Bridger Mountains
Alpine Forest
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Bridger Mountains were named after one of the first white men to explore Yellowstone National Park, Jim Bridger. The explorer scouted many of the trails and knew the mountains well. At the age of 17, Jim Bridger was the youngest member of the Upper Missouri Expedition, the beginning of a long and colorful career in the mountains. Bridger rose to the status of the quintessential mountain man, guiding many through the area. more info
Bridger Mountains Listings: (add your listing)
Blue Moon Rental Cabin - in the Bridger Mountains
Ideal for 2/4 guests, this stunning log home is between Bozeman and Livingston, MT. See wildlife strolling through, near Bridger skiing, bike & hiking trails nearby & more.
(877) 404-6477
Country West Rancy & Land - 20 acres near Forest
Looking for space to walk the dogs & ride horses with nearby Forest access? This 20-acre parcel in the Bridger Mtns. offers just that with deer, birds and great views. $575k.
(406) 586-9334
The Bridger Mountain Range lies to the north of Bozeman. It is home to the Bridger Mountains National Recreation Trail and Bridger Bowl Ski Area. Many recreational opportunities can be found in this scenic mountain range because of its close proximity to Bozeman, yet this area retains it remoteness.
On your next adventure in the Bridger Mountains, whether it be hiking or skiing, consider the millions of years of mountain building, volcanism, inland seas and glacial periods these mountains have undergone. Right under your feet is an incredible history of the Earth reflected in the Bridger Mountain Range. A great place to evaluate and analyze the mountains and the geology of the area is from Bridger Bowl's lifts or ridgeline.
The valley floor was at one time an inland seaway, the last of which left the area during the latter part of the Cretaceous Period, about 75 million years ago. Many of the rocks found in the Bridger Mountain Range date back to this time, as the landscape changed from a deep ocean to tidal pools, leaving behind traces of life-forms long extinct. Along the ridges, fossil-like coral can be found in the Lodgepole Limestone Formation, significant evidence of prolific marine life in the prehistoric oceans.
About 40 million years ago, when Montana was a hotbed of volcanic activity, the Bridger Mountains rose during the fourth phase of mountain building in the area. With the help of a large thrust fault, the rocks buckled and the continental crust pushed the range up. The mountains bedrock on the east side is primarily sedimentary, and on the west side there are pockets of rock which are some of the oldest rock dating back to the pre-Cambrian. Different strata dip at varying angles due to faulting and folding, so that beds and rocks of various ages are exposed.
The limestone prevalent on the uppermost layer of the ridgeline can be matched up to a similar layer that existed prior to the rise of the mountain range. Today, geologist claim that the similar bedrock lies about 20,000 feet below the top of the ridge. The limestone layer was the sea floor when the Bridger Mountain Range began its period of uplift, therefore, the fault shot the some of the sea floor up, forming the Bridger Mountains, and some of the sea floor subsided underneath the mountains.
Glaciation is a part of the geological history of the Bridger Mountains. There is moraine, or rock deposited by glaciers, found throughout the range dating back to the Wisconsin Glaciation, the fourth and youngest state of the Pleistocene Age, also known as the Ice Age. Many of the bowls were formed by glaciation and by a circular land formation that probably housed glacial ice. The glaciation period was between 10,000 and 75,000 years ago.
One of the most interesting features of the Bridger Bowl area is that the layers of rock are not in the usual order, where the oldest rock is on the bottom and the youngest on the top. The Bridger Mountains were overturned by an anticline, then the layers of the rock were arched upward, and later breaking off or eroding one side of the anticline. Here the oldest layers are exposed on the top. The sedimentary bedrock was so severe that the bedrock was completely overturned and their tops are now on the bottom.
Montana has many of Mother Nature's treasures in its state boundaries. The Bridger Mountain Range is a phenomenal area in its geologic history and its recreation. Bridger Bowl, with its 1,500 skiable acres offers a diverse ski hill for all to enjoy. Renowned as the town hill, the community of college students, families and seniors hit the slopes at affordable prices for a great ski experience. The mountains offer great back-country adventures at any time of the year. But a truly magical time of year is in the fall when the golden eagles are passing through on their southerly migration. The Bridger Mountains are in a remarkable location offering a great escape into the great outdoors just minutes from the town of Bozeman.
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