Here in southwestern Montana, under the state's famous Big Sky, you'll find the magnificent Pintler Mountains and nearly 250 square miles of wilderness land. Left behind eons ago by retreating glaciers, this rugged land of deep canyons and mountain meadows is now the home of the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. The Pintlers, stretching out from Lost Trail Pass to the town of Anaconda, run in a northeasterly direction for 50 miles. Straddling the Continental Divide, mountain peaks of the Pintlers vary from 5000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. High in the range that the mountain goats rule, scenery is accented by snow-capped peaks, alpine lakes and a large variety of wildlife. Guests may spot critters that vary from the tiny, but vocal pika to the stately elk.
     Designated as a primitive area in 1937, the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area was added to the initial group of newly designated wilderness lands under the 1984 Wilderness Act. Totaling more than 158,000 acres, the wilderness hosts a series of hiking trails, which provide access for hunting, fishing, and pure wilderness enjoyment. Here in this marvelous wilderness setting, it's easy to understand the proclamation issued by A.B."Bud” Guthrie’s father's, "Standing under the big sky I feel free.”