Permits & Licenses

The Mission Mountains on the valley side are tribal land, including the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness, the first tribally designated wilderness in the United States. So are the Bison Range area and long stretches of the lower Flathead River and Jocko River. Recreation there as a non-tribal visitor requires a current CSKT permit.

The rule is broader than most visitors expect: if you are entering the wilderness or any tribal land at all, to hike, picnic, photograph, or just wander, you should carry the permit. It is not just for anglers and hunters. Day hikes count. The base permit is the CSKT Conservation License; fishing, bird hunting, and camping carry their own licenses on top of it. Buy the first one in person at any reservation permit vendor around the valley (grocery stores and sporting goods shops sell them), and you can renew online after that. The fee supports the Tribes’ management of these lands. When in doubt, buy the permit.

One distinction worth knowing before you go: the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness carries its own regulations, separate from the tribal lands below it, and a single outing can cross between the two. Mission Falls sits inside the wilderness; the Mission Reservoir dam below it does not. The current Non-Member Regulations, published by CSKT Natural Resources, spell out the rules for both.

Inside the wilderness the rules tighten: groups of eight or fewer, no bikes or motorized equipment, no firearms, no berry or mushroom picking, and camps moved every three days. The McDonald Peak Grizzly Bear Management Zone is closed to all recreational use from July 15 to October 1 each year.

• CSKT Conservation License · the base permit, required for hiking and general day use on CSKT-administered lands, including the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness. Buy from CSKT & vendor list ↑
• CSKT Fishing Permit · required for fishing on tribally-administered waters. Issued separately. CSKT site ↑
• CSKT Bird and Hunting Permit · required for hunting on tribal lands. CSKT site ↑

Permit categories, rules, and access points have changed over the years and continue to evolve. Always verify with the CSKT Natural Resources Department before going. The Tribes publish current rules at cskt.org.

Big Arm, Wild Horse Island, Yellow Bay, and Finley Point are units of Flathead Lake State Park and are administered by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Vehicle entry requires a current state parks pass.

• Annual State Parks Pass · covers vehicle entry to all Montana State Parks for the calendar year.
• Daily Day-Use Pass · per-vehicle, per-day, sold at park kiosks in season.

Montana State Parks fees and passes ↑

Camping reservations at any state park campground are handled separately through Montana FWP’s reservation system. Book months ahead for July and August.

Fishing in the Mission Valley sits on top of the CSKT-state jurisdictional split. The license you need depends on the body of water and the exact reach.

• Montana Fishing License · required on state-administered waters in Montana. Different categories for resident, non-resident, conservation, daily versus annual. Montana FWP fishing licenses ↑
• CSKT Fishing Permit · required on tribally-administered waters, including significant stretches of the lower Flathead River and the Jocko. Separate from the Montana state fishing license. CSKT site ↑

Many anglers in the valley carry both. The cleanest rule of thumb: if you can’t say with certainty which jurisdiction the water you are fishing falls under, check before you cast. Park your truck at a posted access site and read the regulation board.

The same split applies. Montana FWP hunting licenses ↑ for state-administered land; CSKT for tribal lands and waters. Waterfowl hunting on USFWS refuges also requires a federal duck stamp.

Ninepipes National Wildlife Refuge and Pablo National Wildlife Refuge are administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Entry is free and no permit is required for general daytime visiting along open roads and pullouts. Most of the refuge interiors are closed to entry to protect nesting birds, especially March through July.

Hunting on a national wildlife refuge requires a federal duck stamp and any applicable state and CSKT licensing. Federal Duck Stamp ↑

Developed campgrounds at the state parks listed above require a state parks pass plus a campground reservation. Dispersed camping rules differ widely by land authority and a permit may be required.

• Camping on CSKT lands requires a Flathead Reservation Camping License on top of the Conservation License; some areas are closed to overnight use entirely. Verify with CSKT Natural Resources before planning a backcountry trip.
• Flathead National Forest dispersed camping is generally permitted with restrictions; Flathead National Forest ↑ publishes current rules.

• CSKT (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes) · tribal lands and waters administration, permit vendors, current rules
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks · state-administered land, fishing and hunting licenses, state parks
• Ninepipes National Wildlife Refuge · USFWS
• Pablo National Wildlife Refuge · USFWS
• Flathead National Forest · US Forest Service
• CSKT Bison Range · visitor information, hours, entry fees
• Montana DOT 511 · current road conditions

Permit rules and the agencies that administer them change. We update this page as we learn of changes. If you spot something out of date, please email hello@exploremissionvalley.com and we’ll correct it.

This guide is for visitor convenience. It is not legal advice, and Explore Mission Valley isn’t responsible for enforcement actions. The agencies linked above are the authority.