Montana State Parks

Montana hosts a wide variety of state parks from cultural to natural, many of which offer recreational opportunities for hiking, boating, camping, and much more.  There are even ghost towns abound to explore.  Many parks offer a view of history relating to the American Indians, the early mining days, and even the journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The Lewis and Clark Caverns, Montana’s first state park, offers some of the deepest limestone caverns in the Northwest.  Medicine Rocks State Park was described by Theodore Roosevelt as “as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen.”  And at Greycliff Prairie Dog Town, black-tailed prairie dogs can be observed grooming and communicating with each other.

Wild Horse Island, (Flathead Lake) can be reached only by boat.  This 2,000 acre island is regulated and protected by the National Park Service whose members gladly help visitors to find the best ways to reach the island.  

One of the National Historic Landmark sites offers a view of prehistoric remains and artifacts.  Over ten thousand years ago, primitive hunters camped in this area and left behind pictographs (cave markings still etched walls).  Another of these historic landmarks offers a unique insight into the past of the Crow Indians.  Plenty Coups, the last chief of the Crows, and his wife, Strikes-the-Iron, willed their property as a place for all cultures to come together in a cooperative nature.  Their two story log cabin is open to visitors.

But no visit to this state is complete without visiting Yellowstone National Park, much of which is located in Montana. Possibly the most famous park in the nation, Yellowstone provides breathtaking views of nature that are not to be missed.