Custer Gallatin National Forest

Stretching over 500 miles across southern Montana and into northwestern South Dakota, the Custer Gallatin National Forest encompasses 3.4 million acres of astonishing geographic diversity, from the alpine peaks of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness to the prairie grasslands of the Sioux Ranger District. The forest borders Yellowstone National Park on three sides, making it an integral part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Granite Peak, at 12,807 feet Montana's highest summit, crowns the Beartooth Plateau, accessible via the Beartooth Highway, widely considered one of the most spectacular drives in America.\n\nThe Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness alone protects nearly one million acres of pristine high-country terrain with over 700 alpine lakes, while the Gallatin Canyon provides a dramatic corridor of whitewater, climbing, and hiking alongside the Gallatin River. The forest supports exceptional wildlife populations including grizzly bears, wolves, elk, moose, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.\n\nWorld-class skiing at Big Sky Resort and Bridger Bowl draws winter visitors, while summer brings mountaineers to Granite Peak, fly fishers to the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers, and hikers to hundreds of miles of backcountry trails. The forest's Custer Division in southeastern Montana and western South Dakota protects the Pryor Mountains (home to a wild horse range) and pine-covered buttes rising from the Great Plains.