🏔 Wilderness
Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
About This Permit
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex — 'the Bob' — is over 1.5 million acres of roadless Montana backcountry, encompassing three congressionally designated wildernesses and forming the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48. Grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, and mountain goats roam the Chinese Wall escarpment, a 22-mile limestone reef rising 1,000 feet above the surrounding plateau. Permits are required at select high-use trailheads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Bob Marshall safe with grizzly bears present?
Grizzly bears are abundant in the Bob Marshall complex — it is core grizzly habitat. Standard protocols apply: carry bear spray (required), make noise on the trail, cook away from camp, use proper food storage. Encounters are possible but maulings are rare when proper precautions are taken.
What is the Chinese Wall?
The Chinese Wall is a 22-mile-long, 1,000-foot-tall limestone escarpment in the heart of the Bob Marshall Wilderness — one of the most dramatic geological features in the American West. Reaching it from any trailhead is a multi-day trip, typically 20+ miles of hiking.
Do I need a permit for the Bob Marshall?
Permit requirements vary by trailhead. Holland Lake and some other high-use entry points require a permit during peak season. Contact the Lewis & Clark or Flathead National Forest ranger districts for current requirements. Much of the wilderness can be entered without a permit outside quota zones.
Key Facts
- State
- MT
- Season
- July – September (snow-free)
- Quota
- 15 people/day (select trailheads)
- Trailhead
- Holland Lake or Benchmark trailheads, Lewis & Clark NF
- Entry Point
- Bob Marshall, Scapegoat, or Great Bear wildernesses
- Difficulty
- 2/5(Moderate)
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