Closest Mountains to Our Clancy Ranch • Self-Guided

Llama Trips in the Elkhorn Mountains

Meadows, grassy parks and timbered gulches right next door to Clancy. A short tow, a quick clinic at pickup, and you're leading your own pack string into the Elkhorns.

Book Your Llamas About the Elkhorns

The Range Next Door

Why the Elkhorns Make Sense for Llama Trips

The Elkhorn Mountains are the closest range to our ranch, and the Forest Service names Helena as the nearest population center. The Forest Service describes the Elkhorns geographic area as covering parts of Broadwater and Jefferson counties, including the old mining town of Elkhorn, and it lists Clancy among the nearby communities with close ties to the range, alongside Montana City, Alhambra, Jefferson City, Boulder, Radersburg, Townsend, Winston and East Helena.

The landscape is what the Forest Service calls rugged, low mountains: rounded, furrowed ridges, steep gulches and canyons, hogback ridges and dry valleys. The range is built on a mineral-rich batholith, which is why you'll see so much mining history.

For pack trips, the draw is the open country. The Forest Service's Elkhorn Wildlife Management Unit page calls the range a "mountain island" known for its plentiful mountain meadows and grassy parks, with habitats running "from prairie to alpine, mayflies to mountain goats" and an extensive network of hiking trails. Wildflowers the Forest Service highlights include arrowleaf balsamroot, shooting stars, sticky geranium, lupine and sego lilies.

Loaded pack llamas resting on a snowy ridge with distant mountains behind

Rules That Apply

Pack Stock Rules in the Elkhorns

The Elkhorns are managed by the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, with one portion on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest's Butte Ranger District. We didn't find an Elkhorns-specific group-size or stock-number limit in the Forest Service orders we checked. These forest-wide rules do apply:

Bear food storage. The NCDE food and wildlife attractant storage order covers the Helena-Lewis and Clark and the Elkhorn portion of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge. Human food, llama feed (except baled or cubed hay without additives) and garbage must be attended or stored in a bear-resistant manner. Hunters must store carcasses within 1/2 mile of camp or 200 yards of a system trail the same way.
Weed-free feed. Hay, grain, cubes and pellets must be state-certified weed-free, with tags or markings on every bale or sack (order R1-2024-01).
Stay limits. 16 days at one site and 32 days a year in total on Montana national forests (order R1-2025-01).
Seasonal road closures. To protect elk and other wildlife, the Forest Service has seasonal closures between fall and spring, and gates may be closed. Check the Elkhorn Mountains Motor Vehicle Use Map before you tow; if a road isn't shown as open, it's closed to motor vehicles.

One trail to skip with llamas: Crow Creek Falls

Crow Creek Trail #109 is the Forest Service's preferred route to Crow Creek Falls, reached from Townsend by Indian Creek Road, Road #4031 and Weasel Creek Road #405. The Forest Service says stock is not recommended on this trail, and there's no water along it. The trailhead is listed as accessible by car May 16 to December 1. Leave the llamas at camp for this one. (Townsend Ranger District: 406-266-3425.)

Planning

Planning an Elkhorns Trip

Get the right map. Forest Service offices sell an Elkhorn Mountain Recreation Map, and the free Motor Vehicle Use Map shows which roads are open and when. Pair the MVUM with a topo map; it shows roads, not terrain.

Pick a trailhead that fits a trailer. You'll be towing our 12 ft stock trailer yourself, so make sure the access road and parking work for a truck and trailer that size before you commit. Kevin is happy to talk through the trailheads he likes in the Elkhorns when you book.

Hunting the Elkhorns? Licenses, permits and season structure vary by hunting district. Read the current FWP regulations for your district before you plan. Then see our elk and deer pack-out guide for how many llamas to bring, and our hunting page for the hunt booking form.

Short on days? The short drive makes the Elkhorns a natural fit for a first overnight with llamas. For bigger country, look at the Big Belts and Gates of the Mountains, the Scapegoat Wilderness, or the full Trips & Areas hub.

Llamas grazing in a subalpine meadow with a lake and peaks in the distance

How our rentals work

Self-guided only: you plan the route and lead the llamas. $75 per llama per day, 2-llama minimum, from a herd of 6. A 50% deposit goes through Square when you book, and the balance is due at trip start. The handling clinic at pickup in Clancy is included. You tow the included 12 ft stock trailer yourself (half-ton truck, brake controller, 2" ball, 7-way plug); there's no drop-off. Season May 1–Nov 15, off-season by request.

Check current conditions and regulations before you go

Trails, roads, closures, fire restrictions and Forest Service orders change, sometimes mid-season. Before every trip, check current conditions and regulations with the ranger district and Montana FWP. Use only trails that are open to pack stock and recommended for it. Skip any trail that is closed to stock or where the Forest Service says stock is not recommended. Our 12 ft stock trailer also needs a trailhead that allows trailers of that length, with room to park and turn your truck and trailer. The Helena-Lewis and Clark posts current alerts, including prescribed burns and closures, on its alerts page. This page is planning help, not legal advice.

Common Questions

FAQ

How close are the Elkhorn Mountains to your ranch?

The Elkhorns are the mountains closest to our ranch in Clancy. The Forest Service lists Clancy among the communities with close ties to the Elkhorns geographic area, along with Montana City, Jefferson City, Boulder, Townsend and others.

Can I take pack llamas to Crow Creek Falls?

We'd skip it with llamas. The Forest Service page for Crow Creek Trail #109, the preferred route to Crow Creek Falls, says stock is not recommended on that trail, and there is no water on it. Hike it on your own another day.

Do bear food storage rules apply in the Elkhorns?

Yes. The Forest Service NCDE food and wildlife attractant storage order covers the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Elkhorn Mountain Range portion of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge. Human food, llama feed (except baled or cubed hay without additives) and garbage must be attended or stored in a bear-resistant manner, and the order has carcass storage rules for hunters.

When can I drive to Elkhorn trailheads?

It depends on the road. The Forest Service notes seasonal closures between fall and spring to protect elk and other wildlife, and gates may be closed. Check the Elkhorn Mountains Motor Vehicle Use Map before you tow. For example, the Crow Creek trailhead is listed as accessible by car May 16 to December 1.

Is the Elkhorns a good first llama trip?

It's the shortest tow from the ranch, which helps. The trip is still self-guided, and Kevin can talk through options when you call.

Keep Planning

More Trips & Areas

Ready to Plan Your Trip?

Pick your dates and number of llamas, then pay the 50% deposit through Square. The balance is due at trip start. Questions first? Call or email Kevin.

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Book Your Llamas$75/llama/day • 2-llama minimum