Maps & Publications

Maps

National Forest Maps

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest offices all stock a number of maps. Maps for sale of our Forest include: Helena National Forest Visitor Map, Bob Marshall, Great Bear and Scapegoat Wilderness Map, the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness & Recreation Area Map, the Elkhorn Mountain Recreation Map, the Highwood Mountains Recreation Opportunity Map, and the Little Belt and Castle Mountains Winter Recreation Use Map, and the Jefferson Division map. Maps are also available at the USGS Store.

We also sell maps from other National Forests in the Northern Region as well as interagency maps of other parts of Montana. Maps cost between $9 to $14. Please contact your local ranger district for current pricing and availability.

You can also explore the Interactive Visitor Map, an on-line and mobile friendly map of the entire National Forest System. Please be aware this map does not contain travel information. Routes shown on this map are not necessarily open to the public, or may be closed during part of the year. Please obtain an MVUM and follow all travel rules!

Bob Marshall Wilderness Trail Conditions Interactive Map

Click here for real-time updates on trails in the backcountry by checking out the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation's interactive trails conditions map!

Free Digital Travel Plan and Recreation Maps

Travel Plan maps are for non-winter road and trail travel and mirror the MVUM but contain more information for navigation and user convenience. You can obtain a free paper copy of these maps at Forest offices.

Also in these collections are links to GeoPDFs that can be used on mobile devices in various apps, to navigate even while out of cell service. We are adding more maps all the time, so check back! Included now are links to winter recreation maps (cross-country ski, snowmobile) and more!

Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM)

The MVUM displays Forest roads and trails open to motor vehicles and when they are open. If a route is not shown on the MVUM, it is not open to public motor vehicle travel. Some routes may not be signed on the ground, and it is the user's responsibility to refer to the MVUM and ensure they are on an open route. The MVUM will be updated to reflect any changes in route status, and to correct errors. Special orders may be issued at any time that temporarily close routes for reasons such as safety concerns, resource damage, or fire.

Over-the-Snow Vehicle Use Maps (OSVUM)

The winter version of the MVUM, the OSVUMs show the prohibitions and open areas for use of over-snow vehicles on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest pursuant to 36 CFR 212.81. They show established snowmobile routes as well as routes that are open to snowmobiles in areas closed to cross-country snowmobile travel. For detailed information about motorized routes for wheeled vehicles, see the MVUMs, which show roads to access snowmobile areas that are open to highway vehicles during certain seasons.

Last updated: August 29, 2022