Hebgen Lake is a reservoir created by the Hebgen Dam, located in Gallatin County in southwest Montana. It is well known for the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (magnitude 7.1 to 7.5) which occurred nearby on August 17, 1959, forming Quake Lake, which is located immediately downstream.[4]
| Hebgen Lake | |
|---|---|
Hebgen Lake
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  Hebgen Lake Location in Montana | |
| Location | Gallatin County, Montana, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°46′56″N 111°14′01″W / 44.78222°N 111.23361°W / 44.78222; -111.23361[1] |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Madison River |
| Primary outflows | Madison River |
| Catchment area | 905 square miles (2,340 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 15 miles (24 km) |
| Max. width | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
| Surface area | 12,563 acres (5,084 ha)[2] |
| Max. depth | 70 feet (21 m)[2] |
| Water volume | 386,200 acre⋅ft (476,400,000 m3)[2] |
| Shore length1 | 65 miles (105 km)[3] |
| Surface elevation | 6,539 ft (1,993 m)[1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Hebgen Lake and the surrounding area offer many recreational activities: camping, fishing, boating, and hiking. Campgrounds include Rainbow Point and Cherry Creek. Rainbow Point is the largest campground on the lake, offering four "loops." Each loop contains approximately 20 campsites. Each campsite can accommodate a full-size camper and one or two vehicles.[5]
