In 2024, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, in partnership with Hungry Horse Ranger District, is forming the Great Bear Trail Posse to address trail maintenance needs in the Great Bear Panhandle. 

The Trail Posse is a group of able bodied citizens who enjoy Wilderness and want to help out, but want to do it on their own time. Perhaps you have a day off and have already hiked your favorite peaks of the summer. Maybe you want to ski up Essex this winter and wish the brush on the trail was not so thick. Perhaps you just want a new way to spend the day outdoors and have a positive impact on your local trails. 

The Great Bear Wilderness is roughly 287,000 acres that include about 300 miles of trail. The Hungry Horse Ranger District has 3-5 trail crew members per season that maintain these trails. With help from partners like BMWF, MCC and BCH they are able to clear most of them, but there are still many that need work. And with so much trail to clear, the crews don't have the time to brush the trail corridors. That's where the Great Bear Trail Posse (YOU) comes in!

We hope you will join us in our inaugural season of the Great Bear Trail Posse! Come alone or bring some friends. All are welcome!  

To join the Posse:

  • Fill out the online registration

  • Attend a 3 hour training to learn tool safety, trail maintenance expectations and policy’s

    • Trainings will be held once we have 4 or more people registered for training. Typically one in Spring and one in Fall.

    • Stay tuned for next training date.


Already a Posse Member?

  • Want to clear some trail and need to check out tools? Contact Rebecca Powell and let her know. She will have them ready for you at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station.

  • Have you done some trail work? AWESOME! Fill out this accomplishment form so we can inform the Forest Service and give you kudos!

  • Looking for inspiration on where to go work? Follow this link to a list of trails that have not been cleared this season.

  • Did some scouting? Fill out this form to let us know what’s out there.

Have questions? We're happy to answer them! Give Rebecca a call at (406) 387-3808 or email at rpowell@bmwf.org. 

Can't make the training, but still want to join the Posse? Let us know and we can work something out!