Gates of the Mountains Wilderness

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Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
IUCN Category Ib (Wilderness Area)

Location:	Montana, USA
Nearest city:	Helena, MT
Coordinates:	46°53′″N, 111°58′″W
Area:	28,562 acres (115 km²)
Established:	1964
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1964, the wilderness is managed by Helena National Forest.

Gates of the Mountains Wilderness (then known as the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area) was the site of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters and which was the subject of Norman Maclean's book Young Men and Fire.

U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season.

[edit] History

The Gates of the Rocky Mountains were first thought to have been established as such with the exploration led by Lewis and Clark. The party is said to have come around a turn in the Missouri River only to find what seemed like a wall of rock. As the party neared in their canoes they realized the illusion was caused by a sharp turn in the river while navigating itself thorugh the Rocky Mountains.

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