County, Montana) is a peak on the far southern edge of the Scapegoat Wilderness.
| Climate data for Red Mountain (MT) 47.1074 N, 112.7421 W, Elevation: 8,914 ft (2,717 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 22.6 (−5.2) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 34.9 (1.6) | 43.9 (6.6) | 51.7 (10.9) | 62.8 (17.1) | 62.7 (17.1) | 53.2 (11.8) | 39.3 (4.1) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 21.3 (−5.9) | 39.4 (4.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.3 (−8.7) | 15.7 (−9.1) | 20.3 (−6.5) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 34.0 (1.1) | 41.4 (5.2) | 51.2 (10.7) | 51.0 (10.6) | 42.6 (5.9) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 20.7 (−6.3) | 15.2 (−9.3) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.9 (−12.3) | 7.9 (−13.4) | 11.3 (−11.5) | 15.9 (−8.9) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 39.7 (4.3) | 39.4 (4.1) | 32.0 (0.0) | 22.4 (−5.3) | 14.4 (−9.8) | 9.0 (−12.8) | 21.4 (−5.9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 6.30 (160) | 4.92 (125) | 5.16 (131) | 4.51 (115) | 4.21 (107) | 4.60 (117) | 1.70 (43) | 1.82 (46) | 2.76 (70) | 4.47 (114) | 6.06 (154) | 6.74 (171) | 53.25 (1,353) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[2] | |||||||||||||
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clickingCoordinates (underLocation); copyLatitude andLongitude figures from top of table; clickZoom to location; clickPrecipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click30-year normals, 1991-2020; click800m; clickRetrieve Time Series button.
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