A Home in the Woods, Montana’s Westside Ranger Stations

Home In The Woods: Montana’s Westside Ranger Stations The second of two volumes, A Home in the Woods: Montana’s Westside Ranger Stations covers the history of Forest Service ranger stations west of the Continental Divide on the Kootenai, Flathead, Lolo, and Bitterroot National Forests. These facilities range from small backcountry guard stations in the Bob Marshall Wilderness to small district headquarters to extensive facilities such as the Spotted Bear Ranger Station, with housing for staff as well as seasonal crews and about 80 head of pack stock for use in the backcountry. Isolated Forest Service facilities often served as the center of civilization for remote areas such as the North Fork of the Flathead or the Yaak River Valley. The Forest Service provided employment, and the timber industry was the base of the local economy for many of these areas. Many of these facilities are long gone and forgotten, some have been preserved and are in the Forest Service cabin rental program, while others are still in use as district headquarters and backcountry guard stations. This book provides information about Forest Service facilities and will help preserve information that all too often gets thrown out during an office cleanup day.