Rock Creek (Montana)
| Rock Creek | |
|---|---|
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 46°13′26″N 113°31′21″W / 46.22389°N 113.52250°W |
| Mouth | |
• coordinates | 46°43′31″N 113°41′02″W / 46.72528°N 113.68389°W |
• elevation | 3,520 feet (1,070 m) |
| Length | 52 mi (84 km) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Columbia River |
Rock Creek is a 52-mile (84 km) river in Missoula and Granite County, Montana. Rock Creek is a tributary of the Clark Fork river. The river's headwaters are in Lolo National Forest near Phillipsburg, Montana. The river roughly parallels the Sapphire Mountains and enters the Clark Fork of the Columbia River near Clinton, Montana. Sapphires are found along the river.
Rock Creek is also a stream in south central Montana in Carbon County. It flows from Glacier Lake, travels south into Wyoming before turning north back into Montana. It flows through the town of Red Lodge before entering the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, which is not to be confused with the Clark Fork of the Columbia River which is what the other Rock Creek flows into.
The 2022 Montana floods at Carbon County's Rock Creek caused catastrophic damage to parts of Red Lodge.