Unit 210 District 210 (Region 2)
Rock Creek's east wall — John Long elk between Drummond and Philipsburg
John Long Mountains / Rock Creek — Region 2 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
489
sq mi
Public land
50%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–8,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 210 'John Long Range' covers the John Long Mountains in Missoula and Granite Counties, bounded by the Clark Fork at Drummond, State Route 1 toward Philipsburg, SR 38, and the main Rock Creek Road. It is part of the Rock Creek & Flint Creek Elk Management Unit (a strong elk area), with elk holding the high roadless timber while whitetail and mule deer work the Rock Creek and Flint Creek bottoms and ag valleys below.
Terrain
Blue-ribbon Rock Creek canyon and the Flint Creek valley rising into the timbered, roadless John Long Mountains.
Cover: Willow and cottonwood creek bottoms, irrigated valley pasture, ponderosa and Douglas-fir midslopes, dense lodgepole and spruce-fir on the high divides with scattered parks and old burns.
Landmarks: John Long Mountains · Rock Creek · Flint Creek valley · Upper Willow Creek · Brewster Creek · Henderson Creek · Clark Fork River
Access
The John Long high country is national forest and huntable, reached by forest roads up Brewster Creek (FS 4308), Upper Willow Creek and Henderson Creek. The Rock Creek canyon bottom and Flint Creek valley are a checkerboard of private ranch and public — several Block Management Areas open key ranch access, so pull the current FWP BMA list. State trust and BLM parcels add scattered walk-in.
Managers: USFS Lolo NF, USFS Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, BLM, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Main Rock Creek Road (County Road 102) off I-90 · Upper Willow Creek Road / Slide Rock Road · Brewster Creek FS 4308 · Henderson Creek Road 448 off SR 1 · State Route 38 (Skalkaho) to Rock Creek · SR 1 from Drummond/Philipsburg
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityA core of the Rock Creek & Flint Creek EMU; elk hold high John Long timber and roadless basins, dropping to private in bad weather.
- →Hike well back off Brewster and Upper Willow Creek roads into roadless timber
- →Work high meadows with dark timber nearby at dawn and dusk
- →Archery rut: cow-call the timbered heads of the John Longs
- →Late season, glass lower private edges where elk seek refuge
Whitetail Deer
common qualityWhitetails hold the Rock Creek and Flint Creek bottoms, meadows and ag edges.
- →Glass creek-bottom meadows and field edges morning and evening
- →Hunt the November rut along the riparian corridors
- →Use Block Management to reach ranch bottoms
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer use the John Long slopes, dry breaks and high benches above the valleys.
- →Glass open south faces and burns high in the range
- →Push ridges away from road access
- →Rut hunt higher basins in late November
Moose
limited opportunityShiras moose use the willow bottoms of Rock Creek and tributaries; permit-only.
- →Glass willow flats and beaver complexes at first light
- →Watch riparian pockets in the upper drainages
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are common through the John Long timber and berry slopes.
- →Glass green avalanche paths in spring
- →Hunt chokecherry and huckleberry benches in fall
Cougar
common opportunityLions track deer through the timbered breaks; a winter-snow tracking hunt.
- →Cut tracks on snow-covered forest roads
- →Focus deer-wintering slopes above Rock Creek
Pro tips
- →Elk here are a genuine draw — but you must climb; roadside timber is picked over
- →Brewster and Upper Willow Creek roads are the main backcountry entries
- →Line up Block Management for Rock Creek and Flint Creek ranch bottoms before the opener
- →Late-season elk pour onto lower private — hunt adjacent public edges
- →Rock Creek is a long haul on gravel; fuel up in Clinton or Philipsburg
Watch out for
- !Checkerboard private/public in the Rock Creek and Flint Creek valleys — verify boundaries with GPS
- !Rough forest roads become gumbo when wet and drift shut with early snow
- !Long gravel access; carry recovery gear and extra fuel
- !Black-bear country with expanding grizzly presence in Region 2 — carry bear spray and secure food
Logistics
Drummond (I-90) and Philipsburg bookend the district for fuel, food and lodging; Clinton sits at the mouth of Rock Creek off I-90. The Rock Creek Road is a long, scenic gravel corridor — plan drive times. Forest roads into the John Longs are rough and turn slick when wet; early snow closes the highest access.
Nearest towns: Drummond, Philipsburg, Clinton, Hall
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP 2024/2025 Deer & Elk Legal Descriptions (HD 210 John Long Range) · MTFWP 2024 Elk Count — Rock Creek & Flint Creek EMU · Montana Rock Creek Cabin — district access notes
FAQ
- How big is Unit 210 in Montana?
- Unit 210 (District 210 (Region 2)) covers about 489 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 210?
- Approximately 50% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Lolo NF, USFS Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, BLM, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 210?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Moose, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 210 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.