Northern Region Pack Train

The Northern Region Pack Train (NRPT) is hosted at the Ninemile Ranger District and serves Montana, Northern Idaho, North Dakota and Northwestern South Dakota, supporting Forest Service projects and representing the Forest Service to the public with education and community service. Pack strings are valuable tools in managing the 191 million acres of national forest. These lands were set aside over 100 years ago to provide for the needs of the American people in ways that also protect the environment. Today, while there are numerous smaller mule teams serving the wilderness needs of individual forests, there are only two full regional specialty pack strings serving U.S. Forest Service needs throughout multiple States: the Rocky Mountain Region Specialty Pack String, supporting forests in Colorado, Eastern Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota and the Northern Region Pack Train.

Mission

The mission of the NRPT is to represent the Forest Service to the public through education and community service and to complete backcountry packing and work projects across the region. 

The NRPT accepts proposals for work projects, and education and community service events from across the region every year.

• Education: The NRPT reaches out to the public through sports shows, classroom presentations, Ninemile Wildlands Training Center classes and other events to educate people about the Forest Service, responsible stock use, Wilderness and Leave No Trace ethics.
• Community Service: The NRPT represents the Forest Service in parades, expos, demonstrations and other events.
• Work Projects: The NRPT completes packing and work projects such as re-supplying backcountry crews and cabins, packing in materials and completing work on backcountry cabins, packing out fencing, packing out equipment after backcountry fires.