2017 Map of Threemile Buttes

About this map

Custer National Forest encompasses much of this landscape, where the high-plains terrain is carved by an extensive network of ephemeral drainages and named springs. The central elevation is anchored by the Threemile Buttes, while the surrounding coulees and draws such as Doonan Gulch and Skinner Gulch suggest a long history of cattle ranching and water resource management. This reliance on groundwater is evident in the numerous named points like Old Faithful Spring, Sawmill Spring, and Mankameyer Spring. The presence of the Bowers Reservoir and the naming of Fifteen Mile Rd illustrate the human imprint on this corner of Powder River County, Montana. Collectors and researchers can trace the movement of water and transport through this remote cattle country, from the headwaters of S Fork Threemile Cr to the southern reaches of Fifteenmile Cr.