 ost people planning a camping
trip to Montana are likely to first consider Glacier and Yellowstone as the obvious
choices. That’s fine, they both contain world-class scenery, wildlife, hiking, and
fishing opportunities. If like most adventurers, though, you have a hankering to get away
from the crowds and see something everybody else doesn’t, there are a host of
lesser-known areas where you can find all the solitude you desire and attractions on a par
with the more mainstream destinations. Being self employed and blessed (occasionally
cursed) with a weather dependent and somewhat flexible work schedule, one of my favorite
things is spur-of-the-moment camping trips. The odds of pulling into a campground in late
evening and finding an available spot range from very slim in Glacier to totally
nonexistent in Yellowstone, but are good in many National Forest campgrounds. Of course,
in most public land areas, you can pull over and camp anywhere that strikes your fancy,
and the resulting flexibility is very appealing. Plus, the solitude coupled with the
feeling of discovery and adventure that results from exploring these lesser-known areas
makes for an experience very attractive to me, as well as to most readers, I’m sure.
One of many such areas lies in southwest Montana, south of MT 287 between Ennis and
Twin Bridges. This area is drained primarily by the Ruby River, with the Snowcrest Range
lying west of the Ruby and the Gravelly Range to the east. With the exception of geysers
and other geothermal activity, it contains all of the attractions common to Glacier and
Yellowstone; abundant wildlife, good fishing, and gorgeous scenery ranging from timbered
creek bottoms to alpine peaks over 10,000 in elevation. Like most of our reviews, I will
cover the main access routes and attractions, but will refrain from laying out any
specific itinerary. I feel that most people inclined to seek these out-of-the-way
destinations are like me in enjoying a more flexible schedule. If the fishing is
particularly hot, or you are having the time of your life watching a herd of elk in a
remote basin, I for one don’t want to have to feel I have to rush off because I need
to be somewhere else at a given time. After all, getting away from schedules is part of
the reason for heading into the backcountry, so I will leave it up to you to decide how to
best use your time.
To reach this area, turn south onto the Ruby River road at the town of Alder. After
about eight miles you reach a dam which backs up Ruby Reservoir. There is some excellent
fishing on the Ruby below the dam. Several clearly marked public access points are
available along the road between Alder and Ruby Reservoir, courtesy of private landowners
in the area. These public accesses have been the source of some controversy, with some
landowners opposing public access in this area. To help maintain public access in this
area, users should observe the regulations posted at the access points, avoid trespassing
on private land, and generally practice good manners and common sense while using this
area. There is a campground at the reservoir, and while it is somewhat lacking in scenic
value in my opinion, it would be a convenient place to stay if you want to spend time
fishing below the dam. Ruby Reservoir is also a fairly popular boating and waterskiing
spot, although I suspect most readers are not particularly enthused about those activities
and probably aren’t pulling a ski boat. I’m also told the shores of Ruby
Reservoir are a good spot to look for garnets.
Continuing south past the reservoir, the road, which has become the Upper Ruby River
road by that point, comes to a possibly confusing intersection about five miles past the
campground. Instead of continuing straight ahead onto the Sweetwater road, the Upper Ruby
road makes a 90 degree left (east) turn shortly followed by another abrupt right turn
before again following the east side of the Ruby. If the road you are on crosses the Ruby,
you have missed this intersection and need to backtrack.
About six miles past the intersection with the Sweetwater Road you reach the Snowcrest
Ranch, yet another scenic Montana ranch owned by Ted Turner. From this vicinity a couple
of roads lead south to the Robb-Ledford and adjacent Blacktail
Wildlife Management Areas. These areas lie along the west side of the Snowcrest Range, and
contain superb winter range for area wildlife. Like other Wildlife Management Areas, they
are closed to all public use from December 1 to May 15, to provide wildlife security. By
mid-May, I am itching to get out into the backcountry, and springtime hikes on these and
other WMA’s are a perfect way to burn off a few pounds accumulated from late winter
inactivity and perhaps find a few shed elk antlers in the process. Once the snow melts out
of the high country, an excellent option for those wishing to explore the high country of
the Snowcrests while staying in a remote Forest Service cabin is to rent the Notch Cabin,
at the end of the Robb Creek road. Be aware that the upper reaches of this road are
strictly a four wheel drive proposition. For information about renting this and other
cabins in the area, contact the Beaverhead National Forest office in Dillon at
406-683-3900, or see our article about National Forest cabin rentals. This cabin lies
below the Notch, a relatively low pass through the Snowcrest Range and provides
comparatively easy access to excellent hiking along the Snowcrest Trail.
Getting back to the Upper Ruby River road, about five miles past the Snowcrest Ranch,
the road passes through a notch between the Snowcrest Range and the Greenhorn Range (which
is actually a spur off the Gravelly Range) into the upper Ruby River valley. The road to
this point has passed through private property, which it continues to do for another few
miles till it passes the Vigilante Guard Station, a Forest Service ranger station and work
center. From this point the area is mostly all public land, except for a few private
inholdings along the river. In another couple of miles a nice Forest Service campground is
reached at Cottonwood Creek. This campground is centrally located for exploration of the
upper Ruby area and I recommend it. Of course, if you want even more solitude, you can
head up nearly any of the forest service roads in the vicinity and strike camp wherever
you like. Travel restrictions and seasonal road closures are in effect at times, and it
goes without saying that you should have a current Forest Service Travel Plan map. These
are available from any Forest Service office, and the previously mentioned
Beaverhead Forest office in Dillon would be a good one to call. The map I have is the
Interagency Visitor Map for Southwest Montana, which is nice because in addition to Forest
Service lands it also shows State, BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, and other public lands. As
always, I also recommend that anyone venturing very far off-road equip themselves with
USGS topographical maps, available at most sporting goods stores or directly from USGS at
1-800-USA-MAPS.
One nice area for exploration lying just across the road from the Cottonwood campground
is the Cottonwood Natural Area, an aptly named area extending for a couple of miles along
Cottonwood Creek. Of interest to elk enthusiasts is that one of the largest elk ever taken
in Montana, a giant 7 X 7 scoring 429 Boone & Crockett points was taken in the
Maverick Basin area north and east of Cottonwood Creek in 1956 by Fred Mercer. For many
years this elk placed number two in the Boone & Crockett record book, exceeded only by
a 450 giant taken in Colorado in 1895. It has since been bumped a few spots by some elk
from Arizona and New Mexico, but is still an awesome trophy by anyone’s standards. It
can be viewed at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation headquarters in Missoula, which I
highly recommend to anyone passing through Missoula. Somehow, photos and scores just
aren’t the same as seeing an animal like that in person. It is hard to believe that
elk antlers can get that big. A detailed account of this hunt was published in the Winter
1993 Bugle magazine, which is still available from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Reading this story will also add to your interest of the upper Ruby country, and I
recommend it, perhaps especially to those who might take a dim view of so-called
"trophy" hunting. Fred Mercer took this elk the right way, the hard way, on foot
and through much hard work and perseverance. He accords this magnificent animal the proper
respect, and has a very self-effacing attitude. While it’s somewhat doubtful that any
bull elk of that size still roam this area, the Gravellies support a large and healthy elk
herd. I don’t personally hunt the area, but know several people who do and regularly
take elk.
The upper Ruby country contains mile after mile of remote and seldom visited country,
irresistible to someone who likes to see what’s over the next hill. If one has two or
three days, just one of many possibilities is to make a loop trip into the Centennial
Valley. Continue south on the Upper Ruby River road, which rapidly becomes a two track,
more of a trail than a road. Still, it is quite passable for any vehicle with reasonable
ground clearance. About twenty five miles of travel will lead you into the isolated
Centennial Valley, home of Red Rock Lakes Wildlife Refuge, habitat for a vast array of
waterfowl. After exploring around this scenic valley, you can exit over Red Rock pass to
the west, drop briefly into the Henry’s Lake area of Idaho, cross back into Montana
via Raynolds Pass, and follow US 287 and the Madison River back north to Ennis. A couple
of popular campgrounds in this area are at Wade and Cliff Lakes. The turnoff to these
campgrounds is a couple of miles north of the intersection of Route 87 (the Raynolds Pass
road) and US 287.
Another excellent side trip is the Gravelly Range Road, which runs along the crest of
the Gravellies for nearly thirty miles. It is one of those somewhat
rare roads that make it possible to drive to high elevation, as it lies mostly between
8500' and 9500'. Consequently, the views in all directions are tremendous, the sort
that are usually reserved for mountain climbers and eagles. There are several roads
that lead to the Gravelly Range Road from the Ruby River, but a couple of the better ones
are the Warm Springs road, which departs the Ruby in the vicinity of the Vigilante Guard
Station and leads to the northern part of the Gravellies, and the Cottonwood Road, reached
a couple of miles south of the Cottonwood campground. Neither of these roads could
be confused with an Interstate Highway, but again, any vehicle with a bit of ground
clearance will do fine. I once heard a definition of adequate ground clearance as
being a vehicle in which you can drive over a dogfight without disturbing the
participants, but rest assured, seven or eight inches of clearance should suffice.
Additionally, there are numerous nice camping spots along both of these roads, as well as
along the Gravelly Range Road.
This is a brief overview of the upper Ruby country. Properly armed with maps and
supplies, you could easily spend several weeks exploring this area. Hey, if you decide to,
give me a call. Sounds like fun. |
