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1979 Map of Big Timber

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Big Timber
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Yellowstone River serves as the primary corridor for settlement and transit across this South Central Montana landscape, followed closely by the Burlington Northern railroad and Interstate 90. The town of Big Timber sits at the confluence with the Boulder River, acting as a hub for the surrounding ranching and timber country. To the south, the terrain rises sharply into the Gallatin National Forest and Custer National Forest, where peaks like Sugarloaf Mountain and Iron Mountain dominate the skyline.

Industry and conservation exist side-by-side, evidenced by the Ross Mine and the established protected lands of the Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge and Halfbreed Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Researchers can trace the secondary road networks, such as Montana 78, which connect smaller communities like Absarokee and Reed Point to the river valley. The presence of the Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Monument highlights the region's unique natural heritage amidst the working landscape of the Lake Basin.