The Clearwater Conservation Area in the Clearwater State Forest is 12,000 acres of Montana wilderness, preserved in its natural state for the benefit of humans and wildlife alike. Just south of Clearwater Lake in Reynolds County, the forest is home to Webb Creek as well as a number of other recreation attractions, such as a sinkhole pond and a dry sink.
Visitors to the forest can explore several zones that have been separated from local private property. Because a large portion of the forest is gone due to lumber harvesting in the past, today it's easy to reach certain areas within the forest unobstructed.
If you visit this attraction, Bear Mountain should be one of your primary stops. A rhyolite knob, it's actually a small part of the more extensive St. Francois Mountains, and is made up of volcanic rock.
Local forest management groups are always working on improving the environment here. Experts are striving to encourage the growth of trees, improve tree quality, diversity, and species composition, but practices are also in place to protect the local wildlife, sustain watershed quality, and develop the overall health of the forest.
You can access the conservation area from several highways, including highways H, HH, 34, and 21. To get there directly, from Highway 34 east of Garwood, take Route HH spur.