2014 Map of Carter Mountain

About this map

The Highwood Mountains dominate the central landscape of this Chouteau County survey, where the drainages of the Lewis & Clark National Forest give way to the rugged coulee systems of north-central Montana. The terrain is marked by significant topographical shifts, from the heights of Carter Mtn to the deep incisions of Bear Gulch and Cecil Coulee in the southeast. Historical land use and settlement patterns are evident near the headwaters of Shonkin Creek, where the Upper Shonkin Cem and the Shonkin Creek Bridge anchor a network of rural routes like Shonkin Rd and Bishop Creek Rd. A transition from high timber to ranchland is visible as Lacey Cr and Bishop Cr flow through the foothills, passing through features like Elmer Coulee and Back Coulee that define this remote mountain-and-prairie interface.