Huotari Lane Summary

In the summer of 2022, PLWA received a call regarding closures on Huotari Lane near York, MT, which accesses the Missouri River, USFS lands, and a small portion of BLM land. “No Public Access” signs had been posted by the Eldorado Heights Association when use of the road increased over the years.

MOST RECENT UPDATE: September 2023

With the help of dedicated research volunteers, PLWA concluded the records and information obtained in the investigation of Huotari Lane indicated it as a private road. 

This investigation did not involve research into historic or prescriptive public use. An extensive, exhaustive, and expensive prescriptive easement research effort might indicate that Huotari Lane, or a portion thereof, could be declared a public road through a court determination.

Consultation with USFS:

Research volunteers contacted the Recreational Operations Lead for the Helena and Townsend Ranger District of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The Forest Service provided information regarding the portions of Favorite Gulch under USFS jurisdiction, but did not have information specific to public access on Huotari Lane.

County Record Research:

Lewis and Clark County was contacted and records research was conducted. An  easement agreement dated 7/23/2012 pertaining to nearby parcels referenced access granted from the landowners to the “Hutari (sic) Lane Land Trust and the Public.”  The purpose of this easement is for “constructing, reconstructing, using, maintaining, repairing, improving, and travel upon and use, of a road for ingress to and egress from Grantee’s Property and a utility easement.” PLWA volunteers could not find any further information about this Land Trust; it may have been dissolved. No other references were found to a public easement for Huotari lane and all current records are consistent in specifying Huotari Lane as a “private access easement”.

Road Viewing:

PLWA volunteers conducted a road viewing in May of 2023 along Favorite Gulch Road (USFS Road #4125), starting at the beginning of Favorite Gulch Road at its intersection with York Rd and traveling mostly in a southern direction towards the Missouri River/Hauser Reservoir. There were no “private road/no trespassing signs” along Favorite Gulch until they proceeded south of the intersection with Huotari Lane.  As reported to PLWA, Huotari Lane is gated on the east side of Favorite Gulch and marked as a private road.