# X/X Spring, Montana - what is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 24, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240 "2025-10-24T02:01:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/1 "2025-10-24T02:01:05Z")
[X/X Spring, Carter County, Montana 57724](https://maps.app.goo.gl/NLWz4vZsizVP4UBk6) While in recuperation I was reading through and mapping out a trip diary. I noticed this location with a curious name a bit off the beaten path which I travelled a couple of years ago. My _google fu_ has been sadly lacking. Would any of the Doper Montana locals know whether this a freshwater spring, or brackish or hot water. Permanent or periodic? Is there any “development” around it or largely untouched? Kind regards PT ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/2 "2025-10-24T03:35:45Z")
I don’t know it but it’s right in the middle of Custer National Forest. It’s not developed, though it’s surrounded on all sides by ranches or farms a couple miles in any direction. My spring map layer doesn’t even show this one, but there are thousands of springs in the west. They range from hot spring type things that draw visitors to mud puddles to dry beds. They’re springs because it’s some form of water coming out of the ground. Basically I wouldn’t make a special trip for this, but if it’s something that gets you to check out the area sure. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/3 "2025-10-24T04:15:16Z")
Thank you for that. It was primarily the name that intrigued me. But should I ever get back stateside then Custer State Park is top of my “To Revisit” list. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/4 "2025-10-24T13:27:11Z")
I think we should consider that this could be an artifact in the map creation, and is not a real thing. It doesn’t seem to be an integral part of the map like “Ward Spring Number 1” to the northwest. Rather it looks like someone just tagged that particular spot. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/5 "2025-10-24T14:18:19Z")
> **[X/X Spring](https://ceb.wikipedia.org/wiki/X/X_Spring)** > > Tubud ang X/X Spring sa Tinipong Bansa. Ang X/X Spring nahimutang sa kondado sa Carter County ug estado sa Montana, sa sentro nga bahin sa nasod, 2,300 km sa kasadpan sa ulohang dakbayan Washington, D.C. 1,139 metros ibabaw sa dagat kahaboga ang nahimutangan sa X/X Spring. > Ang yuta palibot sa X/X Spring kay patag sa habagatan, apan sa amihanan nga kini mao ang kabungtoran.\[saysay 1\] Ang kinahabogang dapit sa palibot dunay gihabogon nga 1,245 ka metro ug 1.0 km sa habagatan sa X/X Spring.\[saysay... Translated to English: > **[X/X Spring - Wikipedia](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/X/X_Spring?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp)** > X **/X Spring** [is a spring](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Tubud?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) in the [United States](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Tinipong_Bansa?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) . [[1]](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/X/X_Spring?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#cite_note-gn5687348-1) X/X Spring is located in [Carter County](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Carter_County_(kondado_sa_Tinipong_Bansa,_Montana)?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) , [Montana](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Montana_(estado)?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) , in the central part of the country, 2,300 km west of Washington [, D.C.](https://ceb-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Washington,_D.C.?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp) X/X Spring is located at an elevation of 1,139 meters above sea level. [ Side note: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the language Cebuano. Interesting that, for a spring in the middle of Montana, that’s the only language I could find anything about it in. It makes me wonder if X/X is it’s real name or some type of placeholder. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/6 "2025-10-24T14:46:27Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the language Cebuano It’s one of the ethnic regional languages of The Philippines. > **[Cebuano language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebuano_language)** > > Cebuano (/sɛˈbwɑːnoʊ/ se-BWAH-noh) is an Austronesian language spoken in the southern Philippines by Cebuano people and other ethnic groups as a secondary language. It is natively, though informally, called by the generic name Bisayâ (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Cebuano pronunciation: \[bisəˈjaʔ\] ⓘ), or Binisayâ (\[bɪniːsə While... There has got to be a story why a Cebuano speaker felt the need to document an obscure (and almost certainly non-Notable) water spring in their language, which has less than 20 million total speakers. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/7 "2025-10-24T16:45:51Z")
Note Custer State Park is a state-run park in South Dakota, Custer National Forest is a federally-run NF that’s in Montana and SD (non-contiguous sections, though a tiny portion of the same section goes into SD with larger parts fully in SD. The two are about 140 miles apart as the crow flies. Just saw your location, make sure you rent a vehicle with good clearance and watch the weather. Might as well make a trip of it and hit both, and Black Hills NF too. Wind Cave National Park, Black Hills is a bit farther too. When you see short names/letters separated by a slash or &ersand, I always assume the etymology is a ranch name and/or their cattle brand design. I cannot find one of that name in the area, may be defunct (or the brand), but for example a ranch to the west is owned by J&M Cattle. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/8 "2025-10-24T17:07:24Z")
Just don’t visit there when X=0. Literally anything could happen. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/9 "2025-10-24T23:33:46Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It makes me wonder if X/X is it’s real name or some type of placeholder. It looks to me like something that could be a livestock brand. Perhaps a ranch with grazing rights in that area used/uses a X/X brand. Found this site for searching brands: > **[Livestock Brands Guide](https://mths.mt.gov/Research/Compass/Guides/Brands)** But the OCR matches too many things to X/X to know without a long search. ---
**Author:** ![ThisOneGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@ThisOneGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisOneGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2025, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/10 "2025-10-24T23:45:58Z")
Gave up too early. This page shows three X/X brands: > **[Letter Brands XYZ](https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/119817?highlights=WyJ4eCJd&type=all&keywords=XX#idx868960)** > > Volume: Brand Index | Date: 1981-2000 | Read the full record details for Livestock Brand: Letter Brands XYZ I’ll let you look up what organizations were using X-X-005, X-X-006 and X-X-025 ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/11 "2025-10-27T11:37:20Z")
I think the story is that some Cebuano speaker created a bot that processed some database of place names, and the bot created this article automatically without further human intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/12 "2025-10-27T14:17:25Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Just don’t visit there when X=0. Literally anything could happen. Yup, they might have to call a l’ambulance to take you to l’Hospital… ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/13 "2025-10-27T20:37:07Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > I think the story is that some Cebuano speaker created a bot that processed some database of place names I can go with that, but the bot wouldn’t have created a place name? Also, yes there are a couple of brands of that composition e.g. X/X and X\X, but is a rancher going to put their primary identification on a (seemingly) non-descript spring when there candidates like "“Ward Spring Number 2” nearby? Or apply to the water source that supplies the homestead of the X/X Ranch? ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-x-spring-montana-what-is-it/1024240/14 "2025-10-29T03:39:39Z")
The bot didn’t create the place name. X/X Spring is on the USGS topo map from 1980.