Visitor Info Recreation Guide
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VISITOR RECREATION GUIDE MADISON RANGER DISTRICT BEAVERHEAD - DEERLODGE NATIONAL FOREST
The following pages have been put together courtesy of the Madison Ranger district and provide information on the following: Please be aware that hiking and campng can be fun, but you should always be prepared! Please check withthe local ranger stations (listed below) if you have questions. And always send us your suggestions, updates and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Recreation guide Overview
Spread out across stunning peaks, forests of pine, fir and Aspen, and open grasslands, the Madison Ranger District spans over 750,000 acres of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Southwestern Montana. This varied country offers endless and diverse possibilities for those who love the outdoors. Stroll along the interpretive nature trail at Wade Lake or negotiate rocky jeep trails in the Tobacco Root Range. You can fish high mountain lakes or wade the world famous trout waters of the Madison River. Rugged adventurers might lead a pack string along isolated ridges or backpack in the quiet solitude of wilderness, while those seeking more accessible activities can easily camp at developed campgrounds or drive the high Gravelly Range Road with its commanding views of adjacent ranges. From relaxing in your RV to stretching for a toe hold on a climb up a craggy peak, the Madison District offers something for everyone.
Powerful forces of nature created this place. The collision of continents, earthquakes, volcanoes and tremendous upheavals within the earth formed the six mountain ranges in the district. The Madisons, running east of Ennis to Quake Lake along the Madison River, shot up through layers of what had once been ocean bottom as tectonic plates collided 60 million years ago. In 1959, the earthquake that formed Quake Lake, and sadly buried several people camped nearby, raised the Madison Range 20 feet in an eye blink. The fault created by this growth spurt is visible along the lower slopes of the Madisons, Watch for it as you drive south, up the valley from Cameron.
The Lee Metcalf Wilderness:
More than a quarter million acres of the Madison Range was established as the Lee Metcalf Wilderness by the U.S. Congress in 1983. Wilderness is defined as an area where the earth and its community 0f 1% are untrammeled (not controlled) by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. It is managed to preserve and protect its wilderness characteristics in such as manner as to leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness. Motorized vehicles and bicycles, as well as equipment such as chainsaws, are not permitted. Although as recently as two hundred years ago, wilderness dominated the North American landscape, today the National Wilderness Preservation System protects but a remnant, less than two percent, of America's once vast wild lands. In the past, the greatest threat to wilderness came from those wishing to destroy it. Today the threat comes from those who love it. Should you take the opportunity to visit the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, please take care to avoid unnecessary impacts. Learn and practice the Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethic (see more about Leave No Trace below).
Lining the west side of the valley lie the gentler Gravelly and Greenhorn Ranges formed as similar tectonic processes lifted the sedimentary rock of the flat valley floor. Northwest of Ennis, the Tobacco Roots, a massive granitic batholith, stretch 10,000 feet above sea level, while the Snowcrest and Centennial ranges probe the clouds to the south.
People have lived, hunted, and traveled through these valleys for at least the past 10,000 years. Tribes of Shoshone and Bannack used many of the routes that cars, trucks, hikers and horses cruise today. Early trappers, following in the wake of the Lewis and Clark expedition, used these same Indian trails as they trapped beaver along the streams and rivers of the region.
The Forest Service, created in the early 1900's to manage the nation's newly created National Forests under the relatively new philosophy of "conservation", began on this district as several small log cabin stations each with its own ranger. Rangers oversaw grazing and logging operations within their districts, as well as building and clearing trails, and fighting forest fires. Many of these cabins still stand, serving today as Forest Service work stations and as windows to the past. Most cabins on the Madison District may be rented by the public (see cabin rental section below).
The district is rich in wildlife. Visitors might spot mule deer, white-tail deer, elk, coyotes, moose, and antelope all in one day. Mountain goats haunt the high country and bighorn sheep sometimes strut along the lower slopes of the Madison Range near Quake Lake. Elusive mountain lions and black bears provide a special thrill for the visitor fortunate enough to glimpse one and the howl of wolves may occasionally be heard, echoing in these valleys and peaks.
The endangered grizzly bear is a resident of the high reaches of the Madison Range, and sightings have been reported throughout the district. Be aware of special grizzly bear camping regulations in effect in the Madison Range, designed to protect both bears and humans. Prudent camping practices should be employed by visitors to other parts of the district as well. Keeping food away from bears, and other wildlife, is essential for their protection.
Birders will delight in bald eagles and osprey fishing along the Madison River, or golden eagles soaring over valleys and open grasslands in search of prey. Trumpeter swans, once nearly extinct, are now regular springtime residents at Cliff, Wade, and Elk lakes. The songs, croaks and calls of tanagers, sandhill cranes, vireos, larks, geese, raptors and wrens, resonate through the forest, accompanied by the percussion of woodpeckers drumming for insects and the base beat of grouse searching for mates. All told, more than 350 species of birds are known to visit the district.
Plant life also thrives here, ranging from tiny lichens covering granite slabs to vast stands of lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and spruce. In the high country, whitebark pine and sub-alpine fir mingle with glacier lilies, lupines, and alpine forget-me-nots. Noxious weeds, such as spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, and sulphur cinquefoil pose a major threat to these natural plant communities; therefore, certified weed seed free forage is required for all supplemental feed used on public lands in Beaverhead and Madison counties.
Whatever you do, the forest offers more than you can explore, learn, and experience in a life time. The staff of the Madison Ranger District and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest hope you enjoy this visit to your National Forests and all it has to offer. If you have any questions or comments, please contact one of our offices:
Madison Ranger District 5 Forest Service Road Ennis, MT 59729 (406) 682-4253 Sheridan Work Center P.O. Box 428 Sheridan, MT 59749 (406) 842-5432 Forest Supervisor's Office 420 Barrett Street Dillon, MT 59725 (406) 683-3900
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