'Running of the Sheep'
Photo courtesy: Donnie Sexton
Welcome!
Reed Point is a sleepy little town nestled below the foothills on its south and bordered by the Yellowstone River on its north, located between Big Timber and Columbus on I-90, Exit 392, a mere sixty-two miles west of Billings and 120 miles east of Yellowstone National Park. We are the home of the annual Great Montana Sheep Drive 'Running of the Sheep' held each Labor Day weekend and a stop over on the three-day Yellowstone River Boat Float held every July. Our friendly people are very proud of their quaint village atmosphere.
Before being named Reed Point, on March 3, 1891, an agreement with the Crow Indians was enacted by Congress in which the Crows ceded a large parcel of reservation land and the Federal Government opened it up for homesteaders. This is how our community originated. By April 1893, there were sheep grazing in what is now Reed Point and by 1895 homesteaders from Norway, Sweden, Germany and the American Midwest began arriving with the prospect of owning a home on the "free land." By 1912 Reed Point had a bridge over the Yellowstone, a railroad depot, post office, general store and a one-room log schoolhouse. Progress was on the move!
To the north of Reed Point as one reaches a higher elevation just a few miles from town, the Beartooth Mountain range can be seen to the south and the Crazy Woman range to the west. Both are an awesome sight, especially in the summer when quite often they will still be snow topped in July. Our proximity to the Yellowstone River and the Indian Fort Fishing Access with boat ramp and campground is a delight for the true trout fisherman, river floater or simply a wonderful getaway.
