The Gravelly Range, highest peak Black Butte, el. , is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

southwest of

Cameron, Montana Cameron is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Madison County, Montana, Madison County, Montana, United States. The town is named after its founders, brothers James and Addison Bovey Cameron. Since 1919 the town has been located ...

Madison County, Montana Madison County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,623. Its county seat is Virginia City. The county was founded in 1865; at the time it was part of the Montana Territory. Geography According ...

. About 310,000 acres total are roadless, separated by roads into nine units, the largest of which is 66,000 acres in size. Nearly all the range is part of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. In the northern part of the range is the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

's Axolotl Lakes Wilderness Study Area, 7,804 acres in size, which is part of a larger roadless area of 47,000 acres. The Axolotl Lakes WSA is home to a unique form of indigenous

tiger salamander The tiger salamander (''Ambystoma tigrinum'') is a species of mole salamander and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in North America. Description These salamanders usually grow to a length of with a lifespan of around 12–15 years ...

. This part of the Gravellies is characterized by open foothills rising to mixed coniferous forest interspersed with meadows. Some of the highest-elevation

pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American ante ...

habitat in Montana is found here. Gravelly Range Montana Landscapes 15

On the eastern slope of the Gravellies, Cave Mountain is home to unique undisturbed grasslands and caves that attract spelunkers. The most rugged part of the range is a 52,870-acre roadless area centered on 10,281' Big Horn Mountain, with deep canyons, cliffs, steep benches, and undulating basins. The largest roadless area in the Gravellies features rolling basins cut by rocky canyons, old Native American campsites along the Gravelly Divide, and

westslope cutthroat trout The Westslope cutthroat trout (''Oncorhynchus lewisi'')Page, Lawrence M.; Bemis, Katherine E.; Espinosa-Pérez, Héctor S.; Findley, Lloyd T.; Gilbert, Carter R.; Hartel, Karsten E.; Lea, Robert N.; Mandrak, Nicholas E.; Neighbors, Margaret A. ( ...

in the remote canyons of the Elk River. The southeastern part of the range, near the Continental Divide, features a chain of lakes that provide homes to nesting

trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 304.8 cm (6 ft 2 in ...

s and

bald eagles The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a Species complex, species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies ...

Grizzly bears The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

have recently been confirmed to be living in the Gravellies.

Climate

Clover Meadows is a camping area in the Gravelly Range, roughly 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Black Butte (Madison County, Montana). Clover Meadows has a

subalpine climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Dfc'').

Notes

{{Montana Mountain ranges of Montana Landforms of Madison County, Montana

Climate

See also

Notes