STRAWBERRY CABIN

About this park

The Elkhorn Mountains span both Broadwater and Jefferson counties, with the nearest city being Helena, Montana. The Elkhorns are surrounded by the Divide Mountains and Boulder Batholith to the west, and the Missouri and Boulder River valleys on the north, east, and south. The form of the Elkhorn Mountains is rounded and furrowed from extensive weathering. Drainages have carved steep gulches and canyons. The majority of the Elkhorns (north, west, southwest) is a part of a batholith. This geologic history has left the area rich in minerals. Evidence of glaciation is localized with boulder strewn areas of granitic rocks. The remaining approximate quarter (southwest) of the geographic area is underlain by sedimentary rock that lacks the same mineralization as the batholith but is rich in calcareous rock. The landforms are rugged, low mountains with hogback ridges and dry valleys. The sedimentary geologic area in the east is a gradient of foothill prairie and partially forested low mountains. Grassland is a major component. Limber pine and juniper woodland ebb and flow through this prairie landscape. The plant communities on the batholith portion are mostly forested with conifers. Aspen stands and water-loving plants take advantage of riparian areas and wet seeps. Parks, rich with grasses and forbs, are frequent at lower elevations and break up the forest in montane elevations. A large expanse of this area burned in 1988. The Elkhorns have been occupied by human inhabitants for thousands of years. However, prehistoric occupation is less evident than the more recent Euro-American settlement. After the discovery of valuable mineral deposits, mines and associated settlements sprang up in portions of the geographic area and remnant tools and infrastructure of the mining era are still evident. Strawberry Lookout, Eagle and Tizer Guard Stations are living reminders of Forest Service history in the area. Fire has historically has been a major influence to plant communities. A large forest fire in 1988 burned almost 50,000 acres of the mountain range, leaving carpets of seedlings growing into new lodgepole pine forests. Due to the rich wildlife habitats throughout the mountain range, the Elkhorns were designated a Wildlife Management Unit in 1986, the first of its kind in the nation. Collaborative groups composed of federal, state, and private land holders work toward habitat restoration and interpretation of the area's history.