Gallatin National Forest

Gallatin National Forest

The Gallatin National Forest was founded in the year of 1899 in south central Montana, United States. The forest was named after Albert Gallatin. Gallatin National Forest is about 2.1 million acres in size and also includes parts of both the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness within its boundaries.

The Gallatin National Forest is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Gallatin National Forest is known for its snow-covered mountain peaks and the internationally acclaimed “blue ribbon” trout streams. These two sights make the Gallatin National Forest a popular recreation area in Montana’s northern Rockies.

The forest spans across six mountain ranges and consists of two designated wilderness areas. The Gallatin National Forest is the home for a wide variety of wild animals including the grizzly, wolf, gray wolf, Canada lynx and the bald eagle.

Vegetation in the lower altitudes of the mountain ranges are limited to grasses and sagebrush, but the higher altitudes support a large variety of trees such as Douglas Fir and many more dominant tree species like the spruce, cottonwood and the aspen. The forest consists of over 3700 kms of hiking trails connecting the wilderness areas and also the trails in the Yellowstone National Park.

There are almost 40 campgrounds, scattered around the forest which can be accessed by vehicles. The forest district offices charge nominal fees for renting cabins and for people coming for picnic purposes. The Gallatin National Forest is located in parts of Park, Gallatin, Sweet Grass, Madison, Carbon and Meagher counties.