1970 Map of Goose Bill Butte

About this map

Goose Bill Butte rises as the central topographic focal point of this northern Montana landscape, located in Chouteau County. The 1970 field survey captures a region defined by its complex drainage systems and coulees, reflecting the Missouri River Basin’s natural erosion patterns. This territory is marked by the presence of intermittent watercourses including Dead Indian Coulee and Goose Bill Coulee, which snake through the high plains. The map's detailed contour lines illustrate the sharp elevation changes of the butte and the surrounding draws, such as Hellgate Coulee and Slide Out Coulee. This is a portrait of the Big Sky country at a time when the Department of the Interior was focused on the systematic development and mapping of the Missouri River Basin's rural reaches.