Crazy Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Crazy Mountains, often called the Crazies, are a mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains
in the U.S. state of Montana
.
and Yellowstone
rivers. The highest peak is Crazy Peak
at 11214 feet (3,418 m). Rising over 7000 feet (2,133.6 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 the Continental Divide
. Others include the Castle Mountains
, Little Belt Mountains
, Big Snowy Mountains
, Little Snowy Mountains
, Highwood Mountains
, Sweet Grass Hills
, Bull Mountains
and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka
, the Long Pines and Short Pines.
and Lewis and Clark National Forest
. The Crazies support a healthy herd of mountain goat
s and the occasional elusive wolverine
.
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the U.S. state of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Geography
Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the MusselshellMusselshell River
The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River, 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 the United States...
and Yellowstone
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
rivers. The highest peak is Crazy Peak
Crazy Peak
Crazy Peak is the highest peak in the Crazy Mountains, an isolated range of the Montana Rockies, in the United States. Crazy Peak dominates the surroundings, rising over 7,000 feet above the Yellowstone River Valley, and is the highest peak in Montana north of the Beartooth Mountains, which are 50...
at 11214 feet (3,418 m). Rising over 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) above the Great plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
.
The Crazy Mountains form an isolated island range
Island range
An island range is a term used to describe a mountain range that exists in total or almost total isolation from a larger chain of ranges and sub-ranges. From a distance on the plains, these ranges appear as "islands" of higher ground...
east of the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
. Others include the Castle Mountains
Castle Mountains
for the continuation of the range in NevadaThe Castle Mountains are located south and east of the New York Mountains in California and west of Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada, USA....
, Little Belt Mountains
Little Belt Mountains
The Little Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Situated mainly in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the residents of Great Falls, Montana...
, Big Snowy Mountains
Big Snowy Mountains
The Big Snowy Mountains, el. , are a mountain range south of Lewistown, Montana in Fergus County, Montana. One of the few points of significant elevation in the area, this is considered one of Montana's island ranges.,...
, Little Snowy Mountains
Little Snowy Mountains
The Little Snowy Mountains, el. , is a small mountain range southeast of Lewistown, Montana in Fergus County, Montana....
, Highwood Mountains
Highwood Mountains
The Highwood Mountains cover approximately 4,659 km² in north central Montana in the U.S., east of Great Falls and Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, at the northern end of the Lewis and Clark National Forest...
, Sweet Grass Hills
Sweet Grass Hills
The Sweet Grass Hills are a small group of low mountains rising more than 3,000 feet above the surrounding plains southwest of Whitlash, Montana in Liberty and Toole County, Montana. The tallest point in the hills is West Butte at...
, Bull Mountains
Bull Mountains
The Bull Mountains, el. , is a small mountain range located in Yellowstone County, Montana and Musselshell County, Montana, lying between Billings, Montana and Roundup, Montana....
and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka
Ekalaka, Montana
Ekalaka is a town in and the county seat of Carter County, Montana, United States. The population was 410 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ekalaka is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of .Known for its sandstone rock and open plains, Ekalaka is part...
, the Long Pines and Short Pines.
Features
Geological features of the Crazy Mountains include:- Shields RiverShields RiverThe Shields River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, approximately 50 mi long, in Montana in the United States.It rises in the Gallatin National Forest in the Crazy Mountains in northern Park County. It flows west, then south, between the Bridger Range to the west and the Crazy...
- South Fork Musselshell RiverSouth Fork Musselshell RiverThe South Fork Musselshell River is a tributary of the Musselshell River in south central Montana in the United States.It rises in the Lewis and Clark National Forest in the Crazy Mountains in southern Meagher County. It flows northeast, joining the North Fork to form the Musselshell near...
- Big Timber CreekBig Timber CreekBig Timber Creek is a stream in southwestern New Jersey, United States, and is also known by the name 'Tetamekanchz Kyl' by the Lenape tribes. It drains a watershed of . A tributary of the Delaware River, it enters the Delaware between the boroughs of Brooklawn and Westville, just south Gloucester...
- Sweet Grass CreekSweet Grass CreekSweet Grass Creek is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, approximately 50 mi long, in south central Montana in the United States.It rises in the Gallatin National Forest, in the Crazy Mountains in eastern Park County...
- Crazy PeakCrazy PeakCrazy Peak is the highest peak in the Crazy Mountains, an isolated range of the Montana Rockies, in the United States. Crazy Peak dominates the surroundings, rising over 7,000 feet above the Yellowstone River Valley, and is the highest peak in Montana north of the Beartooth Mountains, which are 50...
- Grasshopper GlacierGrasshopper GlacierGrasshopper Glacier may refer to:*Grasshopper Glacier located in the Beartooth Range, U.S. state of Montana.*Grasshopper Glacier located in the Wind River Range, U.S. state of Wyoming....
Adjacent Counties
- Meagher County, MontanaMeagher County, Montana-National protected areas:*Gallatin National Forest *Helena National Forest *Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,932 people, 803 households, and 529 families residing in the county...
- north - Sweet Grass County, MontanaSweet Grass County, Montana-National protected areas:*Custer National Forest *Gallatin National Forest *Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,609 people, 1,476 households, and 987 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...
- east - Park County, MontanaPark County, MontanaPark Counties in Montana and Wyoming are among the very few pairs of counties in the United States with the same name to border each other across state lines.-National protected areas:* Custer National Forest * Gallatin National Forest...
- west, south
Wildlife
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 the range, 15 of which are named. The Crazy Mountains sit in both Gallatin National ForestGallatin National Forest
Founded in 1899, Gallatin National Forest is located in south central Montana, United States. The forest comprises 2.1 million acres and has portions of both the Absaroka-Beartooth and Lee Metcalf Wilderness areas within its boundaries...
and Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest
Lewis and Clark National Forest is located in west central Montana, United States. Spanning , the forest is managed as two separate zones. The eastern sections, under the Jefferson Division, is a mixture of grass and shrublands dotted with "island" pockets of forested areas. Here, cattle leases to...
. The Crazies support a healthy herd of mountain goat
Mountain goat
The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...
s and the occasional elusive wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
.
Trivia
- 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 is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in compliment to their original CrowCrow NationThe Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a Siouan people of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota. They now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana and in several...
name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement.
External links
- Crazy Mountains: Backdrop to Big Timber SweetgrassCounty.Com
- Fishing, Hiking and Camping in the Crazy Mountains BigSkyFishing.Com