{{Short description|Mountain range located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Idaho, U.S.}} {{Infobox mountain | name = Madison | image = Gallatin National Forest.jpg | image_caption = Madison Range near Hebgen Lake | country = United States | region = Montana / Idaho | parent = Rocky Mountains | length_mi = 80 | width_mi = 25 | highest = Hilgard Peak | elevation_ft = 11316 | coordinates = {{coord|44|55|00|N|111|27|35|W|region:US|display=inline,title}} | map = United States }}
The '''Madison Range''' is a mountain range located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Idaho, in the United States.<ref>{{GNIS|id=784889|name=Hilgard Peak}}</ref> The range was named for President James Madison, then the United States Secretary of State, by Meriwether Lewis as the Lewis and Clark Expedition travelled through Montana in 1805. The range extends {{convert|80|mi|km}} from West Yellowstone, Montana to Bozeman, Montana and is flanked by the Madison River on the west and the Gallatin River to the east. The highest point in the range is Hilgard Peak at {{convert|11316|ft|m|abbr=on}}, a remote peak that wasn't climbed until 1948.<ref name="summitpost">{{cite web| last = | first = | authorlink = | vauthors = | title = Hilgard Peak| work = | publisher = Summitpost| date = | url = http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/154202/hilgard-peak.html| doi = | accessdate = 2008-09-10}}</ref>
The Madison Range is the westernmost section of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Most of the range lies within Beaverhead–Deerlodge and Gallatin National Forests, with a small portion of the range later being protected with the creation of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. The region has grizzly and black bears and at least one pack of wolves. Most other larger mammal species native to the region continue to exist in the range.
Quake Lake lies not far to the south of Hilgard Peak. The lake was created by a landslide which dammed the Madison River at the time of the M7.5 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake.<ref name="USGS">{{cite web|last=U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1959_08_18.php |title=Largest Earthquake in Montana |work=Historic Earthquakes |accessdate=2008-09-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608215433/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1959_08_18.php |archivedate=2007-06-08 }}</ref>
==Climate== Yellow Mule is a Remote Automated Weather Station on Buck Ridge, located 7.5 miles (12.1 km) north of Big Sky Meadow Village.<ref name = "raws"> {{cite web|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/timeseries?site=YLWM8 |publisher = NOAA |title = Yellow Mule |access-date = December 3, 2023}} </ref><ref name = "ymcabin"> {{cite web|url = http://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/custergallatin/recreation |publisher = USDA Forest Service |title = Yellow Mule Cabin |access-date = December 3, 2023}} </ref> Yellow Mule has a subalpine climate (Köppen ''Dfc''). {{Weather box |location = Yellow Mule (RAWS), Montana, elevation {{convert|9200|ft|m|-2|disp=or|sp=us}}, 2002–2020 normals |single line = Yes |Jan high F = 22.1 |Feb high F = 21.3 |Mar high F = 28.1 |Apr high F = 34.8 |May high F = 44.6 |Jun high F = 54.3 |Jul high F = 65.2 |Aug high F = 62.7 |Sep high F = 53.6 |Oct high F = 39.0 |Nov high F = 27.5 |Dec high F = 19.7 |year high F =
|Jan mean F = 16.4 |Feb mean F = 14.9 |Mar mean F = 21.1 |Apr mean F = 26.6 |May mean F = 36.5 |Jun mean F = 46.1 |Jul mean F = 56.1 |Aug mean F = 53.6 |Sep mean F = 45.5 |Oct mean F = 32.0 |Nov mean F = 21.5 |Dec mean F = 14.0 |year mean F =
|Jan low F = 10.6 |Feb low F = 8.6 |Mar low F = 14.1 |Apr low F = 18.4 |May low F = 28.5 |Jun low F = 37.8 |Jul low F = 46.9 |Aug low F = 44.5 |Sep low F = 37.3 |Oct low F = 25.0 |Nov low F = 15.5 |Dec low F = 8.2 |year low F =
|source 1 = XMACIS2<ref name = XMACIS> {{cite web |url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/ |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title = xmACIS2 |access-date = December 3, 2023 }} </ref> }}
==Gallery== {{wide image|Western Face of Madison Range.jpg|1000px|Western face of Madison Range from just west of Ennis, Montana}} {{wide image|Southwest Face Madison Range from Madison Valley.jpg|1000px|Southwest Face of Madison Range from across Madison Valley on the Cliff-Wade Lakes road, May 29, 2017}}
==See also== * List of mountain ranges in Montana
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
{{Montana}} {{Idaho}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Mountain ranges of Montana Category:Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Category:Landforms of Madison County, Montana Category:Gallatin National Forest Category:Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Category:Mountain ranges of Idaho