Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness

(Redirected from Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness) Protected wilderness area in Montana and Wyoming, United States

Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)


Location	Montana / Wyoming, USA
Nearest city	Red Lodge, MT
Coordinates	45°6′N 109°56′W / 45.100°N 109.933°W / 45.100; -109.933
Area	944,000 acres (3,820 km)
Established	1978
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service

Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness was created from existing National Forest lands in 1978 and is located in Montana and Wyoming, United States. The wilderness encompasses two distinct mountain ranges: the Beartooth and Absaroka ranges. These ranges are completely distinct geologically speaking, with the Absaroka composed primarily of volcanic (or extrusive) and metamorphic rock, while the Beartooth is made up almost entirely of granitic rocks. The Absaroka are noted for their dark and craggy appearance, lush and heavily forested valleys, and abundant wildlife. The highest peak in the range, in Wyoming, is Francs Peak at 13,153 feet (4,009 m). The Beartooth is more alpine, with huge treeless plateaus and the highest peak of Montana (Granite Peak 12,799 feet (3,901 m)). The wilderness has more than 120 peaks over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and 28 peaks over 12,000 feet (3,700 m), including Montana's highest, Granite Peak at 12,799 feet (3,901 m). The wilderness is integral to the 20-million-acre (81,000 km) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and borders Yellowstone National Park.

Wilderness areas do not allow motorized or mechanical equipment, including bicycles, hang-gliders, wagons, chainsaws, and game carts. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permits, no roads or buildings are constructed, and no logging or mining allowed, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.

There are 700 miles (1,100 km) of trails in the wilderness, hundreds of lakes, a few dozen streams, and a similar number of small glaciers can be found in the wilderness. The forests are dominated by various species of spruce, fir, and pine, while in the Beartooth Mountains, due to the altitude, tundra conditions often prevail. The Beartooth has the largest unbroken area of land over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in altitude in the U.S. outside of Alaska. Animals found in the wilderness include bald eagles, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, threatened grizzly bears, lynx, and the gray wolf.

Access to the wilderness is difficult but can be achieved via the Beartooth Highway US 212 from Red Lodge, Montana. There are also some forest access roads from the west off of US 89 south of Livingston, Montana.

Geography

The wilderness spans the Montana-Wyoming border on Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests and is composed of 944,000 acres (3,820 km). The elevation ranges from 0 to 11,000 feet (3,400 m); the maximum elevation is at the Beartooth Plateau, located high in the Beartooth Mountains.

Ecosystem

In a study of reaction of learning how large carnivores would react to the big-game hunting season in Yellowstone National Park, a group of scientists found out that grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) usually stay inside the Yellowstone National Park and start moving north (into the Absaroka - Beartooth Wilderness) when the hunting starts. At the same region, cougars (Puma concolor) from outside of the Yellowstone National Park tends to go inside when the hunting starts. However, wolves (Canis lupus) don't change their position as they are already spreading in the Yellowstone Nation Park area. During the hunting season, all of them are found to be hunting elk (Cervus elaphus) on the north of the Park, where Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is.

Activity

According to the wilderness regulation, group size is limited for 15 people and 15 combined pack and saddle stock.

Threats

The widespread detection of total coliforms, Bacteroides, and E coli in the water sources of the wilderness area is leading to the question of whether it's because of the increasing human visitation. Visitors of the wilderness are encouraged to purify the water carefully before consumption. The wilderness has imposed some regulations to protect the water source, such as camping and burying human waste within 200 feet (61 m) of lake or stream is prohibited, and waste has to be buried 6 inches (15 cm)-8 inches (20 cm) deep.

References

Aarstad, Rich, et al. "Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman: A Montana Historical Society Guide". Montana Historical Society Press. Helena, Montana, 2009, p. 2
"Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness". Wilderness.net. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
Graetz, Rick; Graetz, Susie. "Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains Represent The Roof Of Montana (Part 1 Of 2)".
^ United States. Forest Service. (2001). Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness: Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forest: keep wilderness wild, national wilderness preservation system. .
"Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness: Shoshone". Forest Service. USDA. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
Diana (7 June 2017). "Top of the World – Beartooth Plateau, Montana & Wyoming". Handstands Around the World. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
Ruth, Toni (2003). "Large-Carnivore Response to Recreational Big-Game Hunting along the Yellowstone National Park and Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Boundary". Wildlife Society Bulletin. 31 (4): 1150–1161. JSTOR 3784463. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
Pendergraph, Daniel; Ranieri, John; Ermatinger, Lochlin; Baumann, Adam; Metcalf, Alexander; DeLuca, Thomas; Church, Matthew (2021). "Differentiating Sources of Fecal Contamination to Wilderness Waters Using Droplet Digital PCR and Fecal Indicator Bacteria Methods". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 32 (3): 332–339. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2021.04.007. PMID 34172374.

External links

"Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness". The National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
"USGS Cooke City (MT, WY) Topo Map Quad". TopoQuest. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
"Wilderness Legislation: The Wilderness Act of 1964". The National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness.net. Archived from the original on 11 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-16.

Protected areas of Wyoming

Federal

National parks	Grand Teton Yellowstone
National monuments	Devils Tower Fossil Butte
National Historic Sites	Fort Laramie
National Historic Trails	California Trail Mormon Trail Oregon Trail Pony Express
National Wildlife Refuges	Bamforth Cokeville Meadows Elk Hutton Lake Jackson Fish Hatchery Mortenson Lake Pathfinder Seedskadee
National recreation areas	Bighorn Canyon Flaming Gorge (USFS)
National forests	Ashley Bighorn Bridger–Teton Caribou–Targhee Medicine Bow–Routt Shoshone
National grasslands	Thunder Basin
Wilderness Areas	Absaroka–Beartooth Bridger Cloud Peak Encampment River Fitzpatrick Gros Ventre Huston Park Jedediah Smith North Absaroka Platte River Popo Agie Savage Run Teton Washakie Winegar Hole
Wild and Scenic Rivers	Clarks Fork Yellowstone River Niobrara River Snake River
Former	Jackson Hole National Monument

State

State Parks

State Historical Sites

County

County Parks:	Ayres Natural Bridge

Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites

Protected areas of Montana

Federal

National parks	Glacier Yellowstone
National monuments	Little Bighorn Battlefield Pompeys Pillar (BLM) Upper Missouri River Breaks (BLM)
National battlefield	Big Hole
National historical parks and historic sites	Grant–Kohrs Ranch NHS Nez Perce NHP
National historic and scenic trails	Lewis and Clark NHT Nez Perce NHT Continental Divide NST Pacific Northwest NST
National recreation area	Bighorn Canyon
National Wildlife Refuges	Benton Lake Black Coulee Bowdoin Charles M. Russell Creedman Coulee Grass Lake Hailstone Hewitt Lake Lake Mason Lake Thibadeau Lamesteer Lee Metcalf Lost Trail Medicine Lake Ninepipe Pablo Red Rock Lakes Swan River UL Bend War Horse
National Forests	Beaverhead–Deerlodge Bitterroot Custer Flathead Gallatin Helena Kootenai Lewis and Clark Lolo
National Wilderness	Absaroka–Beartooth Anaconda–Pintler Bear Trap Canyon Bob Marshall Cabinet Mountains Gates of the Mountains Great Bear Lee Metcalf Medicine Lake Mission Mountains Rattlesnake Red Rock Lakes Scapegoat Selway–Bitterroot UL Bend Welcome Creek
National wild and scenic rivers	East Rosebud Creek Flathead Missouri

State

State parks	Ackley Lake Anaconda Smoke Stack Bannack Beaverhead Rock Beavertail Hill Big Arm Black Sandy Brush Lake Chief Plenty Coups Clark's Lookout Cooney Council Grove Elkhorn Finley Fish Creek First Peoples Buffalo Jump Fort Owen Frenchtown Pond Giant Springs Granite Ghost Town Greycliff Prairie Dog Town Hell Creek Lake Elmo Lake Mary Ronan Les Mason Lewis and Clark Caverns Logan Lone Pine Lost Creek Madison Buffalo Jump Makoshika Medicine Rocks Milltown Missouri Headwaters Painted Rocks Parker Homestead Pictograph Cave Pirogue Island Placid Lake Rosebud Battlefield Salmon Lake Sluice Boxes Smith River Somers Beach Spring Meadow Lake Thompson Falls Tongue River Reservoir Tower Rock Travelers' Rest Wayfarers West Shore Whitefish Lake Wild Horse Island Yellow Bay
State forests	Clearwater Coal Creek Lincoln Lubrecht Experimental Stillwater Sula Swan River Thompson River
Wildlife Management Areas	Amelia Island Aunt Molly Badlands Beartooth Beckman Big Lake Blackfoot-Clearwater Blackleaf Blue Eyed Nellie Bowdoin Buffalo Head Park Bull River Calf Creek Canyon Creek Canyon Ferry Dodson Creek Dodson Dam Dome Mountain Ear Mountain Elk Island F Island Flathead Lake Flathead River Fleecer Mountain Fox Lake Freezout Lake Fresno Reservoir Fresno Tailwater Gallatin Garrity Mountain Grant Marsh Gravelly-Blacktail Haymaker Hinsdale Horseshoe Lake Howard Valley Isaac Homestead Judith River Kootenai/Falls Kootenai/West Kootenai/Woods Ranch Lake Helena Lost Creek Lower Stillwater Lake Madison-Bear Creek Madison-Wall Creek Milk River Mount Haggin Mount Jumbo Mount Silcox Nevada Lake Ninepipe North Swan Valley CE Pablo Ray Kuhns Robb-Ledford Rookery Roundhom Sanders Seven Sisters Silver Gate Silver Run Smith River Sun River Swan Lake Thompson-Fisher CE Three Mile Threemile Vandalia War Dance Island Warm Springs

Other

Nonprofit	American Prairie
Tribal	CSKT Bison Range

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