Rainbow Over the Montana Mission Mountains, the Northern Rockies

The Crown of the Continent is a territory of 10 million international acres ranging from Montana to Canada. Bear Spirit Lodge B&B in Montana is located deep in this magnificent natural wildland. The Crown contains some of the wildest country remaining in the lower 48 states - one of the only intact ecosystems of North America!

Directly north of Missoula, Montana, lie the scenic peaks, glaciated valleys and postcard-perfect scenery that constitute the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. Some call it “The Backbone of the World.” The landscape serves as a living laboratory for climate change, a stage for urban-wildland interface issues, and a rich tapestry of history.

According to Rick Graetz, University of Montana Geography Professor, the North America ecosystem includes the 1.1-million-acre Glacier National Park and the 1.5-million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness complex at its core on the U.S. side of the border. The Crown is one of the last two remaining wildland ecosystems that has entirely escaped post-industrial extinction of species — only one of 12 places in the hemisphere. This remarkable area provides one of the most promising opportunities for visionary conservation in the West.

The Crown of the Continent is truly a globally significant climate-change refuge, where native plants and animals and the ecosystems that support them remain largely intact, and the human communities that have co-existed with them for hundreds of years still flourish. The Crown is considered by many climate scientists and biologists is one of the best hopes in North America for preserving wildlands, wildlife and the myriad of cultures and communities that they support in the face of a rapidly changing environment.

Come stay at Bear Spirit Lodge B&B near St. Ignatius, Montana & enjoy the comforts of home while exploring the vast, incredible, spectacular,  & the wildlands of the Crown of the Continent!