Montana



Parks

  • National Battlefield

    Big Hole

    Wisdom, MT

    On August 9, 1877 gun shots shattered a chilly dawn on a sleeping camp of Nez Perce. By the time the smoke cleared on August 10, almost 90 Nez Perce were dead along with 31 soldiers and volunteers. Big Hole National Battlefield was created to honor all who were there.

  • National Recreation Area

    Bighorn Canyon

    Fort Smith, MT,WY

    The vast, wild landscape of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural world, and experience the wonders of this extraordinary place. With over 120,000 acres, one can find an astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.

    Storm clouds roll over the Big Horn Mountain and Devil Canyon

  • National Historic Site

    Fort Union Trading Post

    Two States: MT,ND

    Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Indian Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. A bastion of peaceful coexistence, the post annually traded over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 in merchandise.

    View of Fort Union Trading Post NHS from Bodmer Overlook

  • National Park

    Glacier

    Northwest Montana, MT

    Currently there is a fire impacting the west side of the park. The entire east side of the park is open and the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open from St. Mary to Logan Pass. With a little flexibility and some pre-trip planning visitors can still enjoy much of what Glacier has to offer.

    Sunset From Apgar Fire Lookout

  • National Historic Site

    Grant-Kohrs Ranch

    Deer Lodge, MT

    Wide open spaces, the hard-working cowboy, his spirited cow pony, and vast herds of cattle are among the strongest symbols of the American West. Once the headquarters of a 10 million acre cattle empire, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site preserves these symbols and commemorates the role of cattlemen in American history.

    Image of bunkhouse row.

  • National Geologic Trail

    Ice Age Floods

    WA,OR,ID,MT

    "At the end of the last Ice Age, some 12,000 to 17,000 years ago, a series of cataclysmic floods occurred in what is now the northwest region of the United States, leaving a lasting mark of dramatic and distinguishing features on the landscape of parts of the States of Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon." Public Law 111-11, March 30, 2009

    Stev Ominsk's painting depicts debris and ice filled water filling and rushing through a basalt walled canyon.

  • National Historic Trail

    Lewis & Clark

    Eleven States: ID,IL,IA,KS,MO,MT,NE,ND,OR,SD,WA

    Between May 1804 and September 1806, 31 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery. In their search for a water route to the Pacific Ocean, they opened a window into the west for the young United States. Read the Lewis and Clark Pups blog, the Newfie News!

    photo of a replica keelboat with a crew member on the bow at sunset

  • National Monument

    Little Bighorn Battlefield

    Crow Agency, MT

    This area memorializes the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry and the Sioux and Cheyenne in one of the Indian's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life. Here on June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, died fighting several thousand Lakota, and Cheyenne warriors.

    Historic painting of aftermath of the Battle of the Little Bighorn

  • National Historical Park

    Nez Perce

    four states ID,MT,OR,WA

    For thousands of years the valleys, prairies, mountains, and plateaus of the inland northwest have been home to the nimí·pu· (Nez Perce) people. Extremely resilient, they have adapted and survived the settling of the United States. Explore these places. Learn their stories.

  • National Park

    Yellowstone

    Yellowstone National Park, ID,MT,WY

    Visit Yellowstone and experience the world's first national park. Marvel at a volcano’s hidden power rising up in colorful hot springs, mudpots, and geysers. Explore mountains, forests, and lakes to watch wildlife and witness the drama of the natural world unfold. Discover the history that led to the conservation of our national treasures “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

    Winter visitors experience the magic of erupting geysers.

By The Numbers

These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2017.