2017 Map of Hogback Mountain

About this map

Helena National Forest dominates this section of the Big Belt Mountains, where the drainage patterns of Beaver Creek and Trout Creek have carved a labyrinth of deep gulches and canyons. The landscape is defined by its dramatic elevation changes, rising toward the summit of Hogback Mountain and the prominent Middleman Mountain. This 2017 survey reveals an intricate network of named geographic features that speak to the area's pioneer and ranching history, from the utilitarian Slaughter Pen Gulch and Blacksmith Gulch to the more evocative Refrigerator Canyon and Checkerboard Gulch. The boundary between Meagher and Lewis and Clark counties cuts through the northeast, passing near Jim Ball Basin and Elk Ridge. To the south, the dramatic Trout Creek Canyon and Vigilante Gulch suggest the difficult terrain that early travelers and miners encountered while navigating these mountain passages.