View source for Bitterroot Mountains

{{short description|Mountain range in Idaho and Montana, United States}}
{{Hatnote|This article is about the Bitterroot Mountains, a subrange of the larger [[Bitterroot Range]].}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name=Bitterroot Mountains
| map=
| photo=TrapperPeakMT.jpg
| photo_caption=Trapper Peak, in the Central Bitterroot Range
| country= United States
| subdivision1_type= States
| subdivision1= {{hlist|[[Montana]]|[[Idaho]]}}
| parent= [[Bitterroot Range]]
| range_coordinates= 
| area_mi2=4862
| highest=[[Trapper Peak (Montana)|Trapper Peak]]
| elevation_ft=10157
| coordinates= {{coord|45|53|23.43|N|114|17|52.11|W|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
}}
The '''Northern''' and '''Central Bitterroot Range''', collectively the '''Bitterroot Mountains''' ([[Montana Salish|Salish]]: '''čkʷlkʷqin'''<ref>{{Citation
 |last=Nkwusm 
 |title=Intro to the Salish Language C, Series 1 Part 2 
 |access-date=2013-05-03 
 |date=2006 
 |url=http://salishworld.com/merchandise_CD-Books.htm 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201184159/http://salishworld.com/merchandise_CD-Books.htm 
 |archive-date=2013-02-01 
}}</ref>), is the largest portion of the [[Bitterroot Range]], part of the [[Rocky Mountains]] and [[Idaho Batholith]], located in the [[Idaho Panhandle|panhandle of]] [[Idaho]] and [[Western Montana|westernmost]] [[Montana]] in the [[northwestern United States]]. The mountains encompass an area of <span style="white-space:nowrap">4,862&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(12,593&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span>.

The mountains are bordered on the north by Lolo Creek, to the northeast by the [[Clark Fork (river)|Clark Fork]], on the south by the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], on the east by the [[Bitterroot River]] and [[Bitterroot Valley|Valley]], and on the west by the [[Selway River|Selway]] and [[Lochsa River|Lochsa]] Rivers.<ref>[http://www.bivouac.com/ArxPg.asp?ArxId=1739 "Bitterroot Mountains"]. ''Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia''. Bivouac.com. Retrieved 4 March 2007.</ref>  Its highest summit is [[Trapper Peak (Montana)|Trapper Peak]], at {{convert|10157|ft|m|0}}.
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== Northern Bitterroot Range ==
{{Infobox mountain
| name=Northern Bitterroot Range
| map=
| photo=
| photo_caption=
| country= United States
| subdivision2_type= States/Provinces
| subdivision2= {{hlist|Montana|Idaho}}
| area_mi2=1869
| range_coordinates= 
| length_mi=66
| length_orientation=N/S
| width_mi=88
| width_orientation=E/W
| highest=[[Rhodes Peak (Montana)|Rhodes Peak]]
| elevation_ft=7930
| coordinates= {{coord|46|40|29.26|N|114|47|0.63|W|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline}}
}}
The '''Northern Bitterroot Range''' is the northernmost and shortest subrange of the Bitterroot Mountains. The Northern Bitterroots encompass <span style="white-space:nowrap">1,869&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(4,841&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span> and its two tallest peaks are the <span style="white-space:nowrap">7,930&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(2,417&nbsp;m)</span> [[Rhodes Peak (Montana)|Rhodes Peak]] and the <span style="white-space:nowrap">7,770&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(2,368&nbsp;m)</span> [[Quartz Benchmark]].<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14312 |name=Northern Bitterroot Range |accessdate=4 March 2007}}</ref>

The Northern Bitterroots also contain a smaller subrange, the '''Grave Creek Range'''. The Grave Creek Range is <span style="white-space:nowrap">262&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(679&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span> in area and its highest peak is the <span style="white-space:nowrap">7,270&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(2,216&nbsp;m)</span> [[Petty Mountain]].<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=143129 |name=Grave Creek Range |accessdate=4 March 2007}}</ref>

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== Central Bitterroot Range ==
{{Infobox mountain
| name=Central Bitterroot Range
| map=
| photo=TrapperPeakMTfromRt93.jpg
| photo_caption=Another view of Trapper Peak, from [[U.S. Route 93|US 93]]
| country= United States
| subdivision2_type= States/Provinces
| subdivision2= {{hlist|Montana|Idaho}}
| area_mi2=2993
| range_coordinates= 
| length_mi=103
| length_orientation=N/S
| width_mi=48
| width_orientation=E/W
| highest=[[Trapper Peak (Montana)|Trapper Peak]]
| elevation_ft=10157
| coordinates= {{coord|45|53|23.43|N|114|17|52.11|W|type:mountain|format=dms|display=inline}}
}}
The '''Central Bitterroot Range''' is the southernmost and tallest subrange of the Bitterroot Mountains. The Central Bitterroots encompass <span style="white-space:nowrap">2,993&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(7,752&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span> and its two tallest peaks are the <span style="white-space:nowrap">10,157&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(3,096&nbsp;m)</span> [[Trapper Peak (Montana)|Trapper Peak]] and the <span style="white-space:nowrap">9,983&nbsp;foot&nbsp;(3,043&nbsp;m)</span> [[El Capitan (Montana)|El Capitan]].<ref>{{cite peakbagger |rid=14313 |name=Central Bitterroot Range |accessdate=4 March 2007}}</ref>

The Central Bitterroots also contain a smaller subrange, the [[Como Peaks (Montana)|Como Peaks]]. The Como Peaks subrange is <span style="white-space:nowrap">79&nbsp;square miles&nbsp;(205&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)</span> in area and its highest peak is the aforementioned El Capitan.

==History==
The Bitterroot Mountains presented an unexpected, formidable obstacle to [[Lewis and Clark]] during their expedition westward, and ended their expectation of finding a "[[Northwest Passage]]" giving an easy connection from the Atlantic watershed to that of the Pacific.

===Forest management===
[[Guy M. Brandborg]] of the U.S. Forest Service, was supervisor of the Bitterroot National Forest from 1935 to 1955. By insisting on selection cutting, he tried to protect the watersheds and wildlife habitats that are harmed by clear-cutting. After he retired in 1955 Brandborg denounced the Forest Service for deviating from his model. He launched a public attack and lobbied to secure passage of the [[National Forest Management Act of 1976]], that codified his model.<ref>{{cite book |last=Swanson |first=Frederick H. |title=The Bitterroot and Mr. Brandborg: Clearcutting and the Struggle for Sustainable Forestry in the Northern Rockies |date=2011 |publisher=University of Utah Press |isbn=9781607811015}}</ref>

==See also==
<div style="float:right;">{{Portal|Idaho|Mountains}}</div>
* [[Bitterroot National Forest]]
* [[List of mountain ranges in Montana]]
* [[List of mountain ranges in Idaho]]

==Further reading==
* Swanson, Frederick H. ''The Bitterroot and Mr. Brandborg: Clearcutting and the Struggle for Sustainable Forestry in the Northern Rockies'' (University of Utah Press, 2011). {{ISBN|978-1-60781-101-5}}

==References==
{{commons category|Bitterroot Mountains}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Mountains of Idaho}}
{{Idaho}}

[[Category:Bitterroot Range|*]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Montana]]
[[Category:Ranges of the Rocky Mountains]]
[[Category:Landforms of Ravalli County, Montana]]
[[Category:Landforms of Missoula County, Montana]]
[[Category:Landforms of Mineral County, Montana]]
[[Category:Bitterroot National Forest]]