West Peak (Fergus County, Montana)

Last updated
West Peak
Highest point
Elevation 8,186 feet (2,495 m)
Coordinates 46°46′47″N109°32′11″W / 46.77972°N 109.53639°W / 46.77972; -109.53639 (West Peak) Coordinates: 46°46′47″N109°32′11″W / 46.77972°N 109.53639°W / 46.77972; -109.53639 (West Peak) [1]
Geography
Location Fergus County, Montana
Parent range Big Snowy Mountains

West Peak, el. 8,186 feet (2,495 m), is a mountain peak in an island range, the Big Snowy Mountains in Fergus County, Montana. It is the western most peak in the range. The peak is located in the Lewis and Clark National Forest and accessible via the Crystal Lake National Recreational Trail. Tributaries of the Judith and Musselshell Rivers flow from its slopes. The Devil's Chute Ice Cave, a popular attraction, is located on the northeast face of the peak.

An island range is 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. They are often described as islands of mountainous land because they exist in the "sea" of lower elevation and flatter prairie country; many examples are found in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. Island ranges include the Big Snowy Mountains of east-central Montana, the Crazy Mountains of south-central Montana, or the Wichita Mountains of southwestern Oklahoma. Island ranges, due to their isolation, often have animal and/or plant species or subspecies found nowhere else.

Big Snowy Mountains

The Big Snowy Mountains, el. 8,681 feet (2,646 m), 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. The smaller Little Snowy Mountains are a contiguous range immediately to the east.

Fergus County, Montana County in the United States

Fergus County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 11,586. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was founded in 1885 and named for James Fergus, a Montana politician who was instrumental in creating the county..

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Notes

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Crazy Mountains mountain range

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Kootenai National Forest

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Judith Mountains

The Judith Mountains are located in central Montana in Fergus County just to the northeast of Lewistown, Montana.

Lewis Range

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Sapphire Mountains mountain range in Montana, United States

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Gallatin Range mountain range

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Little Snowy Mountains

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Pike Creek Hills

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