Timberline Successfully Completes Drill Program at Lookout Mountain Step-Out Drilling Results Indicate Resource Expansion Opportunity

COEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO -- (Marketwire) -- 02/17/11 -- Timberline Resources Corporation (TSX VENTURE: TBR)(NYSE Amex: TLR) ('Timberline' or the 'Company') is pleased to report the successful completion of its 2010 exploration program and the receipt of all assays for the drilling at its Lookout Mountain Gold Project located within the prolific Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend of Central Nevada. Significant drill intervals of gold mineralization, with continued favorable gold recoveries, within the southern resource area indicate the potential for resource expansion, increasing grade, and additional untested extensions to the south.

Timberline's Executive Chairman and Vice-President of Exploration, Paul Dircksen stated, 'With each additional set of assay results received, we continue to be pleased with the consistent assay results and their indicated gold recoveries at our Lookout Mountain Project. The results from our completed drill program support our view for the potential near-term development of a low-capital, low-cost, open pit operation with run-of-mine heap-leach gold recovery processing. In addition to validating our current resource, a number of our drill intercepts indicate an opportunity to expand the resource with continued drilling. We intend to now complete our 43-101-compliant resource, continue our bench scale metallurgical test work, begin our Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), and plan a follow-up drill program for this spring with a goal to expand the existing resource at Lookout Mountain and to test other prospective targets within the South Eureka Property.'

Significant drill intercepts were found in holes numbered BHSE-068 and BHSE-070 (see table below), which were drilled as offset holes 150 and 350 feet south of hole number BHSE-062, which had an intercept of 235 feet of 0.036 opt (71.6 metres of 1.22 g/t) gold. (See Timberline Press Release of February 8, 2011 http://timberline-resources.com/main.php?page=190&press=139) Due to poor ground conditions, the Company was forced to abandon hole number BHSE-070 in mineralization. As a result, the mineralized zone at the southern portion of the Lookout Mountain resource area remains open along strike and at depth, potentially increasing the contained gold ounces by increasing the size and grade of the gold mineralization.

All data is currently being compiled, cross-sections are being generated, and grade shells are being constructed to enable Mine Development Associates (MDA) of Reno to complete a NI 43-101 compliant resource at Lookout Mountain. Timberline expects to release the updated resource in early March.

Significant drill results and gold recoveries include:

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                From          To      Length
           Feet (ft)   Feet (ft)   Feet (ft)        Gold     Gold
Hole ID   Metres (m)  Metres (m)  Metres (m)    Grade(i) Recovery   Comments
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              590 ft      680 ft       90 ft   0.019 opt
BHSE-068     179.8 m     207.2 m      27.4 m    0.65 g/t    90.7%      Oxide
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              210 ft      300 ft       90 ft   0.037 opt
BHSE-070      64.0 m      91.4 m      27.4 m    1.27 g/t    92.4%      Oxide
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              245 ft      295 ft       50 ft   0.021 opt
BHSE-071      74.7 m      89.9 m      15.2 m    0.72 g/t    90.4%      Oxide
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              235 ft      280 ft       45 ft   0.019 opt
BHSE-072      71.6 m      85.3 m      13.7 m    0.65 g/t    95.1%      Oxide
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              800 ft      825 ft       25 ft   0.025 opt            Sulfide/
BHSE-073     243.8 m     251.4 m       7.6 m    0.87 g/t    55.0%      Oxide
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               20 ft       85 ft       65 ft   0.073 opt
BHSE-076       6.1 m      25.9 m      19.8 m    2.50 g/t    83.1%      Oxide
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              120 ft      180 ft       60 ft   0.034 opt
BHSE-076      36.6 m      54.9 m      18.3 m    1.15 g/t    86.5%      Oxide
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(i) Troy ounces per ton (opt) and grams per tonne (g/t)

Lookout Mountain is the most advanced project within Timberline's 23 square-mile South Eureka land package, located just a few miles from Barrick Gold Corporation's two-million ounce Archimedes / Ruby Hill mine. Lookout Mountain hosts significant oxide gold mineralization amenable to low-cost, heap-leach recovery, along with a smaller, high-grade, sulfide resource. In September 2010, Timberline embarked on a $2.5-million South Eureka work program, primarily designed to complete a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate at Lookout Mountain. The program has included 7,500 feet of core drilling, 30,000 feet of reverse circulation drilling, extensive metallurgical testing, and detailed geological mapping to better understand mineralization controls and outline additional drill targets.

Paul Dircksen is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this release. He has verified the drill results and other data disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data. Field work has been conducted under his supervision. The Timberline sampling and analysis program included an industry standard QA/QC program. After logging and cutting or dividing the sample intervals in half, the samples were picked up by Inspectorate America Corporation and taken to their lab in Sparks, Nevada for analysis. The samples were analyzed for gold using a standard 30g fire assay with an AA finish. Samples returning a gold value in excess of 3 ppm were re-analyzed using a 30g fire assay with a gravimetric finish.

About Timberline Resources

Timberline is a U.S.-based exploration/development company with a focus on advanced-stage precious metals properties. The Company's management team has a solid track record of achievement in building successful companies and discovering, exploring, and developing economic mineral deposits. Currently, Timberline is executing an aggressive exploration program at its South Eureka Property, a large drill-tested and highly prospective property in Nevada's Battle Mountain - Eureka gold trend. In addition, Timberline has two other business units. The Company has a 50% carried-to-production interest at the Butte Highlands Joint Venture which is currently in development and targeted to begin gold production in early 2012, where the Company has also undertaken additional surface drilling to test the extent of the mineralized zone. Timberline also has a wholly-owned subsidiary, Timberline Drilling, which provides cash flow to the Company from its underground and surface drilling operations at operating mines and advanced development and exploration projects.

Timberline is listed on the NYSE Amex where it trades under the symbol 'TLR' and on the TSX Venture Exchange where it trades under the symbol 'TBR'.

Statements contained herein that are not based upon current or historical fact are forward-looking in nature. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations about its future operating results, performance and opportunities that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the timing of the Company's continued drill program at Butte Highlands, the timing of assay results from such drilling program being released, the Company's 50/50 joint venture with Highland Mining LLC, the development and production of the Company's Butte Highlands project and South Eureka project, the targeted production date for the Butte Highlands project, targeted dates for the South Eureka technical report and PEA, results of the Company's drilling subsidiaries, possible growth of the Company and the Company's expected operations. When used herein, the words 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'upcoming,' 'plan,' 'intend' and 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to Timberline Resources Corporation, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, such factors, including risk factors, discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2010. Except as required by Federal Securities law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Timberline Resources Corporation

Paul Dircksen

Executive Chairman

208.664.4859


Timberline Resources Corporation

Randy Hardy

CEO

208.664.4859