Custer National Forest

The lands of the Custer National Forest and National Grasslands span across three states - Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, encompassing 1.2 million acres of high alpine mountain country, and small pockets of timbered buttes and grasslands. Elevations range from less than 1,000 feet in the Cheyenne Grasslands to 12,799 foot Granite Peak, the highest in Montana. The vast distances across which this Forest is spread results in an ecologically diverse landscape, the most diverse in the Northern Region. Ancient sand dunes covered with grasslands, rugged badlands, densely wooded forests, and carpets of alpine wildflowers all await you.

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Custer National Forest lands lie scattered across southern Montana and northwestern South Dakota. The Forest is headquarted and maintained from the Supervisor's Office in Billings, Montana. The Custer contains 1,278,279 acres and is divided into three sections for management and topographical reasons. There are three district offices located in Red Lodge and Ashland, Montana, as well as Camp Crook, South Dakota.

The Beartooth Ranger District makes up the southwest section of the Custer, encompassing most of the Beartooth Mountains. Its southwest section is one of the gateways to Yellowstone National Park, residing in the Greater Yellowstone area, one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems left on the planet. The Granite Range and Granite Peak are located in this area as well as the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness. The Beartooth Mountains are the crowning scenic glories of the Custer National Forest and offer vast recreational opportunities. Views from the Beartooth Scenic Byway are spectacular as the road winds upward of 11,000 feet.

South-central Montana's Ashland Ranger District offers a variety of topography, varying from rolling grasslands to steep rock outcrops. Vegetation varies from prairie to dense stands of ponderosa pine. There are three riding and hiking areas on the Ashland: Cook Mountain, King Mountain, and Tongue River Breaks. These areas offer solitude in the middle of what's truly Big Sky Country.

The Sioux Ranger District, located in the southeast corner of Montana and the northwest corner of South Dakota, is often described as "islands of green in a sea of rolling prairie". In this region, hills or mesas of ponderosa pine rise above rolling grasslands. One of the largest populations of Merlins, a small falcon, known in North America occurs in the district. The forest is rich in the history of the west, with preserved and protected Indian hieroglyphics and burial grounds.

The Custer is well known for its lake and stream fishing, along with its outdoor recreation in the mountainous area of Montana. The Beartooth Mountains offer some of the best hiking, backpacking and camping, snowmobiling, cross-country and backcountry skiing in the Northern region. Custer National Forest also provides habitat to a diverse wildlife population. Big-game species found in the area include black bear, elk, moose, big horn sheep, mule and whitetail deer, Rocky Mountain goat, cougar, and bobcats. Along the trails, naturalists and photographers can see a variety of songbirds, hawks, eagles and owls. In shaded groves, along quiet pools and out on the windswept range, gophers, chipmunks, beaver, porcupine, woodchucks, rabbits, squirrels and other animals can be watched and photographed.

Temperatures and precipitation in the Forest vary with elevation and location. In the Montana sections of the Custer, summers tend to bring moderate to warm temperatures with clear days. Summer highs are normally in the 70's and 80's with relatively cool to cold nights. Winter brings cold temperatures with ample snow at the higher elevations for winter recreation activities. Winter temperatures frequently drop well below zero but clear, crisp days are common. Snowpack normally remains in the high elevations well into June or even July making some areas inaccessible until then.

Other Online Resources

  • Custer National Forest
    Official site for Custer National Forest.
  • Custer State Park
    Information about Custer State Park and the Black Hills in South Dakota.

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