The plains, often called prairies, are a grassland region with few trees. Huge wheat farms and cattle ranches dominate the prairies of eastern Montana. Some of the nation's richest coal mines are also found in this area. In the central part of the state, the plains are dotted with small mountain ranges which are outliers of the Rocky Mountains. Mule deer are abundant along the coulees throughout the region.
Antelope are a common sight on the rolling grasslands of eastern and central Montana.
In western Montana, the land changes to magnificent mountains. Welcome to the Rocky Mountains. The Absaroka Range near Billings is snow covered much of the year and reaches over 12,000 feet in elevation. Further to the west and north, the peaks of the Crazy Mountains mark the end of the plains. View Encarta's physical map of Montana.