Parks around Deer Lodge

Wide open spaces, the hard-working cowboy, his spirited cow pony, and vast herds of cattle are among the strongest symbols of the American West. Once the headquarters of a 10 million acre cattle empire, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site preserves these symbols and commemorates the role of cattlemen in American history.

The 12-mile long Garnet Back Country Byway climbs 2,000 feet through the scenic Garnet Range to Garnet Ghost Town. Thanks to extensive preservation efforts, the 30 buildings in this historic town look much the same as they did in 1895. Visitor Center at Ghost Town is open daily from late May through September from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and on limited hours on winter weekends.

The Anaconda Pintler Wilderness now contains a total of 158,615 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1964 the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an...

The Helena Valley Unit is in central Montana, adjoining the city of Helena, Montana, and 3.5 miles west of Canyon Ferry Dam on the Missouri River. The principal purposes of the unit are irrigation and municipal water for the city of Helena. Features of the development are a tunnel, dam and regulating reservoir, canal, pumping plant, and other facilities. Created by Helena Valley Dam the reservo...

The Welcome Creek Wilderness now contains a total of 28,135 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1978 the Welcome Creek Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of...

Welcome to the Helena National Forest and the "million acre backyard" of our local communities.  The accessible forest landscape here provides abundant opportunities for local residents and visitors to enjoy our wildlife, history and scenery.  Helena Forest roads and trails support a balance of motorized and non-motorized recreation including: hiking. biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing...

The Nelson Reservoir, a feature of the Milk River Project, is located 19 miles northeast of Malta, Montana provides offstream storage for irrigation of Malta Division lands in the Saco and Hinsdale area. This reservoir, with 4,320 water surface acres, 7,702 land acres and 30 miles of shoreline, offers good fishing for walleye, perch, and northern pike. Concrete boat ramp, campground, and picnic sh...

Canyon Ferry Dam and reservoir are located in Montana about 50 miles downstream from where the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers join to form the Missouri River. The reservoir has approximately 35,200 water surface acres, 9,360 land acres and 76 miles of shoreline, and offers excellent fishing opportunity for rainbow trout, perch, ling, and walleye. There are three marina concessions (Goose ...

The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness now contains a total of 28,562 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1964 the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for soli...

On the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, you can travel the length of the Pioneer Mountain Range. Granite peaks topping 10,000 feet in elevation are to the east, and gentler, forested terrain stretches out to the west. You'll see mountain meadows, lodgepole pine forests and broad "willow bottoms." The road gently ascends a 7,800 foot divide between Wise ...

Located along the meandering Bitterroot River and surrounded by the majestic Bitterroot and Sapphire mountain ranges, Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) offers spectacular viewing opportunities of the Montana landscapes and wildlife. The Refuge was established in 1963 to provide habitat for migratory birds. The Refuge name honors the late U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf, who had a lifelong...

The Scapegoat Wilderness now contains a total of 239,936 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1972 the Scapegoat Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of "...in...

On August 9, 1877 gun shots shattered a chilly dawn on a sleeping camp of Nez Perce. By the time the smoke cleared on August 10, almost 90 Nez Perce were dead along with 31 soldiers and volunteers. Big Hole National Battlefield was created to honor all who were there.

The Rattlesnake Wilderness now contains a total of 32,976 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1980 the Rattlesnake Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age of ".....

The Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness is one of the four units of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. The Bear Trap Canyon is the first wilderness area to be managed by the BLM. The 6,347-acre area offers beautiful wilderness scenery plus exciting whitewater rafting featuring the famous Class IV - V Kitchen Sink rapid. The 1,500-foot cliffs that border the canyon provide a dramatic backdrop along the nine-mile ...

Willow Creek Dam, a part of the Sun River Project, is an earthfill structure on Willow Creek about 15 miles southeast of Gibson Dam. This reservoir, with 1,530 water surface acres, 3,069 land acres and 11 shoreline miles, offers fishing for rainbow trout and kokanee salmon.

Gibson Dam, the principal structure of the Sun River Project, is on the Sun River, 70 miles west of Great Falls, Montana. It is a concrete arch dam and contains 167,500 cubic yards of concrete. The reservoir, with 1,296 surface acres and 15 miles of shoreline, offers fair fishing for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and brown trout. Recreation is managed for Reclamation by the U.S. Forest Servic...

The Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness now contains a total of 1,340,502 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. Idaho contains approximately 1,089,059 acres. Montana contains approximately 251,443 acres. In 1964 the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and e...

Pishkun Dikes and Reservoir are part of the Sun River Project. The Reservoir is an offstream storage reservoir, about 15 miles northeast of Gibson Dam and is formed by 8 earthfill dikes with heights ranging from 12 to 50 feet and an overall length of 9,050 feet. This reservoir, with 1,550 water surface acres, 2,683 land acres and 13 miles of shoreline, offers major game fishing for kokanee salmon...

The Mission Mountains Wilderness now contains a total of 73,877 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1975 the Mission Mountains Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In a...

Two mountain ranges, separated by the Bitterroot River valley, in southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho comprise the Bitterroot National Forest.  Breathtaking scenery is provided by 30 deep, rocky, glaciated canyons breaking the sharp face of the Bitterroot range at regular intervals to the west. Most of this rugged range is wilderness. To the east, the Sapphire range presents a gentler horizon. ...

The Bob Marshall Wilderness now contains a total of 1,009,356 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Montana. In 1964 the Bob Marshall Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. In an age o...

Ennis National Fish Hatchery is different from other hatcheries. Most hatcheries produce fish and stock them into public waters, Ennis Hatchery operates as a broodstock hatchery. A broodstock hatchery specializes in rearing fish to adult size, takes the eggs from the fish, fertilizes them, incubates them and ships them to production hatcheries for rearing. The Ennis Hatchery raises six diffe...

The Lake is part of the Greenfields Division on the Sun River Project in central Montana, west of the city of Great Falls. Small recreation area with over 3,000 acres of land and 1,500 acres of water available for recreation. Beautiful country not far from Choteau, Montana with mountains in close proximity and lots of green range lands.

The Northwest Montana Wetland Management District (WMD) consists of waterfowl production areas (WPA) ranging in size from 28 to 2,370 acres. It is located in the Flathead and Mission valleys. The area consists of intermountain grasslands thickly dotted with wetlands. These wetland depressions were created during the 100,000-year Wisconsin glaciation, which carved stream valleys and formed the mo...