The Crazy Mountains were formed by igneous rock and carved by glaciers. They have been inhabited by man for 11,500 years and now provide beauty and recreation to the people of Big Timber and her visitors. Native Americans, most recently the Shoshone and Crow, have camped in the canyons, drank the clear water from the streams, and eaten of the vast herds of deer, antelope, and elk. Between 1860 and 1880 the Native Americans gave way to trappers, traders, and settlers.

The Crazies weren't named until the 1860's with fact blending with fiction about how they came by their title. In the first theory, Native Americans called them the "Mad Mountains" for their steepness, rugged beauty, and haunting winds that blow down the canyon. Geology plays a part in the second theory. The lava up-thrusts are young in perspective of time and do not fit in with the neighboring rock formations, hence the name "Crazy.” In the third, and most widely accepted, a woman - some say Native American and some say White - went mad on the prairie, possibly due to the death of her family, and took refuge in the mountains. The Native American belief required that crazy people be left alone, and so she was.

To area residents, the Crazies are almost like family. There are trails to be hiked, peaks to be climbed, and fish to be caught. You can enjoy a nice stay at Half Moon Park and plan day trips along the trails