District 250, Montana

The district features predominantly steep, rugged terrain. The western half transitions into roadless wilderness terrain that is extremely rugged. Elevations range from roughly 3,200 feet in the lower West Fork valley to more than 10,000 feet in the Bitterroot Range, with Trapper Peak (10,157 ft) as the high point of the broader range. The eastern half along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River offers more moderate topography with moderate road development.

Primary vehicle access is via West Fork Road (FR 91), which runs roughly 13 miles south from Darby on US Highway 93 to the West Fork Ranger Station. The Magruder Corridor — a 95-mile primitive, single-lane mountain road — departs from near the West Fork Ranger Station heading west toward the Idaho border, passing between the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to the north and the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to the south; high-clearance vehicles are required and seasonal road closure applies (dependent on snowmelt, often delayed until mid- to late summer). About half the district is moderately roaded, with most improved roads within 5 miles of the West Fork River; the western half is largely roadless and designated Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness where no motorized access is permitted. The West Fork Ranger District (406-821-3269; 6735 West Fork Road, Darby, MT 59829) manages the area. Campgrounds at Slate Creek, Alta, Rombo, Fales Flat, and Sam Billings serve as staging areas. Trailheads into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness include Boulder Creek Trail near Sam Billings Campground. Private land is limited given the approximately 97 percent public land composition; FWP Block Management Program enrolls some private parcels for public hunting access. Hunters accessing the roadless western wilderness zone should plan for stock or foot travel.

Lower-elevation valley bottoms and foothills support Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and western larch. Mid-elevations transition to dense lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir, with some alder brush in drainages and post-burn areas. Upper subalpine zones produce Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and whitebark pine. Historic fire has created pockets of early-successional brush and small ponderosa thickets. The West Fork Ranger District encompasses portions of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness where old-growth cedar, spruce, and fir occur in sheltered valley bottoms. Riparian corridors along the West Fork and its tributaries provide important transition habitat.

Elk are the primary big game target; the district's elk management unit (West Fork EMU) held a 2025 spring survey count of approximately 1,052 elk, within the population objective range of 800-1,200 (status: at objective). Bull elk rut activity typically begins in the first week of September and runs approximately one month. All bull elk harvest requires a limited special permit (HD 250 does not offer general brow-tined bull tags). B-license antlerless numbers were slightly increased for 2025 in response to spring surveys. White-tailed deer are present with impressive bucks harvested annually; mule deer also occur but populations are below historical levels regionwide. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have a documented permit area within the district (license 250-20, quota of 1 any-ram tag; for 2026-2027 the geographic restriction formerly limiting the permit to south of Nez Perce Road and West Fork Road was removed, making the tag valid district-wide). Black bear and mountain lion are present and huntable. Gray wolves are well established in the West Fork drainage and have affected elk distribution and numbers historically. Mountain grouse (blue and ruffed) are present. Wolverine, fisher, and lynx are known to occur in the wilderness portions but are not huntable game species.