Geography

Surrounded by mountains and prairie, Big Timber sits in the valley formed by the confluence of the Boulder and Yellowstone Rivers. Located in south-central Montana, Big Timber is the gateway to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and is home to some of the most beautiful country to explore in the entire state.

The Boulder River flows 57 miles across Sweet Grass County.  The West Boulder, East Boulder, and the Yellowstone Rivers also flow naturally across miles and miles of our land offering amazing fishing, camping, and recreation opportunities for individuals and families alike.

Bigger than the State of Rhode Island, the county is 1,855 square miles - 449 of which are public lands. The eastern and northern parts of the county are devoted to agriculture, mostly the raising of cattle and sheep. Some farming of crops that require little moisture is also done.

The county reaches into the Crazy Mountains on the north and west. Formed by igneous rock and carved by glaciers, the Crazies have been inhabited by man for the past 11,500 years. Native Americans, most recently the Shoshone and Crow, have camped in the canyons, drank from the clear steams, and hunted the vast herds of deer, antelope, and elk inhabiting the mountain’s slopes, valleys, and foothills. Between 1860 and 1880 the Native Americans gave way to trappers, traders, and settlers.

To the south in Sweet Grass County lies the Absaroka Range. Granite Peak, located in the Absaroka Mountain Range, is the highest mountain in Montana at 12,799 ft. Elevation in Big Timber is 4,100 ft. The Gallatin National Forest and Absoraka-Beartooth Wilderness act as a boundary between the county and Yellowstone National Park.

Two rivers trisect the county. The Yellowstone River runs east and west. The Boulder River flows from its source in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and joins the Yellowstone just east of Big Timber.

Seven creeks inhabit various sections of the county. Big Timber Creek, Otter Creek and Sweet Grass Creek come out of the Crazies and flow into the Yellowstone from the north. Upper Deer Creek, Lower Deer Creek, Bridger Creek and Work Creek start in the Absarokas and flow into the Yellowstone from the south.