Beartooth Mountains facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beartooth Mountains |
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Granite Peak |
| Elevation | 12,807 ft (3,904 m) |
| Geography | |
 Beartooth Mountains
Location in Montana
Beartooth Mountains
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Laramide |
The Beartooth Mountains are a stunning mountain range. They are found in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S.. These mountains are part of a very large protected area. This area is called the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. It covers about 944,000 acres. The wilderness is located within the Custer, Gallatin, and Shoshone National Forests.
The Beartooths are home to Granite Peak. This peak is the highest point in Montana. It stands at 12,807 feet (3,904 m) tall. The mountains are just northeast of Yellowstone National Park. They are also part of the larger Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. You can drive through the mountains on the Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212). The highest point on this road is Beartooth Pass, at 10,947 ft (3,337 m). The range gets its name from a rugged peak called Beartooth Peak. This peak looks like a bear's tooth. The Beartooth Mountains sit on top of a larger area called the Beartooth Plateau.
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History of the Beartooth Mountains
For a long time, these mountains were quite hidden away. Not many people knew about them until the 1870s. The Crow tribe of Native Americans used the mountain valleys. They hunted animals there and found shelter in winter. This protected them from the strong winds on the plains.
Trappers first came to the area in the 1830s. But the U.S. Government did not officially explore it until 1878. Gold was found in the mountains even earlier. However, a big increase in mining started in 1882. More buildings and equipment were added for the mines. Six companies eventually owned parts of the New World Mining District.
Between 1900 and 1955, the mines produced a lot of gold. They also found silver, copper, zinc, and lead. One big problem was how far away the mines were. Over time, many mines closed down. This was often because they ran out of money or had collapses that were too expensive to fix.
In 1989, a company called Crown Butte Mines wanted to greatly expand mining. But people worried about how close it was to Yellowstone National Park. They feared that mining waste could harm the park. In 1996, the government stepped in. They paid the company to stop their plans. The company also had to pay to help fix damage to the environment.
The Beartooth Mountains were once considered to become a national park. In 1939, a plan was made for a "Beartooth National Monument." However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt never signed it. In 1960, a group called The Wilderness Society led a trip into the Beartooths. Officials from the Forest Service and National Park Service joined them. They discussed if the mountains should be a wilderness area or a national park. They didn't agree on a plan.
People who cared about the environment kept pushing for the area to be protected. They wanted to keep the northern parts of Yellowstone National Park safe from development. Finally, in 1975, the Beartooths became part of the Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness. This helped protect the area for good.
Ecology of the Beartooth Mountains
The Beartooth Mountains have a very special ecosystem. This is partly because they are part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This large area covers 34,375 square miles. It is mostly untouched wilderness. All the rivers and lakes in this area are very clean. They are protected by the Clean Water Act. Their cleanliness helps scientists compare them to other waters in the northern Rocky Mountains. Most of the animals and plants here are now protected.
Animals of the Beartooths
These mountains are home to many of North America's largest animals. This includes one of the few grizzly bear populations in the U.S. You might also rarely see lynx and wolverines here. There are also cougars and recently brought back wolves. The Beartooths also have some of the biggest groups of bison and elk in North America.
Plants of the Beartooths
The Beartooth Mountains also have many different kinds of trees. Most are conifers, which are trees with needles and cones. There are also groups of aspen and cottonwood trees. The main conifers include Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, whitebark pine, and lodgepole pine. These grow below 9,000 feet. Above 9,000 feet, there are fewer trees. Instead, you'll find grasses, wildflowers, and sagebrush.
Geology of the Beartooth Mountains
The rocks in the Beartooth Mountains are very, very old. They are made of Precambrian granite and crystalline metamorphic rocks. These rocks are about 2.7 to 4 billion years old. This makes them some of the oldest rocks on Earth.
Inside the mountains is a place called the Stillwater igneous complex. This area has the largest known amounts of platinum and chromium in the U.S. It also has the second largest amounts of nickel. Some zircon crystals found in the rocks are even older. They are about 4 to 3.2 billion years old. Most of the rocks in the Beartooths, like gneiss, amphibolites, and granites, are 2.9 to 2.7 billion years old.
Elevation and Peaks
You can find huge, flat areas called plateaus in the Beartooths. These are very high up, over 10,000 ft (3,000 m). There are also more than 25 peaks that are taller than 12,000 ft (3,700 m). The mountains have over 300 clear, beautiful lakes. Some waterfalls here are taller than 300 feet (91 m). Winters are very harsh with lots of snow and strong winds.
About 25 small glaciers exist in the Beartooths. Grasshopper Glacier is one of the most famous. The highest peaks in the Beartooth Mountains are grouped together. They include Granite Peak, Mount Wood (12,649 ft (3,855 m)), and Castle Mountain (12,617 ft (3,846 m)). The group with Mount Wood is called the Granite Range. The largest area above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) is the one around Castle Mountain. This area also stretches into Wyoming.
