Hebgen Landslide

August 06, 2014

Hebgenlandslide

Photographer: Stan Celestian
Summary Authors: Stan Celestian; Jackie Phillips

On August 17, 1959, the 7.3 magnitude Hebgen Lake earthquake located about 15 mi (24 km) north of West Yellowstone, Montana, produced a series of deadly landslides. The one seen here, often called the Madison Canyon slide, was responsible for the deaths of 28 people. Nearly 85 million tons of earth was moved as this slide dammed the Madison River and created Quake Lake. The photo above shows a panoramic view of the landslide area with the Madison River flowing at the base of the slide. Photo taken on June 23, 2013.