MacDonald Pass Area

Once the wildflower and bird sightings begin to wane down in the valley – and on the typical trails – I head up to MacDonald Pass where a lovely section of the Continental Divide Trail transects our area.

In our area, the CDT is comprised of forested hills and rocky outcroppings, and more than a few miles of forest service roads. It makes getting to the CDT, and walking sections of it quite easy.

Between the main trails in our south hills, the Scratchgravels, the myriad other small trail systems that dot the hills around the valley, and the CDT, those of us who live in Helena and need a bit of nature-therapy are seriously well taken care of.

The Helena Valley, with it’s cacti and yucca, is essentailly a desert. The Divide, a mere 20 minutes away, is lush by comparison. Bog Orchids and Monkey Flowers are almost abundant in the many seeps and seasonal wetlands. I love this place!

This is the healthiest Prince’s Pine I’ve seen. It’s along a section of trail shared by the CDT and the local XC ski club.