2020 Map of Smeads Bench

About this map

Smeads Bench sits as a high plateau above the Cabinet Gorge Reservoir in this western Montana landscape, dominated by the heavily timbered slopes of the Kaniksu National Forest. The Bull River serves as a primary drainage corridor, fed by a complex network of seasonal creeks and steep-walled ravines like Napoleon Gulch and Ellis Gulch. The terrain is defined by prominent peaks and ridges including Government Mtn, Berray Mountain, and the long spine of Pillick Ridge. Local infrastructure is concentrated along the river valley, where Bull River Rd and the former path of the Old Bull River Rd provide access through the Cabinet Mountains. The southern edge of the map features the expansive waters of the reservoir, a major hydrographic feature on the Clark Fork system that reshaped the local topography in the mid-20th century.