Geology
Information on Unpatented Claims
Learn what an unpatented mining claim is and what the rights of an owner of an unpatented mining claimant are.
Recreational Prospecting in Montana
Beartooth Ranger District
Geology of the Beartooth Mountains
The Beartooth Mountains are a result of nearly 4 billion years of Earth processes occurring. This history is discussed here in terms of the geologic timeline. Read a brief description of the Beartooths geologic history.
Geology of the Pryor Mountains
The Pryor Mountains are also underlain by ancient granites and gneisses that date back 3.0 – 4.0 billion years. Read a brief description of the Pryor Mountains geologic history.
Glaciers in the Beartooth Mountains
Glaciers erode landscapes ten to twenty times faster than liquid water and are one of many ever-changing geologic features in the Beartooth Mountains.
Gardiner Ranger District
New World Mine
Information, reports and data for the New World Mining District Response and Restoration Project.
Sioux Ranger District
Riley Pass Uranium Mine Clean-up
The USFS is the lead agency over the reclamation activities as the Riley Pass Uranium Mine Project site is primarily on National Forest System (NFS) lands and the source of the release or potential release of hazardous substances is from NFS lands.
Geology of the North Cave Hills
Mining in the North Cave Hills was performed in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. The miners were seeking the uranium-bearing black lignite coal seams sandwiched between layers of sandstone. The North Cave Hills region is comprised of early Tertiary Period (65 to 55 million years ago) sediments.
Castles & Capitol Rock, Sioux Ranger District
The Castles and Capitol Rock National Natural Landmarks (NNL) contain exposed rock of Upper Cretaceous, Paleocene, Oligocene and Miocene Ages. Designated first in 1976, (U.S.F.S Federal Ownership), two natural landmarks dot the South Dakota sky in Harding County on the Sioux Ranger District, Custer Gallatin National Forest.