2020 Map of Signal Butte

About this map

Fort Peck Lake defines the western margin of this landscape where the waters of the Missouri River system meet the broken Missouri Breaks terrain. The shoreline is carved by a succession of drainage channels, including White Horse Coulee and Bunn Coulee, which cut through the high ground of Valley and Garfield counties. This area is characterized by high, eroded points such as Signal Butte and the Piney Buttes to the southeast. Away from the lake, the drainage network becomes intricate, with the E Fork Crooked Cr and Cattle Cr feeding into the larger coulee systems. The presence of Swallow Nest Spring suggests isolated water sources in an otherwise arid environment, typical of the Montana plains before they descend into the river breaks.