Yaak, Montana


Yaak is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lincoln County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Yaak River, within the Kootenai National Forest. As of the 2020 census, its population was 338.
Yaak has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.
Yaak derives its name from the Yaak River. According to local lore, A’ak is a Kootenai name meaning “Arrow.” The Kootenai River forms the shape of a drawn bow; its tributary the Yaak River is its arrow. Homesteaders arrived shortly after the passage of the Forest Homestead Act of 1906.

History

Settlers wandered into the area from Canada in the 1860s, with the first homestead said to be in 1906.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Yaak has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.