2024 Map of Candle Mountain

About this map

Gates of the Mountains Wilderness dominates the southern half of this landscape, where the high ridges of the Big Belt Mountains define the geography of the Helena National Forest. The terrain is marked by dramatic elevation changes between peaks like Candle Mtn and Willow Mtn and the deep incisions of Meriwether Canyon and Hunters Gulch. A network of backcountry routes, including the Refrigerator Canyon Trl and Big Log Gulch Trl, suggests a region primarily used for conservation and recreation rather than permanent settlement. The northern reaches transition into more accessible lands bisected by the Elkhorn Creek Rd, following the drainage of Elkhorn Creek across the Lewis and Clark and Cascade county line. Local landmarks like Bear Prairie and Kennedy Spring provide specific points of reference for those tracing historical trails or surveying the modern wildlands of central Montana.