1997 Map of Highland Ranch

About this map

Highland Ranch and a network of family-held properties define this high-altitude landscape in Beaverhead County during the late 1990s. The area is characterized by vast drainage systems like Swamp Creek and Moose Creek, which flow through a terrain marked by numerous gravel operations. Local family names are deeply etched into the geography, with homesteads and points of interest such as Swanson Ranch, Rouse Ranch, and Barker. The map reveals a sparse but established rural infrastructure, anchored by Briston Lane and the Briston Cem. Water remains the lifeblood of the region, visible in the flow of Rock Creek toward Big Lake, illustrating the relationship between the drainage of the Big Hole basin and the ranching operations that have sustained these valleys for generations.