Mission Mountains Wilderness
The Mission Mountains are a land of ragged peaks with snow on them most of the year, small active glaciers, alpine lakes, meadows, clear streams that run icy cold, slab-like boulders, vertical cliff faces...
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Forest Service |
| State | Montana |
| Size | 74,524 acres (Wilderness Connect) |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 47.4566, -113.8637 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 7 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Trails
13 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 62 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.
| Trail | Miles | Allowed uses |
|---|---|---|
| Elk Ridge ↗ | 11.9 | |
| Jocko ↗ | 7.8 | |
| Cedar Lake ↗ | 7 | |
| Crystal Lake ↗ | 6.7 | |
| Hemlock Point ↗ | 6 | |
| Piper Lake ↗ | 6 | |
| Glacier Creek | 4.2 | |
| Hemlock Lake | 4.2 | |
| Lindbergh | 2.8 | |
| Turquoise Lake | 2.5 |
Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBison Range Br2F Rx
14 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSb Silver Mule Rx
36 mi from the center point
- PrescribedSb Horse Ridge Rx
38 mi from the center point
- PrescribedRx D5 Tree Farm Piles
49 mi from the center point · 90 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 4.2 miLaird's Lodge Historic District ↗Seeley Lake, MT
- 8 miOlsson, Don E., House and Garage ↗Ronan, MT
- 8 miFort Connah Site ↗Post Creek, MT
- 9.2 miPolson Feed Mill ↗Polson, MT
- 9.5 miSt. Ignatius Mission ↗St. Ignatius, MT
- 12.9 miCamp Paxson Boy Scout Camp (24mo77) ↗Lolo National Forest, MT
- 13.1 miSt. Joseph's Catholic Church ↗Moiese, MT
- 13.4 miDouble Arrow Lookout ↗Seeley Lake, MT
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Mission Mountains Wilderness?
74,524 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Mission Mountains Wilderness?
The U.S. Forest Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Mission Mountains Wilderness in?
Montana.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Mission Mountains Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Can I camp at Mission Mountains Wilderness?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Old Condon Ranger Station, 6.4 miles out. 7 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Mission Mountains Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 47.457, -113.864. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Is there a fire near Mission Mountains Wilderness right now?
4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Bison Range Br2F Rx at 14 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at Mission Mountains Wilderness?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Mission Mountains Wilderness?
8 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Laird's Lodge Historic District and Olsson, Don E., House and Garage.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.