Geography
Missouri Breaks region in central MontanaWith a land area of 145,552 mi˛
(376,978 km˛) the state of Montana is the fourth largest in the United
States(after Alaska, Texas, and California). To the north, Montana and Canada
share a 545-mile (877 km) border. The state borders the Canadian provinces of
British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, more provinces than any other
state. To the east, the state borders North Dakota and part of South Dakota. To
the south is Wyoming and to the west and southwest is Idaho.
The topography of the state is diverse, but roughly defined by the Continental
Divide, which runs on an approximate diagonal through the state from northwest
to south-central, splitting it into two distinct eastern and western regions.
Montana is well known for its mountainous western region, part of the northern
Rocky Mountains. However, about 60% of the state is actually prairie, part of
the northern Great Plains. Nonetheless, even east of the Continental Divide and
the Rocky Mountain Front, there are a number of isolated "Island Ranges" that
dot the prairie landscape.
St. Mary's Lake in Glacier National ParkThe Bitterroot Mountains divide the
state from Idaho to the west with the southern third of the range blending into
the Continental Divide. Mountain ranges between the Bitterroots and the top of
the Continental Divide include the Cabinet Mountains, the Missions, the Garnet,
Sapphire, Flint Creek, and Pintlar ranges.
The northern section of the Divide, where the mountains give way rapidly to
prairie, is known collectively as the Rocky Mountain Front and is most
pronounced in the Lewis Range located primarily in Glacier National Park. Due to
the configuration of mountain ranges in Glacier National Park, the Northern
Divide (which begins in Alaska's Seward Peninsula) crosses this region and turns
east in Montana at Triple Divide Peak. Thus, the Waterton, Belly, and Saint Mary
rivers flow north into Alberta, Canada, joining the Saskatchewan River and
ultimately emptying into Hudson Bay.
East of the Divide, several parallel ranges march across the southern half of
the state, including the Gravelly Range, the Tobacco Roots, the Madison Range,
Gallatin Range, Big Belt Mountains, Bridger Mountains, Absaroka Mountains, and
the Beartooth Mountains. The Beartooth Plateau is the largest continuous land
mass over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) in the lower 48 states and contains the highest
point in the state, Granite Peak, 12,799 feet (3,901 m) high.
Between the mountain ranges are many scenic valleys, rich in agricultural
resources and rivers, and possessing multiple opportunities for tourism and
recreation. Among the best-known areas are the Flathead Valley, Bitterroot
Valley, Big Hole Valley, and Gallatin Valley.
Pompeys Pillar National MonumentEast and north of this transition zone are
expansive sparsely populated Northern Plains, with rolling tableland prairies,
"island" mountain ranges, and scenic badlands extending into the Dakotas,
Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Wyoming. The isolated island ranges east of the
Divide include the Castle Mountains, Crazy Mountains, Little Belt Mountains,
Snowy Mountains, Sweet Grass Hills, Bull Mountains. The Pryor Mountains South of
Billings and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long
Pines and Short Pines.
The area east of the divide in the north-central portion of the state is known
for the dramatic Missouri Breaks and other significant rock formations. Three
stately buttes south of Great Falls are familiar landmarks. These buttes, Square
Butte, Shaw Butte, and Crown Butte, are made of igneous rock, which is dense and
has withstood weathering for many years. The underlying surface consists of
shale. Many areas around these buttes are covered with clay surface soils. These
soils have been derived from the weathering of the Colorado Formation. Farther
east, areas such as Makoshika State Park near Glendive, and Medicine Rocks State
Park near Ekalaka also highlight some of the most scenic badlands regions in the
state.
Montana also contains a number of rivers, many of which are known for
"blue-ribbon" trout fishing, but which also provide most of the water needed by
residents of the state, as well as being a source of hydropower. Montana is the
only state in the union whose rivers form parts of three major North American
watersheds: The Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay which are
divided atop Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park.
West of the divide, the Clark Fork of the Columbia (not to be confused with the
Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River) rises in the Rocky Mountains near Butte
and flows northwest to Missoula. There it is joined by the Blackfoot River and
Bitterroot River and further downstream by the Flathead River before entering
Idaho near Lake Pend Oreille, becoming part of the Columbia River, which flows
to the Pacific Ocean. The Clark Fork discharges the greatest volume of water of
any river exiting the state. The Flathead River and Kootenai River also drain
major portions of the western half of the state.
East of the divide, the Missouri River, formed by the confluence of the
Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers, crosses the central part of the state,
flows through the Missouri breaks and enters North Dakota. The Yellowstone River
rises in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, flows north to Livingston, Montana, where
it then turns east and flows across the state until it joins the Missouri River
a few miles east of the North Dakota boundary. The Yellowstone River is the
longest undammed, free-flowing river in North America. Other major Montana
tributaries of the Missouri include the Milk, Marias, Tongue, and Musselshell
Rivers. Montana also claims the disputed title of possessing the "world's
shortest river," the Roe River, just outside Great Falls, Montana. These rivers
ultimately join the Mississippi River and flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
Water is of critical importance to the state for both agriculture and
hydropower. In addition to its rivers, the state is home to Flathead Lake, the
largest natural fresh-water lake west of the Great Lakes. Man-made reservoirs
dot Montana's rivers, the largest of which is Fort Peck Reservoir, on the
Missouri river, contained by the largest earth-filled dam in the world.
Vegetation of the state includes ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, larch, fir,
spruce, aspen, birch, red cedar, ash, alder, rocky mountain maple and cottonwood
trees. Forests cover approximately 25% of the state. Flowers native to Montana
include asters, bitterroots, daisies, lupins, poppies, primroses, columbine,
lilies, orchids and dryads. Several species of sagebrush and cactus and many
species of grasses are common. Many species of mushrooms and lichens are also
found in the state.
Montana contains Glacier National Park and portions of Yellowstone National
Park, including three of the Park's five entrances. Other federally recognized
sites include the Little Bighorn National Monument, Bighorn Canyon National
Recreation Area, Big Hole National Battlefield, Lewis and Clark Caverns, and the
National Bison Range. Montana has eight National Forests and over 20 National
Wildlife Refuges. The Federal government administers 36,000,000 acres (146,000
km˛). 275,000 acres (1,100 km˛) are administered as state parks and forests.
Areas managed by the National Park Service include:
Big Hole National Battlefield near Wisdom
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area near Fort Smith
Glacier National Park
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site at Deer Lodge, Montana
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Crow Agency
Nez Perce National Historical Park
Yellowstone National Park
Several Indian reservations are located in Montana: Fort Peck Indian
Reservation, Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Northern Cheyenne Indian
Reservation, Crow Indian Reservation, Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, Blackfeet
Indian Reservation, and the Flathead Indian Reservation.
