Little Belt Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Little Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 state of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

. Situated mainly in the Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here, cattle leases to...

, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the residents of Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...

. Showdown
Showdown Ski Area
Showdown is an alpine ski area located in the Little Belt Mountains in Central Montana, United States.-History:Created in 1936 and originally called King's Hill Ski Area, Showdown is a small-scale ski area normally closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, receiving most patrons on the weekends...

 is a ski area located within the mountains located off US Highway 89 which splits the mountains in half connecting White Sulphur Springs and Belt, MT. The highest point in the Little Belt Range is Big Baldy Mountain at 9175 feet (2,797 m).

The Little Belts have been mined for silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

 since the 1880s, and for sapphires since 1896. The sapphires, called Yogo sapphires as they are mined near Yogo Creek.

The Showdown Ski Area holds the state's record for snowfall, 33 feet of snow in one winter.

The Little Belts, although an undramatic mountain range of gently rolling peaks and expansive conifer forests, contain two large roadless areas. The smaller area, about 92,000 acres in size, is protected as the Middle Fork-Judith Wilderness Study Area
Wilderness study area
A wilderness study area contains undeveloped United States federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and managed to preserve its natural conditions...

. The larger area, in the western portion of the range, is unprotected and about 108,000 acres in size; it includes some private lands as well as about 98,000 acres of roadless Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here, cattle leases to...

 lands. The Smith River
Smith River
-Rivers:In Canada*The Smith River , in British Columbia and the Yukon TerritoryIn the United States*The Smith River *The Smith River...

 Canyon, a popular float trip, is along the western edge of this area.

Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...

 and douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...

 are the predominant tree species in the Little Belts, and wildlife includes black bear, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

, and white-tailed and mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...

.

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