About the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness
Photo courtesy David Wells.
Land and People Acknowledgement
The Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains are situated on lands that have been inhabited by the Apsáalooke, Tsis tsis'tas, Tukudeka, and many other indigenous people for millennia.
They remain the traditional stewards of these lands, and as one small entity in a long line of stewards of this magnificent landscape, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation endeavors to listen to, learn from, and remain humble to these wisdom keepers. We strive to operate under the guidelines of the Honorable Harvest as guided by the covenant of reciprocity.
Acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action. But this beginning can be an opening to greater public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights, a step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation.
Learn more about the Native Lands you live on here: https://native-land.ca/
Let’s Start With The Basics
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The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, or simply “The AB,” is a near-million-acre area of designated Wilderness spanning the Montana-Wyoming border. It’s home to over 1,000 lakes and the greatest expanse of alpine tundra in the Lower 48. Tucked away in the rugged mountains, over 700 glaciers have been recorded here. The Wilderness spawns major tributaries to the renowned Yellowstone River including two Wild & Scenic Rivers—the Clark’s Fork and East Rosebud. Forged from rocks dated to nearly 4 billion years old, the Beartooths includes the mightiest peaks found in Montana—including all 22 of “the 12ers” (peaks over 12,000 feet)—culminating on Granite Peak at 12,807 feet. Sharing a 25-mile long border with Yellowstone National Park, The AB is truly the capstone of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and a crown jewel of American Wilderness.
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The name comes from the two main mountain ranges that fall within the Wilderness area: the rugged, forested Absaroka Range on the west side (running deep into Wyoming), and the elevated Beartooth Range on the east side of the Wilderness.
Absaroka (pronounced “ab-ZOR-ka”), comes from the word Apsáalooke, meaning “People of the Large-Beaked Bird,’ and the proper name for the Crow Nation. Beartooth also has Indigenous origins: the name is a translation of the Apsáalooke word “Na Piet Say,” meaning “Bear’s Tooth” — the name for a prominent mountain spire visible from U.S. 212, the “Beartooth Highway.” The AB is the homeland of these and other Indigenous peoples like the Bannock, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Shoshone, and many others, and it has been called by many other names in many other languages. -
Established in 1964, the National Wilderness Preservation System is a collection of 762 Congressionally-designated areas found within National Forests, National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands. Designation wilderness areas are managed for their untrammeled (free from modern human control), undeveloped (free from permanent residence or structures of modern humans), and natural characteristics, and to provide outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation. The AB joined the system on March 27, 1978.
Okay, so where does the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness Foundation come into play?
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to promote stewardship of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and foster appreciation of all wild lands, which we do through volunteer engagement, education and outreach, and community collaboration. We partner with the U.S. Forest Service and others to maintain trails, pull invasive weeds, garner important data and restore heavily impacted sites; share information on wilderness ethics, regulations, skills, and values; and collect data for management decision-making and scientific research. We welcome ALL wilderness enthusiasts to join us as members and volunteers: The AB is your land too!
Want to bring a little piece of the wilderness home to your coffee table?
The award-winning book, “Voices of Yellowstone’s Capstone. A Narrative Atlas of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness” edited by Traute Parrie and Jesse A. Logan, is a vibrant exploration of the cultural and natural resources of the arresting landscape of The AB, showcased through engaging essays paired with richly illustrated maps. Available in both soft cover and hard back.
