Selway-Bitterroot National Forest

Selway-Bitterroot National Forest Review

Hamilton is in the midst of the 1.6-million-acre Selway-Bitterroot National Forest. It includes the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains and parts of the Selway-Bitterroot, Anaconda-Pintler, and Frank Church-River of No Return wildernesses, and is traversed by the Salmon and Selway rivers. More than 1,600 mi of trails wend through the forest, where visitors may encounter bears, elk, moose, deer, and bighorn sheep. There are also songbirds and birds of prey such as eagles and owls. The forest has three historically significant trails: the Continental Divide Scenic Trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail, and the Nez Perce Trail; some parts of the trails are open to hikers, other parts to bikes and vehicles. Wildfires of 2000 scorched parts of the forest; hikers should be alert to the danger of falling trees in the burned-out areas.