Limestone Butte (anticline) on west end of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone
Photo by Mark Fisher

Wow Factor (3 out of 5 stars):

Geologist Factor (2 out of 5 stars):

Attraction

​View outcrop belt a couple miles wide of folded and faulted sedimentary rocks along the left-lateral Nye-Bowler Fault Zone. West half of fault zone is only about five miles north of the Beartooth Mountain front with a very scenic country drive on gravel and paved roads from Nye to the historic town of Red Lodge. East half of fault zone traverses a dryer landscape from Red Lodge to the Pryor Mountains. Although the west half is more scenic and green, the east half has much better exposures of folds and faults.
The Bighorn structural basin (tan) and bordering mountains. The Nye-Bowler fault zone (NBFZ) shown with a red line is a linear feature that marks the northern limit of the basin.  The Beartooth Fault Zone (BFZ) is shown with a green line. Zoomed area shown by white dashed rectangle. Towns: current – red circle, abandoned – green circle.
Image: Google Earth
North aerial zoomed view of the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone area. The fault zone marks the boundary between the Bighorn Basin (south) and The Crazy Mountain Basin (north). Anticlinal structures (folds like an umbrella) developed along trend shown by gold ovals. Intrusions shown at northwestern end of fault zone by dark red polygons. Circles are locations of towns: Red - active, Green – abandoned. Faults shown by red lines.
Image: Google Earth
​The Nye-Bowler Lineament defines the northern border of the Bighorn Basin. A lineament is a regional linear feature (greater than 60 miles) on the earth’s surface which is an expression of a subsurface geologic structure. The Nye-Bowler extends over 100-miles from Livingston to the eastern front of the Pryor Mountains. It is a complex of folds, laccoliths, and en echelon faults between northwest-trending left-lateral transpressional faults. It is a major structural transition between Wyoming and Montana crustal blocks. This basement feature most likely formed as a Precambrian wrench zone during the Trans-Hudson Orogeny (2.0 -1.78 billion years ago). The tectonic event was the culmination of the Paleoproterozoic formation of the continental core of North America (aka Laurentia). Although the original basement structural feature most likely formed during the Precambrian, the faults and folds in the younger Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks are a result of movement on the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone during the Laramide mountain building event (70 to 52 million years ago). The fault zone is named for the two towns that lie near the west and east margins of the trend. 

History of Nye Area

​Nye is located near the western margin of the lineament. Gold was discovered in the Nye area in the 1860s on land that became part of the Crow Reservation by the 1868 Laramie Treaty. Nye began as a mining camp about 1864 along the Upper Stillwater River. The camp and claims were abandoned due to the treaty until after the cession of 1882. Jack Nye and the Hedges brothers, Jimmy and Jonas, returned to stake copper claims in 1883 and start a new Nye further downstream of the original camp in 1887. Three eastern companies (Minneapolis Mining and Smelting, Stillwater Mining, and Nicoliet and Hennepin Mining) had mining operations in the Stillwater Complex by 1886. That community boomed from four log cabins, boarding house and saloon to 50 structures with seven saloons and a population over 500. But an unfavorable gold assay in 1888 began a population exodus that culminated when the Secretary of Interior ordered abandonment in 1889 when Nye and the mines were determined to be on Crow Reservation land. Mining was renewed in 1904 after the reservation boundary was moved eastward.  The Stillwater Complex is a layered mafic intrusive body that was emplaced 2.71 billion years ago about six to nine miles beneath the surface (29,000-50,000 foot depth). The entire Beartooth block was actively rising during the Laramide Orogeny 61 to 52 million years ago (fission track dating by Giegengack et al., 1998). Although the area was first prospected for gold, it was copper and nickel that were first mined. The complex was found to hold the largest platinum and palladium deposit in the United States.
Isostatic residual gravity anomaly of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone (NBFZ). Bounding tectonic features of Bighorn Basin (BHB) abbreviations: AR – Absaroka Range, BM – Bighorn Mountains, BR – Bridger Range, Btm – Beartooth Mountains, OCM – Owl Creek Mountains, PM – Pryor Mountains, SRP – Snake River Plain; States: MT – Montana; WY – Wyoming. Data upward continued 5 km to enhance regional aspects of the dataset.
Mankinen, E.A., Hildenbrand, T.G., Zientek, M.L., Box, S.E. Bookstrom, A.A.,  Mary H. Carlson, M.H.,  and Larsen,  J.C., 2004, Guide to Geophysical Data for the Northern Rocky Mountains and Adjacent Areas, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004–1413, Fig. 4, p. 15; https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1413/Report/of2004-1413.pdf.
Left: View south of Stillwater Valley towards Stillwater Mine and Beartooth Mountains beyond. Right: The Nye Trading Post is the only store in the community. It is called the “Nye Mall” by locals.
Image: Left: Marathon PGM Corporation, 2010, Management proxy circular, Fig. 7.1; https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/931948/000114036110042842/ex99_1.htm; 
​Right: Link disappeared.
Stillwater Complex mines.
Image: Marathon PGM Corporation, 2010, Management proxy circular, Fig. 1; https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/931948/000114036110042842/ex99_1.htm.
Geologic map and cross section showing the layered structure of the Precambrian Stillwater Complex. The J-M Reef marked by the red line is the zone being underground mined for platinum and palladium.
Image: Zientek, M.L., and Parks, H.L., 2014, A geologic and mineral exploration spatial database for the Stillwater Com-plex, Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5183, Fig. 1, p. 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20145183.
Stillwater Mine and Stillwater River upstream of Nye. View is to the east-southeast. The platinum and palladium J-M Reef ore zone is narrow (3 to 10 feet thick) and very steeply dipping. In this photo it outcrops in the foreground, continues across the valley and up the side valley of Nye Creek. Subsurface mining is below the valley and into the surrounding mountains along the strike of the J-M Reef ore zone.
Image by Mark Fisher

History of Bowler Area

​The agricultural settlement of Bowler was in Bowler flats at the eastern margin of the Nye-Bowler lineament. It is a dry, flat sagebrush plain along south flowing Sage Creek at the foot of Big Pryor Mountain. Jack Bowler who established a ranch located near a stage, freight road in 1892 and the stage stop settlement was named after him. The first Bowler Post Office was opened on the ranch in 1895 when mail service began from Billings to the Bighorn Basin. The community grew to about 40 families after the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) railroad began service to Bowler in 1901. The Post Office was relocated adjacent to the track near Sage Creek. The CB&Q route through Bowler was on the Toluca to Cody line constructed to bring visitors to the eastern gateway city to Yellowstone National Park. The route was abandoned as unprofitable in 1911. Among the reasons were the slowness of the trains due to the steep grades in Pryor Gap, finding a more profitable route through Clarks Fork Valley from the Billings station, a lack of soft water for the engine boilers, insufficient telegraph communications system through the Pryor Mountains (led to lost trains), and the high expense incurred for tribal compensation due to train ignited fires of crop land and stock deaths.
Plat of Township 7 South, Range 25 East, of the Montana Prime Meridian. Gallagher, who surveyed the area in 1891, initially created the map. Minott, another surveyor, made some additions in 1901. Bowler noted here is the original location for the Stage Station and section house. It was relocated twice to other locations about 4 to 9 miles south in what was called Bowler Flats. The trail leading through the Pryor Gap is on the old “Mee-te-se” Trail (named by Yellowstone Kelly). This is near the summit.
Image: After Dodge, D., 2005, Trek to Crockett Water Tower; http://www.mtgenweb.com/yellowstone/dave-boonies/dave-6.htm.
View across Bowler Flats: Left: East view towards Big Pryor Mountain. The southwest dip slope is Madison Limestone. The north face of Big Pryor and East Pryor mountains is aligned with the Nye-Bowler Lineament. Right: West view of Bowler flats from Miller Trail (#2496) on Big Pryor Mountain. Black Butte anticline is in the middle ground and the Beartooth Mountains are on the distant horizon. The Pryor Mountains are named after Sergeant Nathaniel Hale Pryor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who rose to the rank of Captain during the War of 1812.
Image: Left: Walton, D. 2011, Photo in Thompson, G. The Pryor Mountains: Geology Tour; http://www.pryormountains.org/natural-history/geology-2/geology/;
Right: After Gary S, 2013, Flickr; https://www.flickr.com/photos/outlawpete/8715191545.
The short-lived Toluca to Cody Railroad route through Bowler. Location of Bowler station shown by green star. Stations with telegraphs shown by blue dots. Terminal points of line shown by yellow dots. Nye location shown by red dot. The route was sometimes called the “Squaw Train” due to the frequent Indian passengers.
Image: After David Rumsey Historical Map Collection; http://www.davidrumsey.com/ll/detailView.html?manifestUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fiiif%2Fm%2FRUMSEY~8~1~24568~900059%2Fmanifest&os=0&baseUrl=%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fas%2Fsearch&mediaType=Image#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&r=0&xywh=-479%2C-1%2C12432%2C5579.
The scarcity of water made farming difficult on the Bowler Flats. A rock dam on Sage Creek to provide irrigation water was never used. Fights over water rights were common and increased in the 1920s and 1930s. The Great Depression, and the water scarcity, eventually doomed Bowler making another Montana ghost town by the late 1930s. The Post Office closed in 1936 along with the farming community.
​
PacifiCorp‘s Pryor Mountain Wind Project is constructing a windfarm on Bowler Flats. The project is expected to begin operation by December 2020.   
Images of the Bowler area including dilapidated buildings, Pryor Gap train tunnel, railroad grade bed, and limestone kiln.
Image: Photos: http://lovell3rdward.blogspot.com/2015/06/four-wheeling-trips-to-railroad-bed-and.html; Upper Left Photo:  Link has disappeared; Base Map:  http://www.maphill.com/united-states/montana/carbon-county/bowler/panoramic-maps/physical-map/free/
PacifiCorp’s 240 MW Pryor Wind Project layout. PacifiCorp purchased the project from EverPower in May 2019. Location of the abandoned townsite of Bowler is shown by a green dot. Instead of crops that require water, this farm will produce energy from the Montana wind.
Image: After https://co.carbon.mt.us/construction-issues/mud-springs-wind-project/.
North view of Pryor Wind Project from Warren, Montana
Image by Mark Fisher

Geology of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone

The Nye-Bowler area and the Bighorn Basin are filled with Quaternary and Tertiary alluvium and terraces. The sediment was sourced from streams eroding the Laramide uplifts and Absaroka volcanic field. The Eocene Willwood, Wasatch, and Paleocene Fort Union strata are a complex of fans, braid plains, meanders, lakes and swamps. Stream capture occurred to the paleostreams of the Clarks Fork, Shoshone and Greybull rivers. The topography of the region is inverted with old gravel covered paleo-stream beds perched above present stream valleys. Superposition of the Shoshone and Big Horn Rivers carved canyons and water gaps across mountain uplifts.
Maps showing evolution of piracy and capture of ancestral drainage in the northern Bighorn Basin. Stage 1, stream pattern before the hypothetical Clark Fork capture; stage 2, pattern before the Polecat-Shoshone and Greybull captures; stage 3, present pattern. Pirate points of stream capture are shown by yellow arrows. Granitic basement rocks shown in pink. Absaroka volcanic field shown in brown.
Image: After Heiny, L.W. and Walter, H.G. 1954, Road log Billings to Red Lodge: Billings Geological Society Fifth Annual Field Conference, Fig. on p. 11.
The Nye-Bowler lineament was first described by Charles W. Wilson, Jr. in 1936. He mapped the 60 mile anticline and dome structural trend that extended from the Beartooth Mountains to the east flank of the Pryor Mountains at the northernmost margin of the Bighorn Basin. The first exploration well for oil and gas was drilled in 1889 near the Roscoe oil seep in Carbon County (ne se Section 32, Township 6 South, Range 18 East). Ninety-one years later a limited field produced 579 barrels of oil from the Greybull Sandstone. 
Structure map on Cretaceous Fall River Sandstone (Dakota Sandstone), northern Bighorn Basin.
Image: After Mitchell, J.R., 2014, Petroleum Occurrences in Cretaceous-Age Reservoirs, Northern Bighorn Basin, Montana and Wyoming: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Search and Discovery Article #10633; http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/2014/10633mitchell/ndx_mitchell.pdf
First wildcat well drilled in Montana, Butcher Creek Cruse #1, Bighorn Basin, Carbon County, MT. Oil drilling was apparently a nice spot for a family picnic in the 19th Century.
Image: From the Thomas S. Cruse Mining and Development Co. in French, D.E. and Grabb, R.F., Editors, 1989, Geologic Resources of Montana, Field Conference Guidebook Montana Centennial Edition, Montana Geologic Society, Frontispiece
Seven structures along the trend have produced oil and gas. The fields, in order of discovery, are Dry Creek (1929), Golden Dome (1953), MacKay Dome (1955), Butcher Creek (1963), Dean Dome (1964), Roscoe Dome (1966), and Fiddler Creek (1980). Reservoirs are Cretaceous age sandstones in the Judith River, Eagle, Frontier, Greybull and Pryor Formations. Dry Creek Field has produced over 4.2 million barrels of oil and 21.2 billion cubic feet of gas which accounts for about 88 percent of the cumulative hydrocarbons along the Nye-Bowler trend. The Dry Creek & Golden Dome Frontier structure map (below) displays the numerous en echelon northeast-oriented normal faults.

​The anticlines (folds) along the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone are large features, some with significant structural closure. However, the oil and gas production has been disappointing. Similar-sized structures in the adjacent Bighorn Basin are often giant oil fields with major production from the Paleozoic reservoirs in the Phosphoria, Tensleep and Madison Formations. The structures along the Nye-Bowler are water filled in these formations, possibly due to: 1) poor connection to the Phosphoria oil source rock system, 2) a leaky top seal in the Triassic Chugwater shales that are relatively thin compared to the Bighorn Basin, and 3) numerous faults associated with the Nye-Bowler Fault that could have provided a pathway for the oil to escape. A number of the structures on the west end of the Nye-Bowler have significant oil-in-place in the shallower Lower Cretaceous Greybull and Pryor Sandstones. This oil is low gravity (12 to 14 degrees API), biodegraded and probably sourced from the Phosphoria (John Mitchell, 2014). Recovery has been been very poor because the oil is extremely thick and viscous.
Productive structures and oil and gas wells drilled along the Nye-Bowler Lineament. Location of the Roscoe oil seep and Cruise well are shown by the short white arrow. All anticlines and domes are displayed on the second image on this page. Formation abbreviations shown on stratigraphic column below.
Image: Google Earth
Cretaceous stratigraphic column, northern Bighorn Basin.
Image: After Mitchell, J.R., 2014, Petroleum Occurrences in Cretaceous-Age Reservoirs, Northern Bighorn Basin, Montana and Wyoming: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Search and Discovery Article #10633; http://www.searchanddiscovery.com/documents/2014/10633mitchell/ndx_mitchell.pdf.
Frontier structure map of Dry Creek and Golden Dome fields. Dry Creek Field is depleted and the Frontier Sandstone reservoirs at the field are now used for natural gas storage to meet peak demand during the winter.
Image: After Shepard, G.W., 1975, Montana Geological Society
Log structural cross section AB, Dry Creek Field. En echelon normal faults display reservoir compartmentalization. Dry Creek produced gas from the Eagle & Frontier Sandstone, and oil from the Cloverly.
Image After Model, R.M., 1954, Dry Creek Field, Carbon County, Montana: Billings Geological Society Fifth Annual Field Conference, Plate in rear pocket.
​MacKay Dome has the second highest cumulative oil volume and is between East Rosebud and West Rosebud Creeks, about 25 miles west-northwest of Dry Creek Field. The field produced about 400,000 barrels of low gravity oil and over 32 million cubic feet of gas from the Greybull Sandstone. A 3D seismic survey illustrates the complexity of these left-lateral wrench structures.
Seismic cross sections displaying variation in structure along strike at Mackay Dome. Geologists refer to this type of positive transpressional feature as a “flower structure.”
Image: After Morris, A.L., 2014, Seismic attribute-assisted structure analysis of the Mackay dome transpressional system, Bighorn basin, southern Montana: Evidence for reservoir compartmentalization: M.S. Thesis, West Virginia University, Fig. 17, p. 31;https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1376&context=etd.
Inline 69 showing fault block orientations and reservoir compartmentalization, MacKay Dome.  Location shown on map above.
Image: After Morris, A.L., 2014, Seismic attribute-assisted structure analysis of the Mackay dome transpressional system, Bighorn basin, southern Montana: Evidence for reservoir compartmentalization: M.S. Thesis, West Virginia University, Fig.55, p. 86; https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1376&context=etd.
Geologic Map of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone
Image: Left: After Lopez, D.A., 2001, Preliminary Geologic Map of the Red Lodge 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle South-Central Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open File No. 423; http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf_100k/redLodge.pdf
​Right: After Lopez, D.A., 2000, Geologic Map of the Bridger 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle, Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Geologic Map Series No. 58;  http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf_100k/bridger-gm58.pdf.
Geologic Map of Nye area.
Image: After Lopez, D.A., 2001, Preliminary Geologic Map of the Red Lodge 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle South-Central Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Open File No. 423; http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf_100k/redLodge.pdf
Geologic map of the Bowler area.
Image: After Lopez, D.A., 2000, Geologic Map of the Bridger 30’ x 60’ Quadrangle, Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Geologic Map Series No. 58;  http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/pdf_100k/bridger-gm58.pdf.

Things To Do

​The western half of the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone from Nye to Red Lodge is only about five miles outboard from the Beartooth Mountain front. Most all land north of the mountain front is private. It is a peaceful and scenic drive over green rolling hills with non-stop views of the Beartooth Mountains. On this drive you can see anticlines associated with the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone: 1)about five miles northwest of Nye at Limestone Butte, 2) southeast of Nye about six miles near Dean, and 3) both northwest and southeast of Roscoe for up to two miles each direction. This area has many opportunities for stunning hikes on the Custer National Forest in the Beartooth Mountains. There are trails up most major drainages including the Stillwater River, West Rosebud Creek, East Rosebud Creek, West Fork Rock Creek, Lake Fork of Rock Creek and the main fork of Rock Creek. My two favorite day hikes are up East Rosebud Creek as far as you want to go starting at East Rosebud Lake, and the hike up to Glacier Lake starting at the end of the Rock Creek valley. After your drive and hike, Red Lodge, a small authentic western mining town has some great food.
Road and surface ownership map of west half of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone (red line), Carbon & Stillwater Counties, Montana. Yellow is BLM, blue is state of Montana, green is Forest Service, and white is private.
After Custer National Forest Map
The eastern half of the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone from Red Lodge to Bowler crosses the basin and has a much dryer landscape except for the irrigated Clarks Fork River Valley. There is BLM land southeast of Bridger where you can see the Red Dome Anticline along the Nye-Bowler Fault Zone with beautiful red Triassic Chugwater Formation in the core of the fold. Another option is to hike the Weatherman Draw area southeast of Bridger on BLM land to see ancient Native American pictographs.
Road and surface ownership map on east end of Nye-Bowler Fault Zone (red line), Carbon County, Montana. Yellow is BLM, blue is state of Montana, green is Forest Service, orange is Crow Indian Reservation and white is private. Blue lines are access roads to Weatherman Draw and Red Dome.
After Custer National Forest Map 

East Rosebud Hike

East Rosebud Creek and Trail
Image by Mark Fisher
​Just a gorgeous hike that should put goosebumps on your arms. At Roscoe (Grizzly Bar), take East Rosebud Road up East Rosebud Creek. After leaving Roscoe you will be driving past moraines from the Pinedale Glaciation and past MacKay Dome Oil Field (private land) that is on the ridge between the East and West Rosebud drainages. Drive this gravel and paved road a total of 14 miles or about 30 minutes to East Rosebud Lake that is surrounded by private cabins (Alpine). The Forest Service trailhead is to the left or east side of the lake. This trail eventually goes all the way over the top of the Beartooths and meets highway US 212 near Cooke City, which makes this a popular multi-day backpacking hike coming from the top. A great day hike destination is up to Elk Lake that is 6.5 miles round trip with an 800 foot elevation gain (3 to 4 hours total). This trail has Huckleberries. Take bear spay. What a special place!

Glacier Lake Hike

Glacier Lake in Beartooths on July 24
Image by Mark Fisher
​It is one of the most popular hikes in the Beartooths and for good reason. It is another goosebumps on the arms hike. It is that pretty! Take US 212 southwest from Red Lodge about 11 miles, turn right on Road 2421 for the Main Fork of Rock Creek. At this turnoff there is a sign labeled "campgrounds" for Parkside CG, Greenough Lake CG and Limberpine CG. Travel on paved Forest Service Road for about one mile, cross bridge over Rock Creek, pass Limberpine Campground turnoff and immediately turn left on gravel road up Rock Creek (not Hellroaring). Drive on a rough, but not terrible Forest Service road for about 8 miles to the end of the road. Be patient, this gravel road will take 30 to 40 minutes to drive. High clearance vehicle would be helpful for the last stretch. Trail to Glacier Lake is 3.8 miles round trip with 1,100 feet of vertical climb and 200 feet vertical descent to lake. There can be significant snow on the trail up high into early July. The lake has a small dam that was built to hold additional irrigation water. Weather changes quickly here. Take rain gear and bear spray just in case. Bring water shoes if you want to cross the creek to access Little Glacier Lake and Emerald Lake.

Red Dome Anticline

Red Dome Anticline, view looking to northwest with red Triassic Chugwater Formation.
Image by Mark Fisher
Southeast of Bridger on a scenic road to the Pryor Mountains is a well exposed fold with red Chugwater in the core. Take US 310 south out of Bridger toward Warren, Frannie & Deaver. Go past the turnoff to Belfry, cross the bridge over the Clarks Fork River, go about 0.5 mile past the bridge and turn left (east) on paved Pryor Mountain Road (about 2.4 miles south of Bridger). Road bears to right at 3.4 miles from Bridger and is on west side of railroad tracks. Road crosses railroad tracks with stop sign at about 4.4 miles and pavement ends. Road bears right at 5.0 miles. At 8.0 miles, the road curves around the south and east edge of the Red Dome Anticline. A long ridge visible on the right is capped by the Frontier Sandstone with Cretaceous Mowry and Thermopolis Shale underlying it. For the next couple of miles, you will sometimes see red Triassic Chugwater Formation shales and siltstones on your left in the core of the fold. Continue east and at 13 miles you can see Black Butte anticline about one mile south of the road with gently folded Permian Phosphoria carbonates and Pennsylvanian Tensleep sandstones on the surface (private land). Continue to T intersection at 14.7 miles. This is the location of the abandoned town of Bowler and the location of the Pryor Wind Project. You can turn around at this point or turn right (south) and head to Warren located on US 310.  A left turn (north) leads to the Crow Indian Reservation and Pryor Gap.  Pryor Mountains website has great maps and directions to hikes and sights up in the Custer National Forest Pryor Mountains. Their website site also has a good geology road log of the Pryor Mountain Road.

Weatherman Draw

Pictographs at Weatherman Draw
Image by Mark Fisher
​Also known as Valley of the Chiefs by Native Americans, Weatherman Draw is a dry landscape with ridges and ravines of Cretaceous Judith River Formation, Claggett Shale and Eagle Sandstones all dipping to the southwest at about 12 degrees. This sandstone-rich interval is called the Mesaverde Formation in Wyoming. It is an interesting area to explore off-trail for the weathered rough terrain and the ancient pictographs on the sandstone cliffs. It is all BLM land and closed to motorized vehicle use. Because of the risk of pictograph destruction and abuse, we can’t tell you exactly where to find the pictographs. If you see vertical plastic BLM signs saying it is a crime to alter, touch or destroy the rock art, you know that you are getting warm.

​Access road is located in Warren, Montana about 21 miles south of Bridger on US 310, or about 5 miles north of the Montana-Wyoming border. Warren is a limestone quarry loading facility for trains that is adjacent to the highway. Just northwest of the loading facility at mile marker 5 on US 310, turn west on Cottonwood Road (1001) and cross railroad tracks. Cottonwood Road is a rutted dirt road that should be driven only when dry. It goes mostly west for five miles and then mostly northwest for five miles. After a total of ten miles on Cottonwood Road, the parking area is on the right (northeast) for Weatherman Draw trailhead. There is a signboard at this parking area. Of geologic interest, a normal fault trends southwest to northeast through the parking area and along the Weatherman Draw trail. The fault is downthrown to the southeast and continues about eight miles northeast to Black Butte. Wander, explore and tread lightly! If you want to return a different way, take Cottonwood Road to northwest and you reach civilization just south of Bridger after driving about 12 miles.
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