Absaroka Range

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title: "Absaroka Range" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ranges-of-the-rocky-mountains", "mountain-ranges-of-wyoming", "mountain-ranges-of-montana", "greater-yellowstone-ecosystem", "landforms-of-park-county,-montana"] description: "Mountain range in Montana and Wyoming, United States" topic_path: "general/ranges-of-the-rocky-mountains" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absaroka_Range" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mountain range in Montana and Wyoming, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]

Field	Value
name	Absaroka Range
photo	Absaroka range2.jpg
photo_caption	Absaroka range as seen from west of Livingston, Montana
highest	Francs Peak
elevation_ft	13153
elevation_ref
coordinates
coordinates_ref
country	United States
subdivision1_type	States
subdivision1
parent	Rocky Mountains
borders_on
length_mi	150
width_mi	75
map_image	Wpdms nasa topo absaroka range.jpg
map_caption	Absaroka Range is shown highlighted in pink on a map of the western United States
::

| name=Absaroka Range | photo=Absaroka range2.jpg | photo_caption=Absaroka range as seen from west of Livingston, Montana | highest=Francs Peak | elevation_ft=13153 | elevation_ref= | coordinates= | coordinates_ref= | country= United States | subdivision1_type= States | subdivision1= | parent= Rocky Mountains | borders_on= | length_mi=150 | length_orientation= | length_ref= | width_mi=75 | width_orientation= | width_ref= | map_image=Wpdms nasa topo absaroka range.jpg | map_caption=Absaroka Range is shown highlighted in pink on a map of the western United States | range_coordinates= | range_coordinates_ref= The Absaroka Range is a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. The range stretches roughly north-south around 150 mi across the Montana–Wyoming border, and 75 mi at its widest east-west extent, forming both the eastern boundary of the Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park, and the western edge of the Bighorn Basin. The range borders the Beartooth Mountains to the east and north and the Wind River Range to the south and southwest. The northern edge of the range rests along I-90 and Livingston, Montana. The highest peak in the range is Francs Peak, located in Wyoming at 13153 ft. There are 46 other peaks over 12000 ft.

Geography

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

Most of the range lies within protected lands including Yellowstone Park, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, North Absaroka Wilderness, Teton Wilderness, and Washakie Wilderness, spanning the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Custer National Forest, Gallatin National Forest, and Shoshone National Forest.

U.S. Highway 212 from Billings, Montana to Yellowstone climbs over Beartooth Pass 10947 ft in the neighboring Beartooth Mountains before winding through the Absarokas to the northeast gate of Yellowstone National Park. It is only open during the summer. U.S Route 14/16/20 follows the Shoshone River from Cody through the range to the eastern gate of the park.

Climate

|location = Parker Peak, Wyoming, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1980–present |single line = Yes |collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high F = 54 |Feb record high F = 57 |Mar record high F = 61 |Apr record high F = 71 |May record high F = 75 |Jun record high F = 77 |Jul record high F = 82 |Aug record high F = 81 |Sep record high F = 79 |Oct record high F = 70 |Nov record high F = 62 |Dec record high F = 55

|Jan avg record high F = 44.2 |Feb avg record high F = 45.3 |Mar avg record high F = 52.1 |Apr avg record high F = 58.3 |May avg record high F = 64.6 |Jun avg record high F = 70.0 |Jul avg record high F = 75.5 |Aug avg record high F = 74.8 |Sep avg record high F = 70.5 |Oct avg record high F = 61.1 |Nov avg record high F = 49.4 |Dec avg record high F = 41.3 |year avg record high F = 76.4

|Jan high F = 25.3 |Feb high F = 28.3 |Mar high F = 36.0 |Apr high F = 42.1 |May high F = 50.0 |Jun high F = 56.7 |Jul high F = 66.3 |Aug high F = 65.1 |Sep high F = 56.2 |Oct high F = 42.8 |Nov high F = 30.8 |Dec high F = 23.6 |year high F =

|Jan mean F = 17.1 |Feb mean F = 18.7 |Mar mean F = 25.3 |Apr mean F = 30.8 |May mean F = 39.4 |Jun mean F = 46.5 |Jul mean F = 55.3 |Aug mean F = 54.5 |Sep mean F = 46.1 |Oct mean F = 33.8 |Nov mean F = 22.8 |Dec mean F = 16.1 |year mean F = 33.9

|Jan low F = 9.0 |Feb low F = 9.1 |Mar low F = 14.7 |Apr low F = 19.6 |May low F = 28.8 |Jun low F = 36.2 |Jul low F = 44.4 |Aug low F = 43.5 |Sep low F = 36.0 |Oct low F = 24.8 |Nov low F = 14.7 |Dec low F = 8.5 |year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -9.9 |Feb avg record low F = -10.2 |Mar avg record low F = -2.1 |Apr avg record low F = 5.2 |May avg record low F = 14.8 |Jun avg record low F = 25.1 |Jul avg record low F = 35.5 |Aug avg record low F = 32.9 |Sep avg record low F = 21.2 |Oct avg record low F = 6.5 |Nov avg record low F = -3.8 |Dec avg record low F = -10.7 |year avg record low F = -18.1

|Jan record low F = -28 |Feb record low F = -23 |Mar record low F = -19 |Apr record low F = -9 |May record low F = 7 |Jun record low F = 17 |Jul record low F = 26 |Aug record low F = 20 |Sep record low F = 2 |Oct record low F = -12 |Nov record low F = -19 |Dec record low F = -33

|precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 3.18 |Feb precipitation inch = 3.16 |Mar precipitation inch = 3.24 |Apr precipitation inch = 3.73 |May precipitation inch = 3.66 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.01 |Jul precipitation inch = 1.44 |Aug precipitation inch = 1.34 |Sep precipitation inch = 2.03 |Oct precipitation inch = 3.05 |Nov precipitation inch = 3.44 |Dec precipitation inch = 3.59 |year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 15.2 |Feb precipitation days = 14.1 |Mar precipitation days = 15.9 |Apr precipitation days = 17.1 |May precipitation days = 15.9 |Jun precipitation days = 12.8 |Jul precipitation days = 7.7 |Aug precipitation days = 7.0 |Sep precipitation days = 9.0 |Oct precipitation days = 13.5 |Nov precipitation days = 14.5 |Dec precipitation days = 16.0

|Jan snow inch = |Feb snow inch = |Mar snow inch = |Apr snow inch = |May snow inch = |Jun snow inch = |Jul snow inch = |Aug snow inch = |Sep snow inch = |Oct snow inch = |Nov snow inch = |Dec snow inch = |year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = |Feb snow days = |Mar snow days = |Apr snow days = |May snow days = |Jun snow days = |Jul snow days = |Aug snow days = |Sep snow days = |Oct snow days = |Nov snow days = |Dec snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch = 64.3 |Feb snow depth inch = 75.7 |Mar snow depth inch = 82.7 |Apr snow depth inch = 87.5 |May snow depth inch = 75.7 |Jun snow depth inch = 38.7 |Jul snow depth inch = 3.3 |Aug snow depth inch = 0.2 |Sep snow depth inch = 3.3 |Oct snow depth inch = 15.4 |Nov snow depth inch = 32.7 |Dec snow depth inch = 51.2 |year snow depth inch = 88.9

|source 1 = XMACIS2 (snow depth 2006–2020) |url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = xmACIS2 |access-date = May 29, 2023

History

The range is named after the Absaroka Native People. (In contrast, the Crow name, Awaxaawe Báaxxioo, means "Pointed Mountains [Like Sand Castles].")

John Colter, who may have been the first white person to visit the area, probably traveled along the foot of the Absarokas in 1807 during his reconnaissance of the Yellowstone region. Early explorers also included Gustavus Cheyney Doane and Nathaniel P. Langford, who climbed the summit of Colter Peak in 1870.

The proposed state of Absaroka shared the same age with the mountain range. The USS Absaroka was named after this mountain range.

Geology

Geologically, the section of the range in Wyoming consists of volcanic breccia, whereas there is a transition to granite and gneiss bedrock further north of the state line.

Absaroka Volcanic Province

Igneous rocks of the Absaroka Volcanic Province cover an area of approximately 23000 km2 in southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming, including roughly one third of Yellowstone National Park. These extrusive rocks were erupted during the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period. Radiometric dating has shown that eruptive activity lasted from about . The eroded remnants of many large stratovolcanoes are found in the area. The dissection of these long extinct volcanoes by erosion allows geologists to see volcanic structures that are impossible to see in active volcanoes. Many terms now widely used in volcanology originated in nineteenth century field studies of these ancient volcanoes.

Gallery

File:Pilot and Index Peaks.jpg|Pilot and Index peaks in the Absaroka Mountains File:WestslopeAbsarokaRangeMontana.jpg|Western face of Absarokas from Paradise Valley (Montana) File:Livingston MT 03.jpg|Northern Absaroka range as seen from Livingston, Montana File:NorthernAbsarokasNearLivingstonMontana2010.jpg|Northwest expanse of Absarokas as viewed from 15000 ft over Livingston, Montana File:Smoke over the Absarokas.jpg|The mountains on August 19, 1988, smoky due to the Yellowstone fires of 1988

References

References

1. {{cite peakbagger
2. {{cite gnis
3. (2009). "Montana Place Names: From Alzada To Zortman". Montana Historical Society Press.
4. Mattes, Merrill J.. (1962). "Colter's Hell and Jackson's Hole". Yellowstone Library and Museum Association & Grand Teton Natural History Association.
5. (1905). "Diary of the Washburn expedition to the Yellowstone and Firehole rivers in the year 1870".
6. Jacobs, Frank. (July 23, 2010). "Absaroka, a State of Rebellion Against FDR's New Deal".
7. Pedersen, Nate. "The State of Absaroka".
8. (June 2, 2013). "Absaroka Range".
9. (Spring 1998). "The Geologic History of the Absaroka Volcanic Province". Yellowstone Science.
10. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". United States Geological Survey.
11. "Apsáalooke Place Names Database".

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