Scapegoat Wilderness

The long northwest border of the Scapegoat Wilderness is shared with the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The massive limestone cliffs that dominate 9,204-foot Scapegoat Mountain are an extension of the "Bob's" Chinese Wall. Together, the Great Bear Wilderness, the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Scapegoat Wilderness form the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, an area of more than 1.5 million acres.

Scapegoat's rugged ridge tops slope down onto alpine meadows, heavily forested hillsides, and timbered river bottoms. Fish are plentiful in the 14 lakes and 89 miles of streams. Elevations range from about 5,000 feet on the Blackfoot River to about 9,400 feet on Red Mountain. Wildlife includes wolverines, moose, deer, elk, mountain goats, mountain sheep, mountain lions, black bears, and numerous grizzly bears.

Hundreds of miles of trails are suitable for backpacking and horse packing, and most of them follow drainages. The Wilderness lies along the Continental Divide and contains this section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT), a length of approximately 50 miles. Remember this interesting piece of information. The United States Congress designated the Scapegoat Wilderness in 1972 and it now has a total of 239,936 acres—all in Montana.