District 324, Montana

The district covers approximately 463 square miles of rugged mountainous terrain ranging from roughly 6,000 feet in the valley floors to 10,581 feet at Sunset Peak — the highest point in the Snowcrest Range. The Snowcrest Range features sharp ridges, steep cliffs, U-shaped glacial valleys, cirques, and exposed alpine meadows above timberline. About 166,000 acres are roadless, including 97,000 acres of roadless National Forest. The lower Ruby River corridor adds riparian and sagebrush-grassland terrain at lower elevations.

Approximately 89% of HD 324 is public land: 59% U.S. Forest Service (Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest), 4% BLM, and 26% state land. Primary road access includes: Upper Ruby Road (off MT-287 near Alder/Ruby Reservoir) providing access to the Romy Creek trailhead — the main entry point to the Snowcrest backcountry; and Blacktail Deer Creek Road off I-15 (south of Dillon), leading to western trailheads. The Snowcrest Trail (approximately 40 miles, high difficulty) traverses the full range crest. Area closures in Wall Creek, the upper Elk River drainage, and the western half of the Snowcrest Range limit road access and function as elk security areas. Block Management Areas exist in portions of the district for walk-in access across private land. USFS Dillon Ranger District administers the National Forest portion.

Vegetation transitions from sagebrush-grassland foothills at valley floors (~6,000 ft) through limber pine, Douglas-fir, aspen, and spruce-fir mid-elevation bands to lodgepole pine and subalpine fir near the upper timberline, with windswept alpine meadows and wildflower communities above. Riparian corridors along the Ruby River support willows, cottonwoods, and irrigated hay meadows.

Elk are the dominant game species; HD 324 is part of the Gravelly elk management unit (also including HDs 322 and 323). The 2025 FWP elk count for the Gravelly EMU was 10,833 against an objective range of 6,000-10,000 (status: within range), down from 11,917 in 2021. A large proportion of elk distribute onto private lands not enrolled in Block Management during fall seasons. Mule deer are present in open sagebrush and grassland habitat; populations near Sheridan were within management objective as of spring 2025 with above-average fawn production for three consecutive years. White-tailed deer occupy riparian corridors and river bottom habitats. Black bears use the Snowcrest slopes for foraging in both spring and fall. Mountain lions are present. Mountain goats inhabit the highest rocky terrain of the Snowcrest Range. Bighorn sheep are reported present in the Snowcrest Range. Moose occur in the Wise River-Grasshopper Drainage portion of the district. Gray wolves are present; Region 3 closed its 2025-2026 wolf season after 54 harvests. Grizzly bears have been reported active in the area.