Bob Marshall Wilderness

Bob Marshall Wilderness

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Area is a Congressionally designated wilderness area located in western Montana in the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall (1901–1939), an early forester, conservationist, and co-founder of The Wilderness Society. Bob Marshall was largely responsible for designation of large unroaded areas on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service through promulgation of various regulations in the 1930s. The Bob Marshall Wilderness extends for 60 miles (95 km) along the Continental Divide and consists of 1,009,356 acres (4,085 km²). As directed by the Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness remains roadless, with the only permanent structures being some old ranger stations and horse bridges. The Bob is the fifth-largest wilderness in the lower 48 states (after the Death Valley Wilderness, Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness). The five ranger districts administering the Bob manage 1,856 miles (2,970 km) of trail that are open to foot and stock use only.