Montana’s Mountain Woman: Living Alone In Big Sky Country

Montana is the type of place that you can get lost in...literally.

Here in Big Sky Country, there are about 23 million acres of forested land. While that's hard for the mind to comprehend, the point is, if you wanted to find a place to hide out, Montana is a pretty good place to do so.

READ MORE: Montana's most adventurous town

Over the years, there've been all kinds of stories about folks disappearing into the woods. Heck, for years, the Unabomber called Montana home with a small, little handmade cabin just outside of Lincoln. Then there's the Bob. Bob Marshall Wilderness has a story or two about folks who walk in and don't walk out.

But what if you intended to go into the woods to get "lost" on purpose?

While that might seem a little odd to most, for some, the idea of living in the middle of a forest with no people around might just be paradise. One Montana legend involving such a story is the tale of Edna Knecht.

Montana is home to more than 100 named mountain ranges, and one of the most popular is the Bitterroot Mountain Range. Located south of Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley, the area is known for its beauty, and it's also known for the woman who lived in the middle of the mountains by herself for years without correspondence with others.

The folks over at Wild America put together a mini-documentary talking about Edna Knecht and the hunter who happened to stumble upon her cabin. According to the story, it was the first time she had talked to another human in almost 20 years. Edna was a self-sufficient woman living off the land with a cabin and garden. She chopped her own wood, grew her own food, and lived amongst the wild things.

You can learn more about Edna below:

Now, the debate on whether the story is true or not goes on. Some believe it to be the truth, while others feel the entire story is fabricated. However, it has come to represent the independent spirit that Montana is known for.