Rattlesnake Wilderness

The United States Congress designated the Rattlesnake Wilderness in 1980 and it now has a total of 32,976 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Montana and is managed by the United States Forest Service.  The southern boundary of the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness (RNRAW) is just four miles north of Missoula, Montana. The National Recreation Area (NRA) lies south and adjacent to the wilderness and receives heavy human use, but primarily in the South Zone, within about three miles of the main trailhead. Far fewer people venture into The Rattlesnake Wilderness which is in the more remote northern portion of the RNRAW. A road that is closed to public motorized use and that is used as a trail leaves the main trailhead and goes into the National Recreation Area along Rattlesnake Creek along a cherry stem NRA corridor to within about three miles of a scenic Wilderness cluster of high alpine lakes. Near the NRA entrance at about 3,600 feet, the elevation rises to 8,620 feet on McLeod Peak and a picturesque mountain setting.  Deer, elk, coyotes, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bears, grizzly bears, moose, and mountain lions reside in the Rattlesnake. Birds include eagles, hawks, ospreys, and wide variety of songbirds. Most of the wilderness lies in the Northern Continental Divide Grizzly Bear Recovery Area. Grizzly bears, while not common are regularly reportedly in the upper Wilderness. Bear proof food storage is required in all of the NRA and wilderness.