Welcome to the Geraldine and Square Butte Montana Picture Tour

The unincorporated town of Square Butte, Montana on Highway 80 has always intrigued us. I wonder how many late night travelers straining their eyes to spot deer crossing the two lane roadway were surprised to see a solitary red neon sign that reads: “BAR” in the middle of the jet black darkness. If the moon is shining, immediately after the little bit of civilization, you are greeted by the incredible silhouette of Square Butte.

Eleven Square Butte’s In Montana

Unfortunately, the name Square Butte is used for eleven different buttes in Montana. This Square Butte and the other Square Butte 22 miles due west of Great Falls are special because they were used by the Western Artist Charles Marion Russell (CMR 1864-1926) as backdrops in some of CMR’s most iconic Montana paintings. If you would like to see some of Charlie’s paintings jump over to the Utica, Montana Picture Tour.  If you would like to see the Square Butte located west of Great Falls click here. 

The Lone Light In Square Butte

The mysterious red neon “BAR” sign located between Fort Benton and Standford, Montana marks the home of the popular Square Butte Bar & Country Club owned by Amy Wentz since 2008. The building was built in 1901 nearly a decade before the boom times began with the arrival of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1914.  Square Butte had something the steam locomotives desperately needed, a reliable year round source of mineral-free water and coal.         

Hike Square Butte 

Climbing to the top Square Butte is a dream of ours. On the multiple visits to the area, We discovered we were woefully unprepared for the hike.  Square Butte on public land but it is surrounded by private property. You need to call ahead for permission to access the butte.  We’ll get up there some day. In the meantime, there is an outstanding picture tour of a June 2017 hike to the summit created by blogger Bigskywalker. If you get a chance to hike to the top of Square Butte be be considerate and pack out any litter accidentally left by past hikers. 

Geraldine Montana Picture Tour

Want a great lunch after visiting a beautifully maintained turn-of-the-century wooden railroad depot? Then head towards Geraldine and Square Butte, Montana.  If you are a Railroad enthusiast, you will get a kick out of a visit to Geraldine, Montana (population 260). The town was once a busy stopover serving two daily passenger trains and freight crews until passenger service ended in 1965. To shelter the passengers and freight, a beautiful depot was built in 1913. Thanks to the efforts of the nonprofit Geraldine Historical Committee, you can still see the original workmanship and quality materials of this rare wooden depot.  After your visit to Gearldine, ride another seven miles south to eat at the Square Butte Country Club.

The Origins Of MontanaPictures.Net

The website MontanaPictures.Net partially owes it’s origin to former roommates and classmates we met while attending school in Bozeman and Missoula. At the time, we knew the best fishing and hiking spots in the state. Plus we were blessed to have relatives scattered across Montana who helped fuel our curiosity about Montana history. Yes, we mistakenly felt we knew every thing about Montana. When we met Darrell from Geraldine,  Zane from Landusky, Montana, Larry from Dutton and John from Shelby, Montana  we discovered we had so much more to learn about this wonderful state. Forty years later, we now realize it would take four lifetimes to learn everything about Montana. So Darrell, if you are out there, we hope we do justice to the great little town of Geraldine, Montana.