Buttes, Breaks, and Badlands - Montana Wilderness Association

Frontier Gateway Museum
Cover millions of years in an afternoon—from
dinosaur skeletons and fossilized turtles to settler
history, Native American artifacts, and the original
one-room Golden Valley School.
Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area
Follow the Calypso Trail through this
fascinating and rarely traveled badland
landscape. Keep company with hawks
and eagles as you explore eerie rock
formations and natural stone bridges.
Jersey Lily
Enjoy internationally acclaimed steak and
beans housed in an early-20th-century
bank building with nothing around for
miles but ranches and rangeland.
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Follows the route of Clark’s return journey
along the Yellowstone River—a
lesser-known leg of one of the most
influential explorations of American history.
Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Commemorates the pursuit of 750 Nez Perce
by the U.S. military over 1,170 miles through
the mountains and cross-country. The band
was removed from its native lands in 1877.
Pompeys Pillar
In 1806, William Clark famously
engraved his name upon this
massive sandstone pillar overlooking
the Yellowstone River Valley, leaving
behind a rare bit of evidence of the
Corps of Discovery.
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Buttes, Breaks,
and Badlands
Off the Beaten Path in
Southeast Montana
Cottonwood Travel Management Area
Sandstone formations to the east give way to
empty ridgelines and hills rolling to the western
horizon in this arid valley nestled between the
Beartooth and Pryor Mountains.
Pryor Mountains
Towering spires, deep limestone canyons,
ice caves, and one of the last wild horse
ranges in the United States.
yellowstone
national
park
Pryor Mountain and Burnt Timber Canyon
Wilderness Study Areas
Watch for wild horses and views of the deep,
meandering Bighorn Canyon as you ascend
sagebrush-studded, rocky ridgelines north
toward the Pryor Mountains.
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Point of Interest
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Isaac Homestead Wildlife Management Area
More than 100 species of songbirds, raptors, and
waterfowl take center stage amongst the abundant
wildlife in this cottonwood forest alongside the
Yellowstone River.
Miles City Saddlery
Established in 1909 in one of Montana’s
legendary cattle towns, it boasts custom
leather saddles, western wear, tack and
gifts, and doubles as a saddle museum.
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Bighorn River
North of the National Recreation Area the
river becomes a fly fishing dream, where
brown trout and the occasional rainbow
offer year-round quarry.
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Tribal Lands
50
Miles
Pumpkin Creek Recreation Area
Solitude beckons in this remote and
undeveloped recreation area where
expansive horizons and rolling prairie
hills will cure any claustrophobia.
King Mountain Hiking and Riding Area
Unique sandstone formations and large
cliffs jut out amongst rolling prairie hills
speckled with Ponderosa pine.
Northern Cheyenne Nation
Not far from the Black Hills, which are sacred to
the tribe, a 444,000-acre reservation is home to
this once-nomadic people. An annual powwow,
a cultural center, museums, and a tribal college
help keep the culture alive.
Fort Smith
Fly shops, laid-back hang-outs, and outfitting
services offer local hospitality and get anglers
on the Bighorn River.
Devil Canyon Overlook
Bighorn sheep and mountain goats negotiate
colorful 1,000-foot cliffs at the confluence of
Bighorn and Devil canyons.
Cheyenne Indian Museum
Marvel at intricate and rare
beading and quill work alongside
a collection of artifacts and
collectables from Plains Indian
tribes on the campus of the St.
Labre Indian School, founded in
1884.
Poker Jim Butte
Take in brilliant sunsets and panoramic views of
the Tongue River breaks and surrounding forest
from a fire lookout and picnic area atop Poker
Jim Butte.
Tongue River Reservoir State Park
This 12 mile-long reservoir is a
favorite for local boaters, anglers,
water-lovers, and families camping at
one of over 150 campsites.
Bighorn Canyon Visitor Center
Geographic, historical, and cultural exhibits help
you get your bearings, and an on-site theatre
offers short features guaranteed to inspire.
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Beaver Creek Brewery
Beaver Creek Brewery and the historic
GEM theatre and pub offer local brews,
gourmet pizza, and unique dishes
along with live music and good times.
Prairie County Museum & Evelyn
Cameron Gallery
housed many famous
A small county museum that packs a big
western travelers including punch. Featured among historical
President Theodore
artifacts and accounts is a collection of
Roosevelt, and is rumored diaries and photography by Evelyn
to be haunted.
Cameron, a turn-of-the-century
homesteader and photographer.
Strawberry Hill Recreation Area
Rich red badlands interspersed
with Ponderosa pine and
sagebrush offer dispersed hiking,
expansive views of the
Yellowstone Valley, and excellent
wildlife viewing.
Cook Mountain Hiking and Riding Area
Songs of prairie birds accompany the climb
to one of the highest points of the region.
From the ridgetops, admire the view of
sweeping valleys, steep draws carved by
intermittent streams, and colorfully striated
hillsides.
Medicine Rocks State Park
Hike and camp where Native
American hunting parties once
gathered in the shadows of massive,
weathered sandstone formations
emerging from rolling hills.
Carter County Museum
Homesteading history, Native American
artifacts, and a host of paleontological
discoveries including a complete Triceratops
skull and one of only a few complete
duck-billed dinosaur skeletons in the world.
Ekalaka Hills
Hike, bike, and take in the scenic views of
Ekalaka and beyond in these rugged hills
dotted with ponderosa pine.
Chalk Buttes
Hike, hunt, and camp in the shadow of the
steep-cliffed remains of a once-higher elevation.
Breathtaking views and rock formations await atop
this locally-known treasure.
Warrior Trail
A scenic driving trail along U.S. 212 connects
historical sites including battles between U.S.
Cavalry and Native Americans at Wolf
Mountain, Rosebud, Powder River, and the
Little Bighorn, and the graves of chiefs Two
Moon and Lame Deer.
Ashland Ranger District
From campgrounds, cabins, and picnic areas to
dispersed and remote hiking, riding, camping,
cross-country skiing, biking, and hunting, 500,000
acres of national forest will stun you with astonishing
scenery and abundant wildlife.
nation
Little Bighorn Battlefield
A memorial to fallen Cavalry soldiers
and Native American warriors. Relive the
tragedy and strategy of one of the last
and best known battles of the
American-Indian Wars.
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Tongue River Breaks Hiking and
Riding Area
Explore coniferous forests, prairie
meadows, rolling hills, and sandstone
pillars in an area sacred to the
Northern Cheyenne people. Keep an
eye out for a diversity of wildlife.
northern
cheyenne
nation
Makoshika State Park
Hike, camp, hunt, bike, and
explore Montana’s largest
state park. Walk ancient
dinosaur trails and discover
remains of a Tyrannosaurus
Rex in these rocky badlands.
Hotel
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This 1902 hotel has
600 Cafe
Old-fashioned family
dining in one of
Montana’s last
“original” cafes, owned
and operated by the
same family for more
than 60 years.
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National Forest
National Park
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Historic Olive Lounge
Erected in 1899, this locally owned,
nationally registered historic hotel offers
guests quaint rooms, a historic lounge,
restaurant, and casino with live poker.
Custer Battlefield Trading Post
Buy hand-made Native American crafts,
Bighorn County Historical Museum
clothing, and artifacts as you await Indian
Twenty-six historic buildings and exhibits
tacos, traditional frybread, or buffalo steak
ranging from horse-drawn wagons to
at this sit-down restaurant and cafe.
antique cars showcase local history,
tradition, and culture.
Crow Nation
A two-million-acre reservation
encompasses a small part of the
ancestral homeland of the Crow Nation,
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area or Apsáalooke people. The rich history
Look for iconic bighorn sheep on the steep and culture of the Crow come to life
each year during the Crow Fair, the
walls of this towering 2,500-foot river
Battle of the Little Bighorn
canyon, which provides endless aquatic
reenactments, and other gatherings.
recreation, world-class fly fishing and
geologic discovery.
Range Riders Museum
Lose yourself for a whole day in
the history of Native Americans,
cowboys, soldiers, and
pioneers.This museum complex
encompasses several buildings
including replicas of Wild West
homes.
Big Sky Backcountry Byway
Connecting the largest rivers in Montana,
this scenic byway travels through rolling
prairie hills, past statuesque buttes, and
along boundless badlands, with plenty of
recreation opportunities along the way.
Mondak Heritage Center
Local cultural center and rotating art
exhibits upstairs. Downstairs, a replica
Pioneer Town complete with houses, bank,
post office, doctor’s office, pharmacy,
gunsmith, and blacksmith.
Hubbard/Bradshaw Wilderness Inventory Unit
Over 20,000 acres of pristine red earth, rolling
badlands, and expansive sandstone walls overlooking
the Powder River. Formerly known as the Buffalo
Creek Wilderness Study Area.
Moorhead Recreation Site
This campground in the heart of the remote
Powder River Valley is a great launching point
for adventures to river breaks, steep-cliffed
walls, and endless buttes and badlands.
Stoneville Saloon
“Conveniently located in the middle of
nowhere,” this biker bar advertises "Cheap
Drinks" and "Lousy Food.” Local 1800s
antiques, sawdust floors, and a wood stove.
Captiol Rock National Natural Landmark
This towering white limestone rock—complete
with pillars—bears a striking resemblance to the
U.S. national capitol building.
Long Pines
A remote and rugged forest scattered with
limestone outcroppings, offering dispersed
recreation and hunting as well as campgrounds
and four-wheeling trails.
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