Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A . C O M 31 Over 100,000 visitors travel Red Sleep Mountain Drive to the National Bison Range each year. is one-way road loops over the Range and offers great wildlife viewing while passing through a variety of ecosystems and scenic views of the surrounding mountains and Mission Valley, less than an hour north of Missoula. Beginning on flat grassland, it ascends along a seasonal creek and montane forests of Doug- las fir and ponderosa pine, reaching near the summit, and descending again through extensive prairie, finish- ing along Mission Creek and its riparian environment. Established in 1908 by the eodore Roosevelt administration, this 18,766-acre parcel is a part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. e perimeter is fenced, which keeps all the large ungulate species contained. e NBR is surrounded by the Flathead Indian Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. e loop road is open from early May until mid-October and includes two hiking options. e final three miles along the creek are open year-round. e large mammals are the main attraction. Bison were the original key species (see sidebar on page 34), and remain so. Bulls can be seen at any point along the way, and groups of cows and calves are scattered throughout depending on which area is being grazed Where else can you take a 19-mile loop drive and expect to see bison, elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, and pronghorn, with a likelihood of bighorn sheep and a possibility of black bear as well? ese are the primary animals featured at the National Bison Range, and the experience does not stop there. Article and Photos by STEVE AKRE Black bear sow in early summer Arrowleaf Balsroot covers many of the hillsides in the spring Lazuli Bunting Drive through the Range. www.distinctlymontana.com/bison163 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL F I N D Y OU R A D V E N T U R E • SP I R I T A N D I N S P I R A T I O N • CONTINUED NATIONAL BISON RANGE

• Cover