1993 Map of Chalk Buttes

About this map

Custer National Forest encompasses the prominent high ground of the Chalk Buttes, a region defined by its isolated ranching outposts and strategic water sources. In the early 1990s, the landscape remained characterized by a network of family-held properties such as the E Elmore Ranch and L Smith Ranch, connected by primitive roads and a singular Landing Strip near Laird Ranch. The terrain drops from the timbered heights of the forest into the expansive Blue Mud Hills and the winding drainages of Buffalo Creek and Chito Creek. Numerous named springs, including Alderman Spring and Foster Spring, underscore the vital role of water management in this arid Montana cattle country. The presence of a Pipeline and occasional Drill Hole locations suggest the quiet encroachment of industrial infrastructure into the traditional grazing lands of southern Carter County.