Discover Bitterroot National Forest

06/01/2026

05/29/2026

NEWS RELEASE

Personal Firewood Permits Now Available Online

Hamilton, MT - May 29th - Bitterroot National Forest firewood permits are now available through a new online E-Permit system, eliminating the need to travel to a Forest Service office.

Personal firewood is free and allows a woodcutter to gather up to 12 cords per year for household use.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/bitterroot

05/28/2026

Thanks to a combined effort by the Darby/Sula Ranger District Recreation and Fire Crews, the dock at Lake Como was officially installed this week!

The dock is typically installed after Memorial Day and remains in place until the water level is too low to sustain (usually 2nd week of August).

Reminder: All day use sites at the Lake Como Recreation Area require vehicles to display a Recreation Pass between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For more information, please contact the Darby/Sula Ranger District at (406) 821-3913.

05/26/2026

When wildfire threatens communities and homes, minutes matter. Having an evacuation plan in place before smoke is on the horizon can make the difference between a safe exit and a dangerous scramble. Use this checklist to build YOUR evacuation plan this Wildfire Awareness Month:

🗺️ Know your routes. Identify at least two ways out of your neighborhood. Check for road closures during fire season and keep a paper map in your vehicle as a backup.

📍 Set a meeting point. Choose a rally point outside your neighborhood where your household will reunite if separated. Make sure everyone knows the address.

🎒 Pack a go-bag. Keep a bag ready with essentials, including medications, important documents, chargers, water, snacks, and clothes for 72 hours. Include supplies for pets and children.

🔔 Sign up for emergency alerts. Register for your county's emergency notification system and save MTFIREINFO.org for updated fire information.

🏃 Practice your plan. Run a household drill so everyone knows what to do when you receive an evacuation order. A practiced plan is a faster plan.

⏰ Don't wait for an evacuation order to start planning. Learn more about evacuation planning and download a free evacuation planning template today at MTFIREINFO.ORG

05/25/2026

Forest Service offices will be closed today in observance of the federal holiday, but national forests and grasslands remain open for your enjoyment. Stay safe, pack out what you pack in and enjoy your big backyard!

05/22/2026

ℹ Bitterroot National Forest shares key recreation updates for Memorial Day weekend and summer ℹ
Enjoy a Fee-Free day this Memorial Day! The 1.6-million-acre Bitterroot National Forest offers unmatched recreational opportunities including nearly 250 campsites in 26 campgrounds, hiking on more than 1,800 miles of trails, boating, biking, horseback riding, and more. Check out the status of campgrounds, trails, and roads, to your adventures at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/bitterroot/newsroom/releases/bitterroot-national-forest-shares-key-recreation-updates-memorial

05/20/2026

🔥Please Celebrate Responsibly - Smokey wants everyone to be safe🔥

We have the privilege of recreating in these beautiful areas on our National Forest, and with that we have to be mindful of the risk of wildfires as well as keeping the Forest clean for everyone. That means no burning pallets or leaving trash behind.
This time of year brings celebrations such as high school parties, Memorial Day events and more. And with that, Forest Service members are finding more remnants from bonfires. The size of recent bonfires and the trash left behind violate state law and are hazardous to Forest health and to those recreating.

Please help us pass this safety information to teens, young adults and others partying in the Forest. A campfire must not be larger than 3 x 3 x 3 feet in size according to Montana State Law. A typical pallet measures around 4 feet - too large for a campfire.
Along with possible hazards associated with these types of burns, fines and citations may be administered. For campfire regulations please visit https://smokeybear.com/

📸 The picture shows thousands of nails that a firefighter picked up after discovering a pallet-burn near the Roaring Lion trailhead May 19. According to a Regional Forest Order regarding pallet burning, pallets and any material containing nails, screws and other metals are not allowed to be burned on the National Forest, according to Order Number: # R1-2025-01 [36 C.F.R. § 261.58(cc)].

📸 In the second photo firefighters responded to and contained this bonfire May 19 off of Lost Horse Road.

05/19/2026

The U.S. Forest Service announced an additional 2026 recreation fee-free day on June 6 in celebration of , providing no cost use of all standard amenity recreation sites on national forests and grasslands.
"For National Trails Day in 2025, Forest Service trail managers, partners, and volunteers hosted 80 events, including 54 stewardship projects, engaging with more than 3,100 volunteers who maintained 173 miles of trail,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “We hope those who love Forest Service trails will join us at the trailhead on June 6, whether it’s volunteering to build new trails, pick up trash near a trailhead, participating in a nature walk, or taking advantage of the fee-free day benefits.”

For National Trails Day on the Bitterroot National Forest, we currently have three partner trails events. More may become available, stay tuned! The three events scheduled are the Canyon Creek Trail Maintenance Day (Wild Montana), Big Ditch Trail Dig (Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists) and Sawtooth Trail Clearing (Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen). All are scheduled on June 6. To volunteer or to find a project near you, please visit https://americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/find-an-event/

📸Pictured is a Lake Como Trail. Lake Como day use is included in the fee free day! Enjoy!

05/14/2026

https://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_5a64ee7c-af18-40af-8f80-08967526218d.html -source=home-top-story

The Bitterroot Front Project, approved Tuesday, will use controlled burning, commercial logging and tree thinning to tackle fuel buildup across a 143,000-acre swath of the Bitterroot Mountains’ eastern face.

05/14/2026

Bitterroot National Forest officials said the 148,000-acre fuel reduction project is designed to reduce wildfire risk across the forest and nearby communities.