Montana is known as the “Treasure State” and is home to beautiful mountain ranges like the Rocky Mountains, Bitterroot Range, and Big Belt Mountains. With towering peaks, Glacier National Park, and incredible wildlife, Montana’s mountains offer adventure, stunning views, and natural wonders.
Can you solve these 38 riddles about the mountains in Montana? Test your wit and knowledge of Big Sky Country’s famous ranges!
Riddles about mountains in Montana
Glacier National Park
1. I’m a national park in Montana’s Rocky Mountains with over 700 miles of hiking trails. Glaciers carved my U-shaped valleys and left behind azure lakes. What am I? Answer: Glacier National Park
2. We are the rugged mountains that make up the Continental Divide here. Pieces of us melted to form Glacier National Park’s lakes and valleys. What are we? Answer: The Lewis Range
3. I’m a historic pass near Glacier National Park. Members of the Blackfeet Nation used me for trade. I’m named for a glacier too. What am I? Answer: Marias Pass
4. I’m Glacier National Park’s tallest mountain at 10,468 feet. I’m on the eastern side of the park bordering the Blackfeet Reservation. What peak am I? Answer: Chief Mountain
The Rocky Mountains
5. We are the northernmost mountains in the Rocky Mountain chain. Parts of us extend into Canada. Ice Age glaciers left their mark on us, carving out valleys and cirques. What are we? Answer: The Lewis Range
6. I’m the highest peak in Montana at 12,799 feet. I’m located in the Beartooth Mountains. What am I? Answer: Granite Peak
7. I’m a National Recreation Area spanning three ranger districts near the Beartooth Highway. People enjoy my mountain lakes, trails, and fishing access. What am I? Answer: Beartooth National Recreation Area
8. We are the iconic mountains featured in western films. The Crazy Mountains are our nickname and the official name of our range. What are we? Answer: The Absaroka Mountains
The Bitterroot Range
9. I’m the tallest peak in the Bitterroot Range at 11,166 feet. Lewis and Clark named me in 1805. What peak am I? Answer: Trapper Peak
10. We form the division between the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountain ranges. Granite Peak and Rock Creek reside within our borders. What mountains are we? Answer: The John Long Mountains
The Big Belt Mountains
11. I’m the highest mountain in the Big Belt range, towering 8,703 feet above the Little Belt Mountains. What am I? Answer: Baldy Mountain
12. We are twin summits of the Big Belt Mountains, both over 8,500 feet. Holter Lake and Reservoir sit below us. What two peaks are we? Answer: Mount Baldy and Mount Edith
The Bridger Mountains
13. I’m the tallest mountain of the Bridger range at 9,068 feet. Bozeman residents often see my snowy slopes because I overlook the city to the southeast. What summit am I? Answer: Mount Baldy
14. The Bridger Mountains are my northern neighbor while my western slopes descend to the Madison River. My highest point is Emigrant Peak. What range am I? Answer: The Tobacco Root Mountains
15. We form the northern tip of the Tobacco Root Mountains. Skiers love our namesake resort’s advanced terrain. What are we? Answer: The La Hood Mountains
The Pryor Mountains
16. I’m a 7,564-foot peak marking the highest point along the Pryor Mountains. I’m named for early Crow Nation chief Arapooish. What summit am I? Answer: East Pryor Mountain
17. We are grassy plateaus spanning from the Beartooth Mountains to the Pryor Mountains and the Crow Reservation. What are we called? Answer: The Pryor Benchlands
The Anaconda Range
18. We are a subrange of the Rockies wedged between Georgetown Lake and the Upper Clark Fork River. Mount Haggin and Mount Eva sit among our peaks. What are we? Answer: The Anaconda Range
The Beaverhead Mountains
19. We extend from Idaho into southwest Montana. Lemhi Pass marks the boundary between us and the Bitterroot Range at Montana’s border. What are we? Answer: The Beaverhead Mountains
20. I’m Beaverhead County’s highest mountain, overlooking Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge from my 10,615-foot summit. What peak am I? Answer: West Big Hole Peak
The Ruby Mountains
21. My Ruby River gives its name to me, this mountain range south of Dillon and Twin Bridges. My highest summit is over 9,800 feet but remains unnamed. What mountains am I? Answer: The Ruby Mountains
The Centennial Mountains
22. We straddle the Montana-Idaho border along the Continental Divide. The highest among our many peaks is Flathead Mountain at 11,949 feet. What range are we? Answer: The Centennial Mountains
The Madison Range
23. We are the mountains you see north of Bozeman. The Madison River flows through our canyons below summits like Mount Blackmore. What are we called? Answer: The Madison Range
24. I’m a ski resort in the Madison Range north of Yellowstone National Park. My 2,700 acres welcome skiers and snowboarders each winter. What resort am I? Answer: Big Sky Resort
The Highwood Mountains
25. We are an isolated range rising along the Rocky Mountain Front. Our tallest summit, Highwood Baldy, climbs to 7,726 feet within Glacier National Park’s boundaries. What mountains are we? Answer: The Highwood Mountains
The Bear Paw Mountains
26. We once marked the northernmost limit of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Now considered foothills, my highest summit is the 5,490-foot Baldy Mountain. What low mountains am I? Answer: The Bear Paw Mountains
The Little Belt Mountains
27. We are a line of mountains paralleling the Big Belt range. Our highest point, Lookout Mountain, tops out at 8,095 feet. What lesser chain are we? Answer: The Little Belt Mountains
The Crazy Mountains
28. As their official name suggests, my dramatic spires and isolated location do make me seem crazy compared to neighboring ranges. My tallest summit is Crazy Peak at 11,214 feet. What mountains am I? Answer: The Crazy Mountains
The Sweet Grass Hills
29. We are an isolated trio of small mountains rising from the prairie near the Canadian border. Though modest in height, our Sweet Grass summits still top 7,500 feet. What are we called? Answer: The Sweet Grass Hills
The Snowy Mountains
30. We lie southeast of GNP near Browning, spanning Glacier and Pondera Counties. Our Cloudcroft Peaks climb above 9,000 feet. What are we? Answer: The Snowy Mountains
The Wolf Mountains
31. My peaks flank the Missouri River’s Great Falls upstream of Helena. My highest summit, Big Baldy Mountain, stands 7,145 feet tall. What lone mountains am I? Answer: The Wolf Mountains
The Castle Mountains
32. We are a small, standalone mountain range north of White Sulphur Springs in Meagher County. Our highest peak is Castle Mountain at 7,170 feet. What are we called? Answer: The Castle Mountains
The Gravelly Range
33. We mark the northwestern extent of the Yellowstone Plateau, stretching from Ennis Lake towards Virginia City. Our Martha’s Nipple and Black Butte peaks exceed 10,000 feet. What range are we? Answer: The Gravelly Range
The Gallatin Range
34. I reside northwest of Yellowstone, my tallest summit soaring 11,239 feet above Bozeman. Two of my three airy peaks start with the word “electric.” What mountain am I? Answer: Electric Peak
35. We comprise a subrange of the Gallatin Mountains near Big Sky and Lone Mountain. Our name describes the whitebark pines clothing our slopes. What are we? Answer: The Madison Range
The Absaroka Range
36. We extend from Livingston into Yellowstone Park and south to Dubois, Wyoming. Teepees once dotted our alpine valleys during summer gatherings. What mountains are we? Answer: The Absaroka Mountains
The Flint Creek Range
37. My highest summit is Stony Mountain at 8,983 feet. My peaks divide the drainages of Rock Creek to the south and Flint Creek to the north. What lesser range am I? Answer: The Flint Creek Range
Conclusion
38. I’m known as the “Treasure State” for my rich natural resources – including my impressive mountain ranges! Glacier National Park, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, several national forests, and parts of Yellowstone lie within my borders. What U.S. state am I? Answer: Montana
How did you do with these Montana mountain riddles? The “Treasure State” has no shortage of majestic summits to marvel over and explore!
Whether you’re looking to hike alpine trails, spot wildlife, find secluded camping spots, kayak glacial lakes, or shred some gnarly terrain at Whitefish Mountain Resort or Red Lodge Mountain, Montana’s soaring peaks offer plenty of outdoor recreation. Just be sure to watch out for grizzly bears!
