HD 290 covers the Garnet Range between Missoula and Drummond—a relatively low, heavily timbered mountain block that straddles I-90 and separates the Blackfoot and Clark Fork river valleys. Elevations range from about 3,500 feet on the Clark Fork River to 7,500 feet on the Garnet Range crest. The mountains are blanketed in Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and ponderosa on the lower south-facing slopes, with dense spruce-fir stands on the upper north aspects creating dark, closed-canopy timber. Old mining roads and ghost towns—including the well-preserved Garnet ghost town managed by BLM—thread through the range, providing both historical interest and access routes you will not find on modern maps. Elk are the primary big-game species, using the timbered basins and ridgetop parks. Mule deer inhabit the rocky breaks and drier south slopes, and whitetail occupy the creek bottoms that drain toward the main river valleys. Ownership is a mix of Lolo and Helena National Forests, BLM, state trust sections, and Weyerhaeuser timber company land with varying access policies. I-90 clips the southern edge, and several forest and county roads climb into the range from both the Blackfoot and Clark Fork sides. The old mining roads extend the network deeper into the range but are rough, unsigned, and occasionally washed out. Missoula and Drummond are the service centers on opposite ends. Cell service is inconsistent throughout the range interior. The Garnet Range is classic mid-elevation Montana timber hunting—not high enough for alpine drama, not low enough for valley-floor ease. The range gets moderate pressure because it sits between Missoula and Helena, but the dense timber and confusing road network discourage the casual visitor. Elk in the Garnets are timber-dwelling animals—they bed in the thick north-slope spruce-fir and feed in the scattered parks and logged clearings. Hunting here is a game of patience, woodsmanship, and being in the right saddle at the right time when elk move through at dawn and dusk. HD 290 (Garnet Range / Missoula-Drummond) is a mid-elevation timbered mountain block that sits between the Blackfoot and Clark Fork valleys and is defined by dense timber, confusing old mining roads, and elk that live in the dark spruce-fir north slopes. General elk tags are available OTC for residents. Lolo and Helena National Forests, BLM, state trust, and Weyerhaeuser timber company land share ownership. The historic Garnet ghost town (BLM-managed) provides a landmark but is not a hunting base. No designated wilderness exists. Block Management is limited. Bull-to-cow ratios are moderate — the dense timber and confusing road network discourage casual visitors, providing a modest pressure buffer. The old mining roads extend access deeper into the range but are rough, unsigned, and occasionally washed out — carry a GPS and current maps. Elk bed in the thick north-slope spruce-fir and feed in scattered parks and logged clearings. Hunting here is patience, woodsmanship, and being in the right saddle at dawn and dusk. This is a practical mid-range HD between Missoula and Helena that rewards timber-hunting skills.