| Bears Tooth | |
|---|---|
 The Bears Tooth | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 11,920 ft (3,630 m) [1] |
| Prominence | 315 ft (96 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | 45°03′46″N109°33′45″W / 45.06278°N 109.56250°W Coordinates: 45°03′46″N109°33′45″W / 45.06278°N 109.56250°W [2] |
| Geography | |
  Bears Tooth Location in Montana  Bears Tooth Location in the United States | |
| Location | Carbon County, Montana, U.S. |
| Parent range | Beartooth Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Silver Run Peak |
Bears Tooth (11,920 feet (3,630 m)) is a mountain spire in the Beartooth Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. [3] The peak is in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in Custer National Forest, and is adjacent to Beartooth Mountain. Bears Tooth is the namesake for numerous other points in the region and the Beartooth Mountains themselves. Known by the Native American Crow as "Na Piet Say", translated as bears tooth, the spire can be seen from the Beartooth Highway. [4]
The Beartooth Mountains are located in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S. and are part of the 944,000 acres (382,000 ha) Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, within Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone National Forests. The Beartooths are the location of Granite Peak, which at 12,807 feet (3,904 m) is the highest point in the state of Montana. The mountains are just northeast of Yellowstone National Park and are part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The mountains are traversed by road via the Beartooth Highway with the highest elevation at Beartooth Pass 10,947 ft (3,337 m)). The name of the mountain range is attributed to a rugged peak found in the range, Beartooth Peak, that has the appearance of a bear's tooth.
Montana is a landlocked state in the Northwestern United States. Montana has several nicknames, although none are official, including "Big Sky Country" and "The Treasure State", and slogans that include "Land of the Shining Mountains" and more recently "The Last Best Place".
Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness was created from existing National Forest lands in 1978 and is located in Montana and Wyoming, United States. The wilderness is partly in Gallatin, Custer and Shoshone National Forests and is composed of 944,000 acres (3,820 km2). The wilderness encompasses two distinct mountain ranges, namely the Beartooth and Absaroka ranges. These ranges are completely distinct geologically speaking with the Absarokas composed primarily of volcanic and metamorphic rock, while the Beartooths are made up almost entirely of granitic rocks. The Absarokas are noted for their dark and craggy appearance, lush and heavily forested valleys and abundant wildlife. The highest peak in the range, located in Wyoming, is Francs Peak at 13,153 feet (4,009 m). The Beartooths are more alpine with huge treeless plateaus and the highest peak in the state of Montana. The wilderness contains 30 peaks over 12,000 feet (3,700 m). The wilderness is an integral part of the 20-million-acre (81,000 km2) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and borders Yellowstone National Park.
