Crazy Mountains

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Crazy Mountains
Crazy Mountains
Country	United States
State	Montana
Area	1,554 km² (600 mi²)
Length	40 mi (64 km), N/S
Width	15 mi (24 km), E/W
Highest point	Crazy Peak
- coordinates	46°01′04″N, 110°16′36″W
- elevation	11,209 ft (3,417 m)

The Crazy Mountains, often called the Crazies, are a mountain range in the northern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana.

1 Geography
- 1.1 Features
- 1.2 Adjacent Counties
2 Wildlife
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Spanning a distance of 40 miles (64 km), the Crazy Mountains are located between the Musselshell and Yellowstone rivers. The highest peak is Crazy Peak at 11,209 feet (3417 m). Rising over 6,000 feet (1,830 m) above the Great plains to the east, the Crazies dominate their surroundings and are plainly visible just north of Interstate 90.

The Crazy Mountains form an isolated island range east of the Continental Divide. Others include the Castle Mountains, Little Belt Mountains, Big Snowy Mountains, Little Snowy Mountains, Sweet Grass Hills, Bull Mountains and, in the southeastern corner of the state near Ekalaka, the Long Pines and Short Pines.

[edit] Features

Geological features of the Crazy Mountains include:

[edit] Adjacent Counties

[edit] Wildlife

Crazy Peak (left background) rises above a relatively barren region

Due to the eastern location, these mountains are drier and less densely forested than other mountain ranges in Montana and consequently, there are also only about 15 lakes found in the mountain range. The Crazy Mountains sit in both Gallatin National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest. The Crazies support a healthy herd of moutain goats and the occasional elusive wolverine.

[edit] Trivia

The Crazies are almost completely surrounded by private lands making access into the mountains somewhat difficult, especially in the southern section where the highest peaks are located.
The name Crazy Mountains is said to be a shortened form of the name "Crazy Woman Mountains" given them, in compliment to their original Crow name, after a woman who went insane and lived in them after her family was killed in the westward settlement movement.