Ashland RD

The Ashland Ranger District is located in south-central Montana. The present day Ashland Ranger District was originally known as the Otter Forest Reserve, and later became the original site of the Custer National Forest Supervisor's Office. The 436,000 acre Ashland Ranger District contains the largest contiguous block of land in Federal ownership in eastern Montana and has one of the largest grazing programs in the nation. This area is also rich in coal and wildlife. Some oil and gas activity has occurred, but no producing wells have been found to date. The District offers a variety of topography, varying from rolling grasslands to steep rock outcrops. Vegetation varies from prairie to dense stands of ponderosa pine. There are three riding and hiking areas on the District totaling 40,000 acres (Cook Mountain, King Mountain, and Tongue River Breaks). These areas are closed to motorized travel but provide excellent opportunities for hunting, solitude, and nature study. There are no developed trails within the hiking and riding areas. There are 4 campgrounds and 2 picnic sites on the District.