New map for the Cabinet Wilderness

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, the Forest Service, Montana Wilderness Association and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness teamed up with publisher Blue Creek Press, of Heron, to produce a new map of one of the original designated wilderness areas — the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.

The last map of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness was published by the Forest Service in 1992 and is out of print and has become difficult to find.

The new 1:80,000 scale map is the main feature of a colorful, easy-to-use, double-sided brochure that features the north and south sections of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness on separate sides.

There are also short descriptions of 13 trails and 10 other local attractions. The printed maps are being distributed to Forest Service ranger stations, chambers of commerce, libraries, real estate offices, outdoor and sporting goods stores and tourist services in Lincoln and Sanders counties, and Bonner County in Idaho. They can also be found at REI stores in Spokane and Missoula.

As a companion project, Clearwater Montana Properties paid to create a downloadable “GeoPDF” map, which allows smartphone users to find their way around using the proper phone application.

The application can be found online at www.avenza.com/pdf-maps and the GeoPDF can be found at www.wildmontana.org/cabinethikes.