Henderson Mountain is located 2.4 miles (3.9km) north of Cooke City, Montana, in the Beartooth Mountains which are a subrange of the Rocky Mountains.[1] It is set within the New World Mining District and the Custer-Gallatin National Forest.[2] Precipitation runoff from the mountain's north slope drains into Fisher Creek which is a tributary of the Clarks Fork Yellowstone River, whereas the south slope drains into Miller Creek → Soda Butte Creek → Lamar River. Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises nearly 1,400 feet (427 meters) above Fisher Creek in 0.6 miles (0.97km). The mountain is a laccolith composed of Cambrian limestone, breccia, and Eocenedaciteporphyry.[4][5] Gold was discovered on Henderson Mountain in 1888.[4] In the mid-1990s, Henderson Mountain was the epicenter of legal fighting over plans to mine a billion dollars' worth of gold and silver from the mountain which would threaten nearby Yellowstone National Park.[6] The environmental controversy ended when the US government bought out the mining claim.[7] The mountain's toponym has been officially adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names,[3] and has been featured in publications since at least 1893.[8] Bart Henderson was one of the four trappers who discovered the New World Mining District in 1869, with the others being Adam Miller, J. H. Moore, and James Gourley.[9] (Miller Mountain is 1.61 miles (2.59km) west-southwest of Henderson Mountain).[1]
Climate
Based on the Köppen climate classification, Henderson Mountain is located in a subarctic climate zone characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and mild summers.[10] Winter temperatures can drop below 0°F with wind chill factors below −10°F.
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