Montana at it's best. . .
Between the beautiful undiscovered communities of Heron & Paradise, Montana are a few new communities that you may wish to get to know. Private building sites, varying in size from one to 300 acres, with either frontage on a Montana river or stream, the, Kootenai or Lolo National Forest boundaries or both are peacefully laid out to provide topographic and vegetative relief from neighbors as well as optimal views and ultimate privacy. The following information is about the area and the lots.
The Kootenai National Forest...
Encompassing over 2.2 million acres of National lands comprised of ranges of high craggy peaks, The Kootenai National Forest features spectacularly pristine areas including The Cabinet Mountain Wilderness, Ten Lakes Scenic Area, Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway and the Ross Creek Cedar Scenic Area. The Cabinet Mountains are the main focal point of Whitepine Crossing, while the Bitterroot Mountains are out the back door. This property is agent owned by a native that has lived in the area since she was two years old and explored these mountains and streams with an adventurer's soul.
The highest mountain is Snowshoe Peak at 8,738, while the valley floor is between 1862' (the lowest point in Montana) and 2500' along the Highway 200 corridor. The forest is dominated by two major rivers, the Clark Fork and the Kootenai, which are fed by many smaller rivers, such as the Yaak, Fisher, Tobacco, Vermillion and Thompson rivers and various tributaries. This is definitely river country and home to blue and red ribbon fly fishing streams. See sidebar for photos!
The Crown of The Continent...
Our ecosystem is so pristine and home to so many endangered species that this 10-million-acre region, including part of the Canada and Northwest Montana has been dubbed The Crown of the Continent. Below are some facts:
- It supports rare native predators such as grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, fishers and wolverines.
- It is home to the largest native population of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep anywhere in the United States
- It's home to one of the nation’s largest elk herds, and the nation’s largest mountain goat population.
- It is the only place in the United States where grizzly bears still roam onto the prairie.
- The Crown is the largest wild space in the American and Canadian West that still looks and functions much like it did hundreds of years ago.
This area is so exceptional that you may have to stop on your way home for passing elk, deer, big horn sheep, or various other wildlife. Sanders County has no stop lights, is 110 miles wide, has less than 10,000 residents and boasts more cows per square mile than people. If the outdoors and nature call your name and you long for the peace and quiet of the country or the inspiration of breathtaking scenery, welcome home.
The Lolo National Forest
"The two-million-acre Lolo National Forest (NF) in west central Montana is one of ten national forests in Montana. Created in 1906, the Lolo NF now includes former national forests originally named the "Cabinet," "Hell Gate,""Missoula," and "Selway" National Forests.
Located west of the continental divide, the Lolo NF is influenced by both continental and maritime climates. These climates provide for a wide range of environmental gradients producing a forest of high diversity. Diverse ecosystems range from wet, western redcedar bottoms to high alpine peaks, and forests of alpine larch and whitebark pine.
These diverse ecosystems are home for 17 conifer and 5 hardwood tree species, over 300 bird species, at least 20 fish species, over 60 mammal species and an estimated 1,500 plant species, including 250 non-native plant species. Within the Lolo NF, are record-sized trees, the Montana Champion ponderosa pine located in the Fish Creek drainage and a national co-champion western larch near Seeley Lake.
Elevation ranges from less than 2,400 ft. on the Clark Fork River below Thompson Falls to many peaks over 7,000 ft. and topping out at over 9,000 ft. at Lolo Peak near the town of Lolo and Ptarmigan Point near Seeley Lake. The highest point is Scapegoat Mountain within the Scapegoat Wilderness.
Water is plentiful within the Lolo NF producing over 100 named lakes and nearly 1,000 named streams including five major rivers.
Headquarters for the Lolo NF is in Missoula, Montana; a community of 60,000. Five Ranger Districts administer portions of the forest. See our office information on the Contact Us page for addresses and phone numbers. "*
*Info above is excerpted from the Lolo National Forest government site linked above.
