The Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest (TCEF) was established in 1961 and is the only experimental forest formally dedicated to research on the east slope of the Northern Rockies. Established originally for watershed research, it's scope was expanded in the late 1980's to include research in fire history, fisheries, vegetation composition, animal communities, including rare, endangered, and sensitive species, and other physical and biological factors as they relate to landscape-level management. TCEF encompasses 9,125 acres (3,693 ha) at the headwaters of Tenderfoot Creek in the Little Belt Mountains on the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Meagher Country, Montana. It is approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana, or 71 miles (114 km) southeast of Great Falls, Montana. Elevations range from 6,035 to 7,941 ft (1,840 to 2,421 m).