[1][2] Hellgate Canyon's name is a reference to an ambush that occurred there, in which the Flathead Indians were defeated by the Blackfeet.
[4] Lewis and Clark passed through Hellgate Canyon during their expedition through the Western United States.
She described, among other things, a "veritable Lover’s Lane" formed above the canyon by an arch of wild roses.
[5] During the mid-19th century, as Montana was further colonized, the canyon became a major strategic corridor in the region, and the Mullan Road was routed through it.
[6] French-Canadian settlers in Montana thought that the local Native Americans, especially those of the Flathead Nation, traveled through Hellgate Canyon to hunt for bison.