Custer National Forest

Custer National Forest

The Custer National Forest is spread across three states- Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. It is made up small pockets of either grassland or buttes of timber. The south- western section of the Custer National Forest is the gateway to the Yellowstone National Park, and thus is a part of the greater Yellowstone area which is one of the largest temperate ecosystems existing in this planet.

The highest point in the Custer National Forest is the granite peak. This region is enjoyable for hikers, but before entering the region of wilderness, trail information must be checked and updated from the US forest services office. The western sections of the forest are a mixture of trees such as pine, spruce and fir because of high altitude and heavy rainfall in this region.

The wildlife in this forest mainly consists of the grizzly bear, sheep, mountain goat, bison and Bighorn sheep and they are concentrated mainly in the western region of the Forest and do not extend into the Yellowstone National Park in the south. There are burial grounds of the Native American people within the forest.

The forest used to provide the Native American people with shelter and a stable food supply. The members of the Lewis and Clark expedition were the first white people to visit the region. Pictographs and Petro Glyphs of the natives can be still seen in the forest. The forest has been currently sub divided into three regions or ranger districts- Beartooth and Ashland in Montana and Camp Crook in South Dakota.