HD 320 covers the country around Canyon Ferry Reservoir and the Big Belt Mountains east of Townsend—a unit that climbs from one of Montana's biggest reservoirs up into a real island range. Elevations run from about 3,800 feet on Canyon Ferry up to 8,500-plus feet on the higher Big Belt peaks (Mount Edith and the surrounding ridges). The lower country is sage-and-grass benches with juniper and limber pine on the rocky outcrops; mid-elevations are open Douglas fir parkland and aspen draws; the upper Big Belts climb into lodgepole and mixed conifer with spruce-fir on the high north faces. Confederate Gulch and Avalanche Creek—old gold-mining drainages—are the named accesses into the range from the reservoir side. The Big Belts have a reputation for trophy mule deer that has waxed and waned with weather and pressure cycles, and elk are present in the higher drainages. Helena-Lewis and Clark NF on the upper Big Belts, BLM and DNRC state sections in the foothills, and significant private (the Sieben, the Holter ranches, others) on the lower benches and reservoir shorelines. US-12 east-west, MT-284 (the Canyon Ferry road) running north-south on the east side of the reservoir, and a network of forest roads (Confederate Gulch, Magpie Gulch, Hellgate) climbing into the Big Belts. Townsend has gas, motels, a grocery; Helena is 30 miles north. Cell service holds along the paved roads and dies in the canyons. Block Management opens up access on some of the foothill ranches. Limited-permit elk seasons are common here so check current regs. The country can produce excellent mule deer if you put in the boot leather.