June 20, 2007 MT SKYSCRAPER Crown Butte Preserve

As a kid growing up in North-Central Montana, many times I would ponder the many "buttes" scattered around the eastern Rocky Mountain Front, rising up from the prairie. Square Butte, Round Butte, Tiger Butte, Haystack Butte---and then there is Crown Butte. Most of the buttes are on private property withouth much access. Crown Butte is part of a Nature Conservancy preserve, so access to the top is available. To see from a distance is one thing, finding the road and trail to get there is another. Not much for signs, or directions, Crown Butte is easy to see, but the trail head can be a challenge to find the first time. Of course it didn't help that I went to wrong small town on the way there (needed to go to Simms instead of Vaughn).

Find out more about central MT laccoliths at:
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/montana/preserves/art343.html