The Crazy Mountains , often called the Crazies , is a mountain range in the Central Montana Alkalic Province in the U.S. state of Montana . They are a part of the northern Rocky Mountains .
21-670: Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. The highest peak is Crazy Peak at 11,214 feet (3,418 m). Rising over 7,000 feet (2,130 m) above the Great Plains to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90 . The Crazy Mountains form an isolated island range east of
42-501: A large igneous intrusion, forms the bedrock in the Crazy Mountains. The stock is of Tertiary age, and consists of diorite and gabbro with zones of Quartz Monzodiorite, and which has been intruded by many dikes and sills . Geological features of the Crazy Mountains include: Due to the eastern location, these mountains are drier and less densely forested than other mountain ranges in Montana. There are at least 40 alpine lakes in
63-1403: Is also mentioned in Larry McMurtry 's classic 1985 novel Lonesome Dove . Roundup is home to the Musselshell Valley Historical Museum, which documents the region's history. Castle Mountains (Montana) Coordinates : 46°28′11″N 110°45′54″W / 46.46972°N 110.76500°W / 46.46972; -110.76500 Mountain range in Meagher County, Montana, United States Castle Mountains [REDACTED] Western face of Castle Mountains near Ringling, Montana Highest point Peak Elk Peak (Meagher County, Montana) Elevation 8,589 ft (2,618 m) Coordinates 46°28′11″N 110°45′54″W / 46.46972°N 110.76500°W / 46.46972; -110.76500 Geography [REDACTED] Country United States State Montana The Castle Mountains , highest point Elk Peak , el. 8,589 feet (2,618 m), are an island range east of White Sulphur Springs in Meagher County, Montana , United States . About 30,000 acres of
84-1022: Is characterized by a central cluster of peaks over 8,000 feet and extensive grassy parks surrounded by lodgepole pine and limber pine . The Castles are lightly used by recreationists except for hunters in the fall. On the peak of Castle Mountain itself is a logbook for the few who reach the top. There is no trail that leads to the peak. [REDACTED] Southern face of Castle Mountains from Ringling, Montana [REDACTED] Southeastern corner of Castle Mountain on Castle Town road See also [ edit ] List of mountain ranges in Montana Island Range Sky Island Notes [ edit ] ^ Recreational Map of Western Montana . Canon City, CO: Western GeoGraphics. 1990. ISBN 0-528-92551-2 . ^ "Castle Mountains" . Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey , United States Department of
105-408: Is fed largely by snowmelt and has its highest flow rates in the spring and early summer. The Musselshell River Basin, including tributaries, drains 108,268 acres (438.1 km ). The South Fork has much brush, gravel bars, and clear water. The North Fork has willow trees and undercut banks. The Musselshell is about 60 feet (20 m) wide at its confluence of the two forks. Three reservoirs built in
126-400: Is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in complement to their original Crow name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement. The Crow people called the mountains Awaxaawapìa Pìa , roughly translated as "Ominous Mountains", or even more roughly, "Crazy Mountains". They were famous to
147-653: Is used extensively for irrigation for farming and ranching and due to that may run dry or nearly dry in many sections during much of the summer and fall. Water supply is less in the lower basin due to the more arid climate and the fact that users in the upper basin have senior rights to the water. Fishing is popular along most parts of the Musselshell. Species of fish found on the North and/or South Forks down to Harlowton include: mountain whitefish , and brown , cutthroat , rainbow , and brook trout . The eastern part of
168-687: The Continental Divide . Other isolated ranges in Montana include the Castle Mountains , Little Belt Mountains , Big Snowy Mountains , Little Snowy Mountains , Bears Paw Mountains , Judith Mountains , North and South Moccasin Mountains , Highwood Mountains , Little Rocky Mountains , Sweet Grass Hills , Bull Mountains and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka , the Long Pines . The Big Timber Stock ,
189-726: The United States . Counting its pre-confluence tributaries, it measures 425–500 miles (684–805 km) in length. It rises in several forks in the Crazy , Little Belt , and Castle mountains in central Montana. The main branch is formed by the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork in Meagher County , about 25 miles (40 km) east of White Sulphur Springs, Montana , just east of Martinsdale , north of Martinsdale Reservoir, and just west of Meagher County's border with Wheatland County . The North Fork flows south from
210-668: The 1930s help control the river's flow: Bair Reservoir on the North Fork, Martinsdale Reservoir near the confluence, and Deadman's Basin on the main river between Shawmut and Ryegate . The river becomes wider in the 50 miles (80 km) before Roundup. Honeysuckle , wild rose , willow, and cottonwood are common in this section. The river is about 100 feet (30 m) wide in its last 90 miles (140 km), with increased choppiness and flow rate. The relatively more arid climate in this section results in less vegetation, more livestock grazing, and poorer soil. Additional tributaries of
231-470: The Castles were roadless as of 1995. The western portion of the Castles are moist, while the eastside is dry, porous limestone hills. The range gets its name from "castle turrets", 50-foot high igneous rock spires on the western slopes. The range was the focus of mining activity in the previous century; crumbling remains of old miners' cabins and diggings are present throughout the area. The landscape
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#1732772266654252-590: The Cottonwood Creek, a Musselshell tributary. There was major flooding on the Musselshell River in May 2011. On May 26 the flooding inundated portions of Roundup . Cresting and flow rate records were set along several sections of the river, such as Mosby and Shawmut, near Harlowton . The crest of the flood at 14.16 feet (4.32 m), more than 4 feet (1.2 m) over flood state, exceeded
273-667: The Crow people for having metaphysical powers and being unpredictable—a place used for vision quests . Musselshell River The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River , 341.9 miles (550.2 km) long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana to its mouth on the Missouri River . It is located east of the Continental divide entirely within Montana in
294-2850: The Interior . ^ Cunningham, Bill (1995). Wild Montana . Helena, MT: Falcon Publishing, Inc. p. 237. ISBN 1-56044-393-6 . ^ Cunningham (1995) , pp. 240 v t e State of Montana Helena (capital) Topics Index Climate change Congressional delegations Geography Government Governors History bibliography People Protected areas Sports State symbols The Last Best Place Transportation Tourist attractions Society Abortion Cannabis Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Gun laws Politics LGBT rights Regions Eastern Montana The Flathead Glacier National Park Regional designations of Montana Western Montana Yellowstone Largest cities Anaconda Belgrade Billings Bozeman Butte Columbia Falls Dillon Glendive Great Falls Hamilton Havre Helena Kalispell Laurel Lewistown Livingston Miles City Missoula Polson Sidney Whitefish Counties Beaverhead Big Horn Blaine Broadwater Carbon Carter Cascade Chouteau Custer Daniels Dawson Deer Lodge Fallon Fergus Flathead Gallatin Garfield Glacier Golden Valley Granite Hill Jefferson Judith Basin Lake Lewis and Clark Liberty Lincoln Madison McCone Meagher Mineral Missoula Musselshell Park Petroleum Phillips Pondera Powder River Powell Prairie Ravalli Richland Roosevelt Rosebud Sanders Sheridan Silver Bow Stillwater Sweet Grass Teton Toole Treasure Valley Wheatland Wibaux Yellowstone [REDACTED] Montana portal Authority control databases [REDACTED] International VIAF National United States Israel Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Castle_Mountains_(Montana)&oldid=1230104789 " Categories : Mountain ranges of Montana Landforms of Meagher County, Montana Lewis and Clark National Forest Hidden categories: Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas Articles with short description Short description
315-731: The Little Belt Mountains through Bair Reservoir, then southeast. The South Fork flows northeast from the Crazy Mountains. From the confluence of these two waterways, the main branch flows roughly due east past Two Dot , Harlowton , and Roundup , then turns north just past Melstone , and continues to the UL Bend on the Missouri River at the beginning of Fort Peck Reservoir . The Musselshell River has also been known as: Cockkleshell River, Mahtush-ahzhah, Muscleshell River, Mustleshell River, Shell River. The Musselshell
336-525: The Musselshell include: Middle Fork, Bozeman Fork, Dry Fork, American Creek Fork, Big Elk Creek, Careless Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Flat Willow Creek, Hopley Creek, Spring Creek, Swimming Woman Creek, and Willow Creek. Recreational use of the Musselshell averages 63,000 visitor-days per year. Much of the water on the Musselshell is decreed water and managed by the Musselshell River Distribution Project. The Musselshell
357-494: The area again in 1935, but reported that a national park would not be feasible because "half of the land, every alternate section, is owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad or is in private hands." The Crazies are almost completely surrounded by private lands making access into the mountains somewhat difficult, especially in the southern section where the highest peaks are located. The name Crazy Mountains
378-464: The range, 15 of which are named. The Crazy Mountains sit in both Gallatin National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest . The Crazies support a healthy herd of mountain goats and the occasional elusive wolverine . In 1916, the Crazy Mountains were proposed as a location for a national park, but Congress failed to pass the legislation. National Park Service officials considered
399-507: The record previously set in 1975. The Musselshell region is where the last surviving herds of wild American buffalo lived. Zoologist William Temple Hornaday of the Smithsonian Institution harvested specimens from the region in 1886 so that future generations would know what the buffalo looked like. The Musselshell was mentioned by both Del Gue and Jeremiah Johnson in the film Jeremiah Johnson . The Musselshell
420-446: The river has channel catfish , sauger , smallmouth bass , and walleye due to the warmer water caused by dewatering from irrigation and the arid climate shift from mountain to prairie ecosystems in the Musselshell's last 90 miles (140 km). There are three different species of freshwater mussels as well as crawdads . The Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Project is a planned pumped hydroelectric power plant that will use water from
441-617: Was entered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on May 20, 1805 and named by them for the freshwater mussels lining the bank, noting in their journals that the Minnetare people had given the waterway a similar name. The Blackfeet , who hunted buffalo and prepared the meat for winter in the Musselshell area, called it the Dried Meat River. The terrain varies from the mountainous island ranges where it originates to prairie. It
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