Roughly 60 miles south of Canada, the 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks roadless area spans the Idaho-Montana border. Since the 1970s, when the U.S. Forest Service carried out extensive evaluations of lands suitable for wilderness, this rugged, scenic and biologically diverse portion of the Cabinet Mountains has been managed for its wilderness potential. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness believe now is the time to preserve the Scotchmans, one of the last, and largest, wild areas in our region.

About The Peaks

Looming above Lake Pend Oreille and the Clark Fork River in the Cabinet Mountains, Scotchman Peak is the highest point in Bonner County, Idaho, at 7009 feet. 

We see the backbone of the Rockies when we look at the Scotchmans. They’re the soul of the Rockies. There’s nothing like the Scotchmans.
Randy Sharp
Lifelong resident of Heron and Noxon, Montana

Straddling the Idaho/Montana border, the Scotchman Peaks offer a place of quite refuge. Nearby are the communities of Troy, Noxon and Heron, Montana, as well as Clark Fork, Hope and Sandpoint, Idaho.

In North Idaho there are large areas of wild land.  None are protected.  Vast areas of wild land in western Montana also go unprotected.   As our county’s population grows and more land is developed, our open public spaces are shrinking at an alarming rate.

We must act now to save the Scotchmans

Right now these wild areas belong to all of us - all of the citizens of this country – for us to use and enjoy in a variety of ways such as camping, fishing, hunting, hiking and backpacking, as well as observing and photographing the many species of wildlife and native plants that make these lands their home.

Being up on that mountain, looking down, it was as if we were part of the sunset.
Nancy Cheslic
Remembering childhood horseback rides with her Dad to the Scotchmans

Leaving them unprotected means that these beautiful public lands could potentially be taken away from us without our consent or even our knowledge, and sold to be developed, thus destroying forever the homes of numerous animals and your opportunity to enjoy some of the few remaining public wilderness areas available. 

Preserving this rugged landscape provides benefits now and in the future, for generations to come.  In a time of rapid change we need to make sure this special place stays the same.

You can help us do that

Please be sure to visit ourYou Can Help” page to learn about the ways that you can play a vital part in keeping these valuable public lands untouched and available for all of us.


Map of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

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