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1984 Map of Belt

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Belt
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Highwood Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains dominate this central Montana landscape, divided by a network of high benches and deep creek valleys. In the early 1980s, the region was characterized by small agricultural and mining outposts connected by the Burlington Northern Railroad. To the south, the Lewis and Clark National Forest encompasses peak-heavy terrain where Barker Mountain and Clendennin Mountain rise above the historic mining camps of Hughesville and Barker.

Settlements like Belt, Stanford, and Geyser serve as focal points for the surrounding ranching and farming operations on the Merino Bench and Arrow Creek Bench. The map details the drainage patterns of Belt Creek and Wolf Creek, tracing the transition from rugged timberland to the open plains of the northern and eastern reaches. This survey provides a clear view of the intersection of three counties—Cascade, Chouteau, and Judith Basin—during a period of established rural infrastructure.