Sheepshead Recreation Area Picnic Area
Butte Ranger District
Activities include paved walking trails, fishing in Maney Lake, and a watchable wildlife trail.  Pavilions can be reserved for family and business events.  This site is accessible to people with disabilities.

Homestake Lake Picnic Area
Jefferson Ranger District
Located at Homestake Pass on top of the Continental Divide, this lake provides an opportunity for fishing. 

Delmoe Lake Picnic Area�
Jefferson Ranger District
Located 10 miles east of Homestake Lake, this area provides fishing opportunities.  A boat launch is available; however only small motor boats are recommended due to the small lake size.

Georgetown Lake
Pintler Ranger District
Located 50 miles west of Butte, the lake has a variety of picnic and fishing access sites around it.  Georgetown Lake is a popular place for ice fishing as well.

Lost Creek State Park
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Great place for viewing bighorn sheep and mountain goat as well as short hikes to a spectacular waterfall.

Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (693-7395)
A great escape west of Butte provides fishing, birding, hiking, and bicycling opportunities.

Forest Service Campgrounds are available on a fee and non fee basis.  Visit the forest website for information on local campgrounds including Toll Mountain, Lowland, and Beaverdam.  Each campground offers units for trailers 50 feet long, water, and toilets.  Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

The Bureau of Land Management manages campgrounds along the Big Hole River, a blue ribbon trout stream, including Divide, Dickie Bridge, and East Bank.  Galena Gulch campground is located near Boulder, off Interstate 15, between Butte and Helena.  BLM

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation
The Forest Service offers lake fishing at several sites around Georgetown Lake and Delmoe Lake as well as many mountain lakes and streams.

Bureau of Land Management
BLM
Big Hole River – Enjoy blue ribbon trout fishing from several access points including:  Jerry Creek Bridge, Divide Bridge, East Bank, Maiden Rock

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
Several fishing access sites are located on the Big Hole River at Maiden Rock and on the Jefferson River at Kountz Bridge, Silver Star, and May Flower Bridge.

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

XX Ranger District

BLM

Big Hole Battlefield

Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks

 Bannack State Historic Park

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks

South of Butte and Dillon you will find Bannack State Park, where gold drew men to the Montana Territory in 1863. Many of the original buildings are preserved for a glimpse into the past.

 Big Hole Battlefield

Big Hole Battlefield

A memorial to the people who fought and died here on August 9 and 10, 1877; combatants in a five-month conflict called the Nez Perce War. At the interpretive center you can learn about the battle and the war, and walk to where the cavalry fired on Chief Joseph’s band.  The Big Hole Battlefield is part of the Nez Perce National Historical Park.

 Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Established by Canadian fur trader John Grant, and expanded by cattle baron Conrad Kohrs, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site commemorates the Western cattle industry from its 1850s inception through recent times. The park covers 1,500 acres and 90 structures. The site is maintained today as a working ranch.

 Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF

There are several historic sites in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest where you can visit historic sites and mining towns

Elkhorn Mine was discovered on October 24, 1873, by Mike Steel and F.W. Panish.  Bill Roe was said to have given the mine it’s name as a result of having found a pair of elkhorns in the area.  The mine is located along the Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway.

Coolidge - Founded in 1911 and named after President Calvin Coolidge, had both telephone service and electricity provided by a power line carrying 65,000 volts running from Divide over the hill to Coolidge.  A short one-half mile easy hike is required to reach this historic townsite.  Coolidge is located along the Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway about 40 miles south of Butte.

Elkhorn – Located in the Elkhorn Mountain Range are remnants of this ghost town that includes Fraternity Hall.  Elkhorn is about 65 miles northeast of Butte off Montana Highway 69.

Canyon Creek Charcoal Kilns – Restored beehive shaped brick ovens produced charcoal for a nearby smelter.  The kilns are west of Melrose, about 30 miles south of Butte, off Interstate 15.

During the summer many trails are open to motorized use.  Remember to wash your vehicle, especially underneath, before entering public lands to control the spread of noxious weeds.

Fleecer Mountain

Butte Ranger District 

Enjoy over 30 miles of trail open to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and motorcycles in the Fleecer Mountain area, 15 miles south of Butte.  Several trailheads including Rocky Ridge, Starlight, Beals Hills, and Bull Ranch provide riding opportunities. 

Whitetail-Pipestone

FS, Jefferson Ranger District 

BLM

Enjoy over 165 miles on Forest Service and BLM lands that provide great opportunities in unique geology for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and motorcycles.  Challenging trails and great vistas can be found in the Whitetail-Pipestone area.  Many of these areas can be ridden in the winter and early spring depending on snow conditions.  Trails can be accessed from Interstate 90 at Homestake Pass and Pipestone (between Homestake Pass and Whitehall, Montana). 

West Pioneers

FS,Wise River Ranger District 

The West Pioneers, 40 miles south of Butte, offers primarily motorcycle opportunities that lead to high mountain lakes for fishing and picnicking opportunities.  Some trails are open to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), check with the district office for detailed maps.  The West Pioneers can be accessed from Montana Highway 43, west of Divide, Montana off Interstate 15.

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST)

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

Butte is located at the headwaters of the Columbia River, just below the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, that travels from Canada to Mexico.  From Butte, hikers, mountain bicyclists, and horseback riders can hike and ride one of the many trail segments that provide panoramic views of the Highland and Pioneer mountains, and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.  Geologic formations, lush meadows and lakes are other highlights along the divide.  In addition, many of the trail segments take you through old-time mining and logging evidence from the mining history of Butte.  You can see historic cabins, cord wood piles, and more.  Some of the CDNST segments on the forest include: Trail 87:  Homestake Pass and Pipestone Pass; Trail 125:  Burnt Mountain (open to motorized use); Trail 92:  Nez Perce (open to limited motorized use), and Trails 133 and 9 in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness (bicycles are not allowed in the wilderness).

Other local trails offer visitors great day hiking and mountain bicycling opportunities.  Contact the Butte Ranger District link for more information on these and other trail opportunities.

Haystack Mountain

Butte Ranger District

Four-mile moderate to difficult hike, 15 miles north of Butte in Elk Park.  Hike to an old lookout site with panoramic views of the Boulder River Valley and beyond.

Beaver Ponds

Butte Ranger District

Three-mile easy to moderate hike from Montana Highway 2, 10 miles south of Butte that connects to the Continental Divide.  This is also a great mountain biking trail that connects with Montana Highway 2 at Pipestone Pass for a loop ride.

Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway Trails

Wise River Ranger District

The Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway begins in Wise River, 40 miles south of Butte, and continues south to Polaris.  The route goes through the Pioneer Mountains.  Along the route there are a variety of day hikes for visitors including Pattengail, Lacy Creek, and Gold Creek trails that access high mountain lakes and offer panoramic views of other mountain ranges.

Humbug Spires

BLM

Hikers and rock climbers are drawn to the spectacular scenery and challenge of the granite outcrops found in the Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area, located about 30 miles south of Butte.  The three-mile (one-way) hike takes you to the largest outcrop nicknamed the “Wedge,” nearly 600 feet high. 

Sawmill Gulch

BLM

For vistas of the Big Hole Valley, visitors can enjoy a 1 to 4 mile hike up Sawmill Gulch.  Access is from the Divide Bridge campground on the Big Hole River, about 30 miles south of Butte.  This is a good place to view wildflowers in early summer.  Hike distance depends on the loop you take. 

Experience the life of early settlers and forest rangers by renting one of the 27 cabins in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.  Many of the cabins were used by early Forest Service employees and their families; others were used by miners and ranchers as they worked the land to make a living.  Enjoy spectacular vistas and nearby hiking, fishing, and hunting opportunities.  The cabins range from one room very rustic cabins (no electricity or water) to cabins with all the modern conveniences (electricity and water).  Many of the cabins are open year round, but may require snowmobiles or skis to access them.  Some cabins are accessible by vehicle year round.  All cabins have beds, stove (heating) and other amenities.

Lewis and Clark Caverns

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

East of Butte is Lewis and Clark Caverns, Montana's first and best-known state park. Naturally air conditioned, these spectacular caves, lined with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helicitites. Take a tour to gain an insight into the delicate ecology of this world without light. Plan to spend a minimum of two hours to hike two miles on a guided tour through the caverns

Ringing Rocks

BLM

Located 15 miles east of Butte at the Pipestone exit, visitors can enjoy this unique rock formation where the rocks chime when tapped with a hammer.  High clearance vehicles area recommended, but the area is open for hikers as well. 

Humbug Spires

BLM

Humbug Spires offers great opportunities for rock climbing.  Located 6 miles off Interstate 15 at Melrose, the area offers a unique experience to climb the spires which offers great vistas of the Pioneer Mountains.

Add photo of 3 rock climbers

Crystal Park

Dillon Ranger District

Crystal Park is located on the Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway between Wise River and Polaris.  Enjoy a day of digging for your own smoky and amethyst quartz crystals.  A $5 fee is charged for each vehicle.

Nez Perce National Historic Trail – The Flight of the Nez Perce

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

Retrace the routes used by the Nez Perce Indians and their military pursuers in 1877.   A brochure about the Nez Perce trail is available at the Forest Service offices in Dillon, Wisdom, and Wise River.  The brochure describes the Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail between Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana and Leadore, Idaho.  A map shows the auto tour route in detail.  The designated auto route stays on all-weather roads and allows you to experience the Nez Perce Trail from a distance.  The auto tour route is passable for all types of vehicles.  An alternative route exists from Lost Trail Pass on the Montana/Idaho border south to Salmon and Leadore, Idaho, along Montana Highway 93 and 28.

For those seeking the most authentic historic route, a rough two-lane road, connects Jackson, Montana and the Horse Prairie Valley.  Examine the map carefully and watch for signs.  You may want to take a more detailed Forest Service map.  This route is usually passable from July to October.  It’s not recommended for motor homes or vehicles towing trailers.

Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway

Wise River Ranger District

On the 44-mile Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway (Forest Route 73) you can travel the length of the Pioneer Mountain range.  Granite peaks topping 10,000 feet 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 the Wise River, flowing north, and Grasshopper Creek, flowing south. Interpretive sites along the byway tell travelers about the natural features and some of the interesting history of the Pioneer Mountains.

For much of the route you’ll be in the scenic Wise River Valley.  Here you’ll fields of sagebrush on the high ground giving way to willows in the river bottoms.  Lodgepole pine and Douglas fir cover the adjacent hillsides.  From the road you may catch an occasional glimpse of moose, elk, mule deer, black bears, coyotes, or beavers. Early-day ranchers, miners and trappers used the northern section of the byway to transport their goods.

Going south, as the road rises and the valley narrows, look for the old railroad bed of the Montana Southern Railway, the last narrow-gauge railroad built in the United States.  The railroad served the Elkhorn Mine, one of the largest ore-mill structures in the United States, and the town of Coolidge that grew up around the mill.

Snowmobiling

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge has over 250 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in Elk Park, north of Butte; at Georgetown Lake, west of Butte; and around the Big Hole Valley, southwest of Butte.  Trail maps are available at the district offices.

Downhill Skiing

Discovery Ski Basin and Maverick Mountain are both located in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.  Beginner through expert ski trails are available at Discovery Ski Basin, which overlooks Georgetown Lake and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness.  Maverick Mountain, located at the south end of the Pioneer Mountain Range, northwest of Dillon, offers great trails and views.

Cross-Country Skiing

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Recreation

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (494-1953)

Cross-country skiing is available on many Forest Service groomed trails at Georgetown Lake, and Chief Joseph Pass.  Check with the local ranger district offices for more information and maps.  Trails are also groomed at Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area south of Anaconda.