The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest covers 2404935acres of which about 1e6acre is designated wilderness. It is named after the Flathead Native Americans who lived in the area. The forest is located in the Rocky Mountains with elevations ranging from 4500to. The forest provides habitat for approximately 250 species of wildlife and 22 species of fish. This includes the bald eagle, the timber wolf, the threatened grizzly bear, Canadian lynx, bull trout and a rare plant named water howellia.The Flathead National Forest is bordered by Glacier National Park and Canada to the north, the Lewis and Clark National Forest and Glacier to the east, the Lolo National Forest to the south, and the Kootenai National Forest to the west. The wilderness areas in the forest are the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, Great Bear Wilderness Area, and Mission Mountains Wilderness Area. Other specially-designated areas in the forest include Flathead Wild and Scenic River, Jewel Basin Hiking Area, and the Coram Experimental Forest. Some 270000 acres of non-federal land are also included in the boundaries drawn for the national forest. This includes private land, commercial forest and part or all of Swan River State Forest, Stillwater State Forest and Coal Creek State Forest.
