South Fork Mountain

With no development to speak of and not even a maintained trail system, South Fork Mountain Roadless Area is wilderness in its purest form. The lush forest is so wet and dense that it contains a unique diversity of trees: Cedar, hemlock, western larch, lodgepole pine, and white pine all thrive in this enchanting landscape. The abundant old-growth cedar snags that loom over the younger trees, a remnant of the large fires that swept through the area early in the 1900s, provide excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife.

South Fork Mountain is part of designated recovery zones for the endangered mountain caribou and the threatened grizzly bear. Other rare species that can be found here are Canada lynx, gray wolves, and bull trout. Even the tiny, northern bog lemming has inhabited this area in recent years.

Seclusion is necessary for all of these species to thrive, since human development can disrupt these animals and weaken essential habitat. By designating South Fork as a wilderness area, we can bolster its isolation and protect it from future development.