Quake Lake is formed by the magnitude 7.5 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake near Hebgen Lake in Montana.
The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (also known as the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake) occurred in the western United States on August 17 at 11:37 pm (MST) in southwestern Montana.The earthquake measured 7.2 on the Moment magnitude scale, caused a huge landslide, resulted in over 28 fatalities and left $11 million (equivalent to $102 million in 2021) in damage. The slide blocked the flow of the Madison River, resulting in the creation of Quake Lake. Significant effects of the earthquake were also felt in nearby Idaho and Wyoming, and lesser effects as far away as Puerto Rico and Hawaii.The 1959 quake was the strongest and deadliest earthquake to hit Montana, the second being the 193536 Helena earthquakes that left four people dead. It also caused the worst landslides in the northwestern United States since 1927.
Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake) is a lake in the
western United States, on the Madison River in southwestern Montana. It was created after an earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, with 28 fatalities. Northwest of West Yellowstone, Quake Lake is six miles (10 km) in length with a maximum depth of 125 feet (38 m).
U.S. Route 287 follows the lake and offers glimpses of the effects of the earthquake and landslide, and a visitor center is just off the road. The lake is mostly within Gallatin National Forest.