District 323, Montana

Terrain transitions sharply from moderate foothills and Madison River bottom country at roughly 5,100 ft to steep timbered canyons in the mid-Gravelly Range and more open, gently rolling subalpine plateaus near the crest at approximately 9,500 ft. Deep rocky canyons characterize the northern end of the range while the southern flanks flatten into rolling grassy vistas with large rocky outcroppings.

Access is primarily through Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (Madison Ranger District, Ennis, MT). The main road corridor is Gravelly Range Road (FS Road 290), accessible from the east via US Hwy 287 south of Ennis — turn south on Varney Road approximately 2 miles south of Ennis, follow Varney Road 9.5 miles, turn west on Call Road 6.5 miles to the National Forest boundary, then about 5 more miles to the Gravelly Range Road junction. The road is gravel, requires high-clearance vehicles, and generally opens July 1. The Wall Creek WMA (7,708 acres) lies along the east face of the Gravellys and provides public access from May 15 through November 30 (closed December 1 through May 14). The Robb-Ledford WMA (28,097 acres) is closed to all human activity from December 2 through May 15. Three primary roadless/no-motor-vehicle area closures — Wall Creek, upper Elk River, and the west half of the Snowcrest Range — provide elk security and are accessible only on foot or horseback.

Lower elevations (5,100-6,500 ft) support sagebrush-grassland, riparian willow and cottonwood along the Madison River and its tributaries, and scattered ponderosa pine. Mid-elevation slopes (6,500-8,500 ft) are covered by ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and lodgepole pine interspersed with open parks and meadows. Higher elevations (8,500-9,500 ft) transition to subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, and extensive open rolling subalpine grasslands. The Wall Creek and Robb-Ledford WMAs are managed under rest-rotation grazing systems to maintain elk winter range vegetation.

Elk are the primary big game species and the district is part of the Gravelly Elk Management Unit (HDs 322, 323, and 324); as of the 2025 elk count the Gravelly EMU population was 9,475 animals within a management objective of 6,000-10,000. A large proportion of elk distribute onto private lands not enrolled in Block Management during fall hunting seasons. White-tailed deer are present in substantial numbers in the valley and lower slopes. Mule deer occur at lower densities in the drier, more open terrain. Pronghorn antelope are present in the open subalpine grasslands of the Gravelly Range at unusually high elevations for the species in Montana. Black bear and mountain lion inhabit the timbered middle and upper elevations. Moose are present in riparian corridors and lower basins; moose presence is confirmed on the Wall Creek WMA. Grizzly bear presence has been confirmed in the Gravelly Range (non-huntable).