Beartooth Mountains
| Beartooth Mountains | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Granite Peak |
| Elevation | 12,807 ft (3,904 m) |
| Coordinates | 45°09′48″N 109°48′26″W / 45.16333°N 109.80722°WCoordinates: 45°09′48″N 109°48′26″W / 45.16333°N 109.80722°W |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Montana and Wyoming |
| Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Laramide |
The Beartooth Mountains are located in south central Montana and northwest Wyoming, U.S. and are part of the 900,000 acre (3,600 km2) 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 (U.S. 212) with the highest elevation at Beartooth Pass (10,947 ft, 3,345 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.
The Beartooth Mountains sit upon the larger Beartooth Plateau, the largest true high elevation plateau in the United States.
The remoteness of the region contributed to their obscurity until the 1870s. The Crow tribe of Native Americans used the valleys of the mountains for hunting game animals and for winter shelter from the harsh winds of the plains. Though trappers entered the region in the 1830s, formal exploration by the U.S. Government did not occur until 1878. Since then, almost 400 species of plants have been discovered and the Beartooths are considered to be the most biologically unique mountain range in North America. The region is also home to one of the largest populations of grizzly bears outside of Alaska and Canada. Black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, wolverine, mountain lion, and lynx are also found here.
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