2024 Map of Threemile Buttes

About this map

Custer National Forest encompasses a large portion of this Powder River County landscape, defined by high-elevation divides and a critical network of springs essential for livestock and wildlife in this semi-arid region. The eponymous Threemile Buttes stand as a central landmark, separating the drainages of North Fork Threemile Creek and South Fork Threemile Creek. Long-established movement patterns are visible in the high-country routes like the Three & Ten Mile Divide Trl and the Pumpkin-Otter Divide Trl, which follow the natural contours of the ridges. Water management is a primary feature of the terrain, documented through numerous named sources such as Wild Hog Spring, Old Faithful Spring, and Sawmill Spring, alongside man-made improvements like Bowers Reservoir and Ridenour Reservoir. This intricate web of water points and trails illustrates the modern ranching and forestry infrastructure that maintains the traditional land use of the Montana backcountry.