Great Bear Wilderness
| Great Bear Wilderness | |
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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Great Northern Mountain and Stanton Glacier.
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 Location in Montana
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| Location | Flathead County, Montana, United States |
| Coordinates | 48°11′10″N 113°35′03″W / 48.18611°N 113.58417°WCoordinates: 48°11′10″N 113°35′03″W / 48.18611°N 113.58417°W |
| Area | 286,700 acres (1,160 km2) |
| Established | 1978 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Montana Office of Tourism |
The Great Bear Wilderness is located in northern Montana, United States, within Flathead National Forest Created by an act of Congress in 1978, the wilderness comprises 286,700 acres (1,160 km²) and borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness on the north. The Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wildernesses, along with the Scapegoat Wilderness which borders the Bob Marshall to the south, collectively form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, which is over 1.5 million acres (6,070 km²) of almost untouched landscape. Glacier National Park is separated from the Great Bear Wilderness by U.S. Highway 2.
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 Great Bear is located west of the Continental Divide which forms the eastern boundary. Great Northern Mountain (8,705 ft/2,653 m) is the highest peak in the wilderness which is dominated by dozens of other mountains, all part of the Rocky Mountain Front, a huge overthrust fault that spans for 400 miles (643 km) through Canada and Montana. Great Bear is the origination point of the wild and scenic designated Middle Fork of the Flathead River, which flows for 50 miles (80 km) through the wilderness and is rarely visited.
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