District 455 includes the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area and Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area part of the Helena National Forest. It is located northeast of Helena with the western boundary consisting of the Missouri River.

Historically this district was known for having good quality sheep and many of Montana’s early sheep transplants came from this genetic stock. Today these sheep are struggling and the herd is down from its historic levels. Disease and little to no lamb recruitment are hurting this population.

Big Belt Mountains and Missouri River set a distinctive backdrop to this rugged and steep mountainous area. A number of creeks take spring snowmelt and summer rains into the Missouri. The river valley is flat to rolling farmland and grazing lands with some bluffs and high shear rock cliffs along the river. A number of canyons run deep into the Big Belts from the river bottoms.

Lower elevations have irrigated farmland in the river valley with areas of cottonwoods, willows and some aspen groves along with lush grassy meadows. Foothills support stands of ponderosa and lodgepole pine with open ridges of sagebrush, mountain mahogany and other shrubs. Higher in the mountains are forests of spruce, pine and some fir broken up by open meadows.

Good public access and most known areas for bighorns are on public land which includes 32,320 acre Beartooth WMA. The WMA offers tags holders a way to get into the 28,000 acre Gates of the Mountains Wilderness Area. Interstate 15 travels parallel to the Missouri River on the western edge of the district. A good county and Forest Service road system exists.

Helena National Forest and Beartooth WMA allows backcountry camping. Helena offers a wide variety of choices in lodging, restaurants and cafés, a regional medical facility and airport and 24/7 gas and diesel.