1995 Map of Cinnamon Spring

About this map

McFarland-White Ranch and Top Hat Ranch anchor this corner of Montana, where the open cattle country meets the eastern edge of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The landscape is defined by its complex hydrology, with numerous drainages like Cinnamon Creek and Big Elk Creek descending from the high ground. A notable human modification of the environment is the Martin and C Bar J Reservoir, providing vital water storage in a region dominated by ephemeral and spring-fed flows. The western margin of the map rises toward landmarks such as Coffin Butte and the namesake Cinnamon Spring, illustrating the transition from ranching basins to more elevated, timbered forest land. This survey, revised by the Musselshell District Ranger and Forest Service in the mid-1990s, documents a high-plains geography where irrigation and natural springs dictate the layout of homesteads and grazing tracts.