Recovered from the brink, bald eagles now nest along Montana's major river corridors. The northern Rockies hold an abundance of wildlife that has vanished from much of the country.

Bald eagles gather each fall to feed on spawning kokanee salmon.

What sets it apart

The species rebounded after the banning of the pesticide DDT. Small as it sounds, it is exactly the sort of thing that defines the experience on the ground.

Winter concentrations form along open stretches of the Missouri.

Why it matters

What ties it all together is a distinctly Montana balance between wildness and self-reliance. Give these animals room, and the reward is a glimpse of a wilder, older America.