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2024 Map of Rattlesnake Mountain

Name: 2024 Topographic Map of Rattlesnake Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2024
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2024

About this map

The rugged topography of the Big Belt Mountains foothills defines this landscape, where the northern fringe of Helena Valley Northeast meets a complex system of drainages and peaks. Elevation rises sharply from the valley floor toward landmarks like Baldy Mtn and Copper Butte, illustrating the dramatic vertical transition characteristic of the Lewis and Clark County wilderness. The network of intermittent streams, including Willow Creek and Beartooth Creek, has carved distinct landforms such as McLeod Basin and Towhead Gulch, which historically dictated the movement of travel and water through the region.

Transportation corridors follow the natural contours of the land, with Towhead RD and Interstate 15 skirting the eastern edge of the mountainous terrain. Smaller access points like Applegate DR and Dallas DR probe the lower reaches of the gulches, marking the interface between rural residential expansion and the steep slopes of Rattlesnake Mtn. This study of the township and range divisions across T12N and T13N provides a detailed record of how modern infrastructure navigates the historical gulches and buttes of the Montana front.