Absaroka Range

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Absaroka Range
Range
Pilot and Index peaks in the Absaroka Mountains
Country	United States
States	Montana, Wyoming
Part of	Rocky Mountains
Borders on	Beartooth Mountains
Highest point	Francs Peak
- elevation	13,153 ft (4,009 m)
- coordinates	43°57′N 109°20′W / 43.95, -109.333
Absaroka Range is shown highlighted on a map of North America

The Absaroka Range is a mountain range, which is a sub-range on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains stretching for about 150 mi (240 km) across the Montana-Wyoming border, and forming the eastern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.

The highest peak in the range is Francs Peak at 13,153 ft (4,009 m). There are forty-six other peaks over 12,000 ft (3,658 m).

The range is drained by the Yellowstone River and various tributaries, including the Bighorn River.

Much of the Absarokas are protected, not only by Yellowstone Park, but also by the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, North Absaroka Wilderness, Teton Wilderness, and Washakie Wilderness, all located in Custer and Shoshone National Forests.

U.S. Highway 212 from Billings, Montana to Yellowstone climbs over Beartooth Pass (10,796 ft, 3,290 m) in the neighboring Beartooth Mountains before winding through the Absarokas at the NE gate to Yellowstone National Park. It is only open during the summer.

USS Absaroka was named after this mountain range.

It is named for the Absaroka Indians.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States, 22.