Highwood Montana Webcam – Track Snow on Highwood Baldy

The Highwood Montana Webcam looks out from Highwood, a farm town of 165 people in Chouteau County, across a fenced pasture toward Highwood Baldy, the highest summit of the Highwood Mountains. A split-rail fence with a small gate runs across the foreground above a strip of mown lawn. Grassy hills roll up on the left, a line of bare trees fills the right, and the dark ridge of the range closes the skyline with a pointed summit right of center. Nearly half the frame is sky, which makes this a good camera for watching weather build over the mountains. In mid-November the pasture is tan, the lawn is still green and the peak is bare. After a winter storm the same summit can turn white while the fields below stay brown, and by early summer the valley floor typically greens up.

About Highwood, Montana

Highwood sits at 1,131 meters (3,711 feet) in central Montana, about 47 kilometers (29 miles) east of Great Falls. The town takes its name from Highwood Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River, and Big Sag Creek also drains the valley. A post office first opened here in 1881, closed and reopened a few times, and has run without a break since 1886. Highwood Public Schools still teaches kindergarten through 12th grade, with 117 students enrolled in 2022-23, and the valley appeared on screen in the 1962 film Shoot Out at Big Sag.

The mountains behind the pasture are an Eocene volcanic complex that rises straight out of the plains. Highwood Baldy tops the range at 2,338 meters (7,670 feet), more than 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) above the town, and stands about 21 kilometers (13 miles) to the southeast. Radio equipment sits on its summit. The range is known to geologists for rock rich in potash and for high quality sapphires, and the Shonkin Sag borders it to the north.

The Highwoods were a national forest of their own, Highwood Mountains National Forest, until 1908. Today they form the northern end of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The camera is run by Live Stream Montana, which also streams town cams in Conrad, Cascade, Choteau and Valier.

Weather and Climate in Highwood

Highwood is dry, with about 384 millimeters (15.1 inches) of precipitation in an average year. January is the coldest month, with highs near 3°C (37°F) and lows around -8°C (17°F). March warms to highs of 8°C (47°F), and April reaches 14°C (58°F) while nights still hover near freezing. Central Montana winters are also known for chinook winds, which can bring sudden warm spells in the middle of the cold season and clear snow off the pasture.

June is the wettest month, with 77 millimeters (3.04 inches) of rain spread across about nine days, and it is typically when the pasture looks greenest. July is the warmest, with highs near 30°C (85°F) and lows of 13°C (55°F), and August is barely cooler. By September highs ease to 23°C (73°F) and the grass on the hills fades to gold. October and November bring highs of 15°C (58°F) and then 8°C (46°F), and in this season snow can dust Highwood Baldy while the valley floor stays bare.

Things to Do Near Highwood

Thain Creek Campground is the only campground in the Highwood Mountains, with 19 sites in the national forest, and it typically opens from about May to mid-fall without reservations. It makes a good base for hiking in the range. The Windy Mountain trail starts on the north side of the campground and makes a loop of about 14 kilometers (8.8 miles) with views of Highwood Baldy. A steeper out-and-back of about 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) climbs roughly 986 meters (3,234 feet) to the Baldy summit itself. Trail numbers vary between maps, so check with the Forest Service before setting out.

Great Falls, the nearest city, is about 47 kilometers (29 miles) to the west. Giant Springs State Park sits on the Missouri River there, where clear, cold spring water flows into the river at a steady temperature all year. The Lewis and Clark Expedition recorded the springs in 1805. Outside the city near Ulm, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, called Ulm Pishkun until 2013, protects what is thought to be the largest buffalo jump in North America, with an education center that explains the jump’s cultural importance. Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies on the plains west of the Highwoods.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More open country and mountain views from Montana:

• Dupuyer Webcam
• Glacier National Park Webcam
• Conrad Montana Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Highwood, Montana located?

Highwood is in Chouteau County in central Montana, about 47 kilometers (29 miles) east of Great Falls. It lies on Highwood Creek at the northwest foot of the Highwood Mountains.

What can you see on the Highwood Montana Webcam?

A fenced pasture with a mown lawn in front, grassy hills on the left, bare trees on the right and the Highwood Mountains on the skyline. The camera is named for Highwood Baldy, the range’s highest peak.

What is the weather like in Highwood, Montana?

Winters are cold and dry, with January highs near 3°C (37°F) and lows around -8°C (17°F). Summers are warm, with July highs near 30°C (85°F). June is the wettest month, and the yearly total is about 384 millimeters (15.1 inches).

How tall is Highwood Baldy?

Highwood Baldy rises to 2,338 meters (7,670 feet), the highest point in the Highwood Mountains. It stands about 21 kilometers (13 miles) southeast of Highwood and more than 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) above the town.

What is the population of Highwood, Montana?

Highwood had 165 residents at the 2020 census. The town has had a post office since the 1880s and still runs its own K-12 school.

Is there camping in the Highwood Mountains?

Yes. Thain Creek Campground in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has 19 sites and usually opens from about May to mid-fall. Trails to Windy Mountain and Highwood Baldy start nearby.

What are the Highwood Mountains known for?

The range is an Eocene volcanic complex rising from the plains east of Great Falls. Its rocks are rich in potash, it has produced high quality sapphires, and it was a separate national forest until 1908.

Who runs the Highwood Montana Webcam?

Live Stream Montana operates it, along with town cams in Conrad, Cascade, Choteau and Valier. The feed comes from a Google Nest camera on the operator’s Highwood page.

Source: Live Stream Montana