CSKT Bison Range, Wildlife refuge in Lake County, Montana.
The CSKT Bison Range is a wildlife refuge spanning approximately 18,766 acres of Montana grasslands and forests. It shelters around 350 American bison along with elk, deer, and many other animal species in their natural habitat.
The refuge was established in 1908 to protect bison populations that had declined dramatically by that time. It was created within the Flathead Indian Reservation using land owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes reclaimed stewardship of this refuge in 2020, restoring their ancestral relationship with the bison and the land. Their presence shapes how the refuge operates today and ties the landscape directly to the lives and traditions of its original inhabitants.
Visitors can drive two scenic routes, Red Sleep Drive and Prairie Drive, which form a combined loop of approximately 19 miles. Early mornings and late afternoons offer the best chances to spot animals, when they are most active.
The refuge contains geological marks from the Ice Age Floods, including visible strandlines that show where Glacial Lake Missoula once reached. These ancient water marks tell the story of enormous floods that shaped the landscape thousands of years ago.
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