2024 Map of Bender Point

About this map

Continental Divide heights define this high-altitude landscape along the border of the Bitterroot National Forest and Beaverhead National Forest. This section of the Anaconda Range is characterized by remote alpine basins containing Surprise Lake, Phlox Lake, and Violet Lake, which feed the headwaters of Bender Creek and Johnson Creek. Much of the northern terrain is protected within the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, where the lack of roads emphasizes the historic reliance on primitive routes like the McCart-Johnson Peak Trl. To the east, the drainage of Mussigbrod Creek and the marshy expanses of Buck Ridge Meadows provide a contrast to the steep rocky promontories like Bender Point. The presence of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trl tracing the ridge lines illustrates the area's significance for modern recreation and its role as a geographic watershed.