Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
| Gates of the Mountains Wilderness | |
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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| Location | Lewis and Clark County, Montana, USA |
| Nearest city | Helena, MT |
| Coordinates | 46°53′N 111°58′W / 46.883°N 111.967°WCoordinates: 46°53′N 111°58′W / 46.883°N 111.967°W |
| Area | 28,562 acres (115.59 km2) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1964, the wilderness is managed by Helena National Forest. A day use campground near the Gates of the Mountains, Meriwether Picnic site, is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis.
Gates of the Mountains Wilderness (then known as the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area) was the site of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters and which was the subject of Norman Maclean's book Young Men and Fire.
U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.
The Gates of the Rocky Mountains were named by Lewis and Clark. Captain Lewis wrote on July 19, 1805,
In 1918, when Holter Dam was built forming Holter Lake, the water level of the Missouri River in the Gates was raised approximately 14 feet (4.3 m).
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