The Tragically Beautiful Lake Born from Montana’s Deadliest Earthquake in 1959

Earthquake Lake, Montana

On August 17, 1959, at 11:37 p.m., Montana’s Hebgen Lake region shook apart. From that chaos came Earthquake Lake, born from one of the most violent days in Montana history.

Here’s how the tragedy unfolded, and how you can visit the beautiful lake it left behind.

The Mountain That Collapsed

The earthquake shook Madison Canyon so violently that an entire mountainside broke loose. In seconds, 80 million tons of rock crashed down at speeds of 100 miles per hour.

The massive landslide stretched one mile long and 3/4 mile wide, completely blocking the canyon.

The force was so great that effects were felt as far away as Yellowstone National Park, Hawaii, and Salt Lake City. In less than a minute, the geography of Madison Canyon changed forever.

The Tragedy at Rock Creek Campground

That summer night, the U.S. Forest Service Rock Creek Campground was full of vacationers. Without warning, the eastern edge of the landslide buried the overflow camping area.

Twenty-eight people died. Searchers never found 19 of the bodies, which remain buried under tons of rock and earth. A wave of muddy water came with the slide, carrying trees and debris up to 100 feet above the normal river level.

Birth of a New Lake

The landslide created a 220-foot-high natural dam across the Madison River. Water immediately began backing up behind this wall of rock and earth, forming what we now call Earthquake Lake.

By 6:30 the next morning, the rising water had already covered all cars and camping gear at Rock Creek Campground under 20 feet of water. The new lake eventually grew to six miles long and 125 feet deep in some places.

Stranded at Refuge Point

About 250 survivors gathered on high ground between the landslide and Hebgen Dam. This spot later became known as Refuge Point. With roads destroyed in both directions, they were completely cut off.

John Owen, a 15-year-old boy staying with his family nearby, took photographs that became important historical records. Survivor Joanne Gartland later said it felt like waking up on a different planet, so drastically had the landscape changed overnight.

The Hebgen Dam Danger

Hebgen Dam, built in 1915, stood 85 feet tall with a concrete core. Though damaged, it somehow held despite the violent shaking. The reservoir was nearly full when the earthquake hit.

The ground movement was so strong it pushed parts of Hebgen Lake up by eight feet. If the dam had failed, it would have released four times more water than the new Earthquake Lake could hold, potentially washing away the landslide and causing massive flooding downstream.

The Seiche Waves

The earthquake tilted the bed of Hebgen Lake northward, making the water slosh back and forth for over 11 hours. Geologists call these back-and-forth waves “seiches.”

Witnesses saw a 20-foot wall of water top the Hebgen Dam, followed by several smaller 3-4 foot surges.

These powerful waves contributed to the death toll by flooding shoreline cabins and drowning people as they slept near the water’s edge.

Initial Rescue Efforts

The morning after the quake, Forest Service smokejumpers parachuted into the disaster zone to help survivors and set up emergency communications. By midday, Air Force helicopters arrived to fly out the most seriously injured.

In total, 25 badly hurt survivors went to hospitals in nearby Montana towns. Tootie Greene, a nurse who survived the earthquake, gave critical first aid to many injured people during the hours before official rescue teams could reach them.

The Corps of Engineers Response

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers quickly recognized the danger of the natural dam. If water flowed over the top uncontrolled, it could wash out the landslide and cause massive flooding downstream.

They set up a project office in West Yellowstone on August 22 and began survey work the next day. By August 27, they had 23 bulldozers creating a 250-foot-wide spillway to safely lower the lake level by 14 feet.

Creating the Spillway

The spillway work grew to include 62 pieces of heavy equipment and 190 workers on round-the-clock shifts.

They set up five large lights to keep construction going through the night. Water began flowing through the finished channel on September 10, less than a month after the earthquake.

The entire project cost $1.715 million (equal to about $18.2 million today) but prevented what could have been an even worse disaster.

Spillway Challenges

Once water began flowing, engineers discovered serious problems. The steep sections with 14% grades eroded quickly, creating deep gullies that threatened the entire structure. Workers tried placing 100-ton boulders to stabilize the channel, but erosion continued.

They finally had to build a second, gentler spillway, digging as deep as 50 feet in some places to create a safer path for the water.

Visiting Earthquake Lake (Montana)

The Earthquake Lake Visitor Center sits 27 miles northwest of West Yellowstone on US Highway 287. In 2025, the center opens from May 23 through September 15, daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

You can reach the center by taking Highway 191 north from West Yellowstone for 8 miles, then turning left onto Highway 287 and continuing for 17 miles. Inside, you’ll find interpretive displays, a working seismograph, and a bookstore operated in partnership with Yellowstone Forever.

Don’t miss the short walking path to Memorial Boulder honoring the 28 victims. The center offers scheduled movies and talks about the earthquake in the observatory as well.

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