Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area, Wilderness study area north of Helena, Montana.
Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area is a protected wild landscape north of Helena featuring steep terrain and dense forest between 3,600 and 6,800 feet in elevation. The area wraps around Holter Lake, where sedimentary rock formations shape the scenery and create the natural character visitors experience today.
The Bureau of Land Management designated this location as a wilderness study area in 1981, providing legal protection against development. This designation has preserved its natural qualities and habitats throughout the following decades.
Native American tribes shared information about the Sleeping Giant landform with Lewis and Clark during their 1805 expedition through the Missouri River region.
The lakeshore provides about forty primitive campsites spread along the water, accessible by foot or boat. Wood Siding Gulch Road leads to two small trailheads and serves as the main way to reach this area.
Mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, black bears, osprey, and golden eagles live in this protected zone and can often be spotted by visitors. The seven-mile ridge line trail offers particularly good chances to observe these animals in their natural surroundings.
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