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5 incredible State Parks more than worth visiting in Montana

By Ian Goodwillie

WEST GLACIER, MONTANA - SEPTEMBER 16: New pine trees grow up from the forest floor among the gray skeletons of trees killed by the 2003 Robert Complex fire that burned the mountain sides along the North Fork of the Flathead River on the western boundary of Glacier National Park September 16, 2019 near West Glacier, Montana. According to the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment, the annual average temperatures in the state has increased 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950 and is projected to increase by approximately 3.0 to 7.0 degrees by midcentury. As climate change makes summers hotter and drier in the Northern Rockies, the annual forest fire season has nearly tripled since the mid-1970s, from 49 to 135 days. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WEST GLACIER, MONTANA - SEPTEMBER 16: New pine trees grow up from the forest floor among the gray skeletons of trees killed by the 2003 Robert Complex fire that burned the mountain sides along the North Fork of the Flathead River on the western boundary of Glacier National Park September 16, 2019 near West Glacier, Montana. According to the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment, the annual average temperatures in the state has increased 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950 and is projected to increase by approximately 3.0 to 7.0 degrees by midcentury. As climate change makes summers hotter and drier in the Northern Rockies, the annual forest fire season has nearly tripled since the mid-1970s, from 49 to 135 days. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /
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For anyone who has ever spent time in Montana, you know that it is home to some of the best National Parks in the United States. That includes Glacier National Park, a sizable portion of Yellowstone National Park and seven other National Park service areas.

But Montana is also home to some absolutely brilliant State Parks that should not be missed. The National Parks in the state tend to steal focus when it comes to tourism, but visitors need to take time to enjoy the other offerings Montana has.

Giant Springs State Park, Montana

Located just outside of Great Falls, Montana, Giant Springs State Park is a unique spot not just in the state but the entire country. The spring is one of the largest in the US and reputedly pumps over 156 million gallons of water through it each day.

It is an incredible sight to see to be sure but it’s not the only thing the park has by far. Great Spring boasts incredible fishing on the Missouri River, not to mention unbelievable hiking and biking. And it was first recorded by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park, Montana

Montana
MISSOULA, MONTANA – SEPTEMBER 19: Snow falls on a stand of whitebark pine and subalpine fir trees at a U.S. Forest Service research and restoration site at the Snowbowl ski area in the Lolo National Forest September 19, 2019 in Missoula, Montana. The site has been studied since 1994 and many of the whitebark pine there were killed by blister rust and those that survived were later killed by the mountain pine beetle. According to the 2017 Montana Climate Assessment, the annual average temperatures in the state has increased 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950 and is projected to increase by approximately 3.0 to 7.0 degrees by midcentury. As climate change makes summers hotter and drier in the Northern Rockies, forests are threatened with increasing wildfire activity, deadly pathogens and insect infestations, including the mountain pine beetle outbreak which has killed more than six million acres of forest across Montana since 2000. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

Speaking of Lewis and Clark, this might be the best known State Park in all of Montana. It has excellent camping, hiking, fishing and all of the usual suspects when it comes to a great summer spot. But that’s not the main reason why people head for Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park.

It is home to possibly the most breathtaking limestone caverns to be found in the country, if not the continent. The geological bounty this park puts on exhibit for its visitors is unparalleled. It is a must stop location for anyone hitting Montana.

Makoshika State Park, Montana

It doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re visiting, a word like “badlands” conjures up all kinds of images. And Makoshika State Park features some of the most intense and colorful badlands formations around.

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Makoshika is the biggest State Park in Montana. Lined with juniper and even the occasional pine tree, the badlands are a sight to behold. Plus, the park is home to some incredible dinosaur fossils. The visitor center actually houses a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Triceratops.

Medicine Rocks State Park, Montana

Montana
MILLTOWN, MONTANA – SEPTEMBER 11: The confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers shines in the afternoon light September 11, 2019 in Milltown, Montana. For 100 years the hydro-electric Milltown Dam bridged the confluence of the two rivers where toxic silt, laden with heavy metals and arsenic, piled until the dam was torn out in 2008. The dangerous sediment was removed as part of Montana’s first and largest Superfund site and now the area is a state park. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

Reputedly, one of the earliest visitors to Medicine Rocks State Park was Theodore Roosevelt, and he was rather taken with it. One step into this overwhelmingly beautiful place, and you’ll understand why it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

The terrain is simultaneously wonderous and unique, with magnificent medicine rocks erupting from the mix of grasslands and scrub brush. The sunsets here are as intense and as vibrant as you will be lucky to find anywhere in the world.

Pictograph Cave State Park, Montana

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the archaeological importance of Pictograph Cave State Park can not be underestimated. Over the years, tens of thousands of First Nations artifacts have been discovered here.

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Indigenous cave paintings dating back more than two millennia can be viewed in three major caves throughout the park. A hiking loop takes visitors around the key features, both archaeological and natural. This is a must stop location in Montana.

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