Llama Trips in the Big Belts & Gates of the Mountains

The Range

The Big Belts and the Gates

The Big Belt Mountains are an island range northeast and east of Helena, mainly in Broadwater, Lewis and Clark and Meagher counties. The Forest Service groups the Big Belts geographic area to include the outlying Dry Range, the small communities of York and Nelson, and the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness.

The Gates was designated by the Wilderness Act itself in 1964. The area covers about 28,562 acres with roughly 53 miles of trail, ranging from about 3,750 to 7,980 feet. It takes its name from Meriwether Lewis, who wrote in 1805, "from the singular appearance of this place I called it the gates of the mountains."

The trails cross timber and large open parks. According to wilderness.net, most access points are in the Beaver Creek drainage, above and below the old town of Nelson, and some trails sit at lower, drier elevations suitable for spring trips when other areas are still under snow.

Expect fire country, too. The 2007 Meriwether Fire burned some 20,000 acres in the Gates, and spring debris flows are common and have affected some trail segments.

Rules

Stock Rules for the Big Belts

• No carts or mechanical transport in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, under wilderness rules.
• Group size: we didn't find a published group or stock limit specific to the Gates. Ask the Helena Ranger District (Helena-Lewis and Clark Supervisor's Office: 406-449-5201) before planning a large party.
• Bear food storage: the NCDE food storage order covers the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Human food, llama feed (except baled or cubed hay without additives) and garbage must be attended or stored bear-resistant, and hunters have carcass storage rules.
• Weed-free feed with state certification tags or markings on every bale or sack (order R1-2024-01).
• Roads: use the Big Belts Motor Vehicle Use Map. The Forest Service notes that roads 4143-A1, A3 and A4 cross private land with no public access, despite how they appear on the map.

The Forest Service sells a Gates of the Mountains Wilderness & Recreation Area map, which is worth having along with a topo map.

Hunting the Big Belts? Check the current FWP regulations for your district, then read our elk and deer pack-out guide and the hunting page. Looking for something closer to the ranch? Try the Elkhorns. Want true backcountry? See the Scapegoat or browse every area on the Trips & Areas hub.