Campground
Bears may frequent the area; keep all food out of sight in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating. Mandatory food storage is required.
Latitude 46° 39′ 57.7175″ N
Longitude 110° 34′ 24.1180″ W
The Silver Crest Winter Recreation area is an area that provides groomed trails for cross country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter months. Silver Crest is located off of the northwest corner of the Kings Hill Winter Recreation Parking Area. Ski trails and snowshoe trails are marked accordingly. Please follow signing and trail etiquette when using Silver Crest. No dogs or snowmobiles are allowed on the trail system, and snowshoes are not allowed on the groomed ski trails.
Trail System Maps (the GeoPDF is just the map, and is for use on GPS-enabled mobile device apps that accept that format):
The brochures are also available in printed format at Forest Service offices and many Great Falls sports and outdoors stores.
Silver Crest Ski and Snowshoe trails are maintained and managed in partnership between the Silver Crest Trail Association, the Kings Hill Grooming Association and the Lewis and Clark National Forest. Go to http://silvercresttrails.com/ for grooming and other trail system information.
Please contact the Belt Creek Ranger District Office at (406) 236-5100 for more information regarding winter use and current conditions.
Winter Trails Day, a cooperative effort between Get Fit Great Falls and several partners is hosted at Silver Crest trails. The day includes a variety of snowshoe hikes, and cross-country ski opportunities. It usually takes place in early February, and reservations are required, although all events are free!
Call the Forest Service at 406-791-7700 for more information, or visit the Get Fit Great Falls website.
Bears may frequent the area; keep all food out of sight in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating. Mandatory food storage is required.
Latitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ S
Longitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ W
This cross-country ski trailhead is located just off Highway 12 on Mac Donald Pass. It provides limited parking for skiers from December through March.
Latitude 46° 33′ 57.0000″ N
Longitude 112° 18′ 24.9998″ W
Meriwether offers 10 picnic tables, picnic shelter, boat dock, water, toilets, and garbage containers. Meriwether is a wonderful place to spend the day picknicking, fishing, boating and swimming. Meriwether also offers commerical boat tours and access to the gates of the mountains.
Located adjacent to the Missouri River. Take I-15 north from Helena approximately 15 miles to the Gates of the Mountains highway exit. Tour boat and private boat access is available at the privately operated Gates of the Mountains Boat Club.
Latitude 46° 52′ 12.0000″ N
Longitude 111° 54′ 6.0001″ W
The Big Belt Mountains are an island range primarily in Broadwater, Lewis and Clark, and Meagher counties with small portions in Gallatin and Cascade counties. The geographic area includes the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, the outlying Dry Range, and the small communities of York and Nelson. The nearest population center is Helena.
More information on the Big Belt Mountains
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Longitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ W
The Upper Blackfoot spans Lewis & Clark and Powell counties. The majority of the area is west of the continental divide. The Rocky Mountain Range and Flathead National Forest are directly north and the Divide is to the south. To the east, mountains become grassy foothills with isolated buttes. Montana Highway 200 cuts east-west through the center, crossing over Rogers Pass to follow the Blackfoot River. The northwest corner is a part of the Scapegoat Wilderness and the greater Bob Marshall Wilderness complex.
The landform west of the divide is characterized by mostly rolling hills and mountains that are underlain by various types of rock. High peaks are topped with volcanic rocks with areas of exposed rock. The effects of glaciation are present. The landforms east of the divide are characterized by rounded mountains that are underlain by volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks that have changed through geologic processes. Summits lack much exposed rock and the effects of glaciation are absent. Another characterizing landform that helps define the geographic area is the mountain pass. There are a few notable passes, some allowing for easy automotive travel over the continental divide: Roger, Stemple, Windy, and Flesher.
More information on the Upper Blackfoot
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Longitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ W
The Elkhorns Geographic Area encompasses the Elkhorn Mountains in Broadwater and Jefferson counties and includes the small mining town of Elkhorn. The nearest population center is Helena, Montana. Many smaller communities also have intimate relationships with the geographic area: Montana City, Clancy, Alhambra, Jefferson City, Boulder, Radersburg, Townsend, Winston, and East Helena. The Elkhorns are surrounded by the Divide Mountains and Boulder Batholith on the west, and the Missouri and Boulder River valleys on the north, east, and, south. The form of the Elkhorn Mountains is rounded and furrowed from extensive weathering. High points are prominent from background northwest, west, and southwest perspectives but cryptic from other vantages. Drainages have carved steep gulches and canyons. The majority of the Elkhorns (north, west, southwest) is a part of a batholith. This geologic history has left the area rich in minerals. Evidence of glaciation is localized as boulder strewn areas of granitic rocks. The remaining approximate quarter (southwest) of the geographic area is underlain by sedimentary rock that lacks the same mineralization as the batholith but is rich in calcareous rock. The landforms are rugged, low mountains with hogback ridges and dry valleys.
More information on the Elkhorn Mountains
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Longitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ W
This geographic area is the scenic backdrop and primary recreational resource for Montana’s capital city, Helena. It also includes the smaller communities of Austin, Rimini, and Unionville. Portions of the geographic area are in the political geographies of Lewis and Clark, Powell, and Jefferson counties. The spine of the divide is higher, cooler, wetter, and more exposed, imbuing it with a unique microclimate. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail follows the crest of the divide.
More information on the Continental Divide landscape
Latitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ S
Longitude 0° 0′ 0.0000″ W
The Miller Creek Cabin is located in the Townsend Ranger District and rests at the intersection of the Confederate Gulch Road (FS Road 287) and the Blacktail Road (FS Road 4171), surrounded by scattered forest in the Big Belt Mountains in west-central Montana. The cabin is accessible by high-clearance vehicle, but requires over-the-snow vehicle travel during winter months.
Please use caution when accessing Miller cabin in the winter months, winter access will vary based on snow conditions. Do not count on wheeled vehicle access from November through April. You can get to Miller cabin in the winter months with snowmobile or cross country skiing. It is not recommended driving full size vehicle to the site during this time period.
During the summer months, enjoy a hike on local trails that will take you to high mountain lakes. During the fall, the cabin offers a wide array of recreation opportunities including hiking, hunting and off-highway vehicle access. The winter months provide for cross-country skiing and snowmobile opportunities.
This is a two room log cabin that has been completely remodeled. In addition to the cabin there is a wood shed and new outhouse facility.
Miller is a rustic log cabin furnished with two sets of bunk beds, kitchen hutch and table with four chairs. Pots and pans as well as dishes and some cleaning supplies are available for use. A two-burner propane camp cook stove and two lanterns are provided. Guests will need to provide their own fuel for the cook stove and lanterns. The stove and lantern require pre-filled propane cylinders which screw on (one pound cylinders work well). There is no water available.
Guests must bring their own bedding and pillows, flashlights, towels, food, garbage bags, dish soap, dish towels, extra cooking utensils and dishes, toilet paper and paper towels. Bedding and linens are not provided. Guests must clean the cabin completely and pack out all food and trash before leaving.
No firewood provided from June 1st – August 31.
The cabin sits at the confluence of two drainages, Confederate and Blacktail Creeks. The site is shaded for most of the day with mature trees and shrubs.
Confederate Gulch is a steeply incised valley on the west facing slopes of the Big Belt Mountains. Its small stream drains westward into Canyon Ferry Lake on the upper Missouri River Valley near present day Townsend, Montana. In 1864 Confederate soldiers on parole from the American Civil War made a minor gold discovery in the gulch, but in 1865 the discovery of the sensationally rich Montana Bar – one of the richest placer strikes per acre ever made – led to other rich gold strikes up and down the gulch, and touched off a frantic boom period of placer gold mining that extended through 1869. From 1866 to 1869 the gulch equaled or outstripped all other Montana Territory mining camps in gold production, producing an estimated $19 to $30 million in gold – late 1860s money. For a time, the gulch became the largest community in Montana. In 1866 Montana had a total population of 28,000, and of these, about 10,000 (35%) were working in Confederate Gulch. The main community was Diamond City while gold production was at its height; Diamond City roared along both night and day.
From Townsend, Montana: Turn east from US Highway 287 onto US Highway 12 for approximately 3 miles. Turn north on State Highway 284 for approximately 15 miles. Turn northeast onto Forest Road 287, Confederate Gulch, travel on Forest Rd 287 for approximately 8 miles. Arrived at location. Junction of Forest Rd 287 and Blacktail Rd 4171.
Please use caution when accessing Miller cabin in the winter months, winter access will vary based on snow conditions. Do not count on wheeled vehicle access from November through April. You can get to Miller cabin in the winter months with snowmobile or cross country skiing. It is not recommended driving full size vehicle to the site during this time period.
Latitude 46° 36′ 30.3001″ N
Longitude 111° 23′ 19.8802″ W
The Granite Butte Lookout is located at 7,587 feet above sea level atop the Continental Divide of North America. The 15′ by 15′ lookout cabin sits atop a 20′ tall wooden tower that was first built in 1932. The structure was rebuilt in 1962 and has been recently renovated. This tower was listed on the national register of historic lookouts in 2008 and offers guests a glimpse into the life of a Forest Service Lookout. Located near Lincoln, MT the lookout offers direct access to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail which stretches along the back bone of the continent from Canada to Mexico. It is accessible by vehicle, but be forewarned, the road is rough towards the end and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The lookout has the basic amenities including a bed, auxiliary cots, tables, chairs, dishes, cutlery, and a woodstove are provided, but guests should prepare to bring their own bedding, water, and propane.
The Continental Divide Trail passes right by the lookout tower and offers guests access to as many miles as they care to hike, bike, or ride on horseback. There are several other trails for guests to explore within a 1/2 hour drive. The cabin also offers winter recreation opportunities with cross-country skiing opportunities out the back door and nearby access to over 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.
The lookout is furnished with one twin bed with a mattress and three twin cots. The lookout can accommodate a maximum of four people. The lookout is equipped with a table, chairs, woodstove, propane cook stove, propane powered lanterns, silverware and dishes. An axe and splitting maul are available for splitting wood and firewood will usually be stacked at the base of the tower, but it is not guaranteed. The lookout does not have electricity or indoor plumbing. A vault toilet is on-site near the lookout. Guests will need to bring their own water for drinking and washing. Guests are advised to bring sleeping bags, linens, towels, dish soap, matches, propane, garbage bags and other personal effects. All garbage must be packed out and guests are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. A broom and cleaning supplies are provided.
The lookout is located atop a grassy ridge directly on the Continental Divide. The area around the cabin offers spectacular views, abundant wildflowers, high elevation white bark pine stands, open meadows, and large rock outcroppings. There are lower elevation conifer stands and streams located nearby as well.
Wildlife in the area abounds; including the more common elk, mule and white-tailed deer, squirrel, black bear, and a variety of birds. The more elusive grizzly bear, badger, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx can be found here as well.
The nearby town of Lincoln offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, a sculpture park, and many events that are put on in the community throughout the summer. Visitors can also access the scenic Blackfoot River and Copper Creek from town and the nearby area.
The lookout is located approximately 16 miles southeast of Lincoln. It can be reached via Stemple Pass Road #601, which leaves downtown Lincoln at the blinking light and joins Highway 279 north of Helena. Follow Stemple Pass Road for approximately 14 miles to the top of the pass and then turn onto Marsh Creek Road #485. Follow Marsh Creek Road south approximately 3 miles until the junction of the Granite Butte Road #4133. The road gets narrower and rougher at this point and climbs the final 1.5 miles up to the lookout tower. High clearance vehicles are strongly recommended for the Granite Butte Road #4133. During the winter months, the Stemple Pass Road is plowed in its entirety, but visitors will have to snowmobile or ski in the final 4.5 miles. There is plowed parking available at the Stemple Pass cross country ski area. There are two recommended routes into the lookout. One follows the road as outlined above and the other roughly follows the Continental Divide. If you are planning on snowmobiling into the lookout in the later winter months it is recommended that you take the upper route on the Continental Divide as the Marsh Creek Road develops large wind drifts that are generally impassable by snowmobiles. Please be sure to follow all applicable motorized use restrictions when accessing the lookout and only operate motorized vehicles where allowed. Maps of the ski and snowmobile routes are available at the Lincoln Ranger District and at the Stemple Pass Trailhead. Renters are advised to take a map with them if they are unfamiliar with the area.
Latitude 46° 51′ 46.8601″ N
Longitude 112° 27′ 53.1601″ W