This wilderness area consists of about 160,000 acres and contains diverse topography and vegetation. Elevations range from 5400 feet near the Bitterroot River to 10,793 feet at the summit of West Goat Peak. Vegetation includes sagebrush, willow flats, ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, aspen, subalpine fir, whitebark pine and subalpine larch. The vegetative mosaic changes with elevation, aspect, geology and fire history.
The area is an important watershed, containing the headwaters of Rock Creek and numerous tributaries of the Bitterroot and Big Hole rivers. Cutthroat and rainbow trout are found in most of the lakes and streams. Some streams below 7000 feet have eastern brook trout.
The wilderness is administered by three ranger districts of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
