Wild Horse Island
  Wild Horse Island Wild Horse Island in Montana | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Flathead Lake |
| Coordinates | 47°50′43″N 114°12′54″W / 47.84528°N 114.21500°WCoordinates: 47°50′43″N 114°12′54″W / 47.84528°N 114.21500°W |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Area | 2,163 acres (875 ha)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 3,749 ft (1,142.7 m)[2] |
| Administration | |
|
United States | |
| State | Montana |
| County | Lake |
| Indian Reservation | Flathead Indian Reservation |
Wild Horse Island is the largest island on Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Montana.[3] For centuries, the Salish-Kootenai used the island, approximately 2,164 acres (876 ha) in size,[1][4][5] in order to pasture horses and keep them from being stolen by other tribes.
Protected as a state park since 1978, the island near Big Arm Bay is home to abundant wildlife including bighorn sheep, mule deer, waterfowl, bald eagles. As of 2013, the wild horse population was five mares and one gelding.[5] Access is by boat only and for day–use only. It is managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and lies within both the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County, Montana. There are 56 private lots on the island,[1] about an acre (0.4 ha) each. The highest point is at 3,749 feet (1,143 m),[2] which is 853 feet (260 m) above the island's shores.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 "Wild Horse Island State Park" (PDF). Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-06-14. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
Although 56 privately owned parcels still exist along the shore areas, most of the island (2,163 acres [875 ha]) is now a state park.
- 1 2 3 "Wild Horse Island High Point, Montana". Peakbagger.com.
- ↑ "Flathead Lake". Montana Office of Tourism. Archived from the original on 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the lower 48 states, with over 200 square miles [520 km2] of water and 185 miles [298 km] of shoreline.
- ↑ Philley, M. Peter; McCool, Stephen F. (1978). Wild Horse Island Recreation Study. p. 1. OCLC 884564441. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
The Island, comprising 2,165.09 acres [876.18 ha], is in Lake County, Montana, and also within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation.
- 1 2 Scott, Tristan (2013-04-23). "Oldest horse on Flathead's Wild Horse Island dies". Missoulian (Missoula). Archived from the original on 2015-10-05. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
The old horse's death leaves five mares and one gelding, a population that still outweighs what is technically allowed by Wild Horse Island State Park's management plan – a maximum of five wild horses to run free on the island's 2,164 acres [876 ha].
Further reading
- McCurdy, Edward B. (1975). Wild Horse Island, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Polson, Montana: Treasure State Publishing Company. ASIN B000730F64. OCLC 41721811.
External links
- "Wild Horse Island". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Archived from the original on 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- "Wild Horse Island topographical map" (PDF). 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
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