GLENDIVE – Makoshika State Park is Montana's largest state park, and among the most unique. This nearly 12,000-acre park situated along the edge of Glendive is known for its breath-taking badlands formations and extensive dinosaur fossil remains.
The park has an elevation of 2,415 feet and is home to several popular hiking trails that wind through rock formations that have been artfully eroded by the elements.
For those unfamiliar with the park, it has a visitor center, 11 designated hiking trails, scenic drives, an outdoor amphitheater, group use shelters, a disc golf course, a tent and RV campground, and an archery range. The campground is undergoing an expansion, and improvements are planned for the archery range. Soon a cabin will join the lodging options at the park.
The park's rock formations have yielded many prized dinosaur fossils over the years, and the visitor center hosts an original Triceratops skull, a cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull and a full-body replica of a Thescelosaurus. The newest display is a restored fossil impression of a hadrosaur backbone. The center offers other interpretive displays, park information and a gift shop.
Makoshika is part of the late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation formed about 66 to 80 million years ago. Visitors can see the exposed strata of yellow-brown iron sediments and dark coal seams, which turn a rich rose-gold during sunset. It's also one of few places on earth where you can see the K-T boundary line in the rock layers, marking the transition in time from the Cretaceous to the Tertiary period, and the mass extinction event for the dinosaurs. For many seasons, field crews from the Museum of the Rockies have held digs in the park and made several key finds. Fossils representing more than 10 species of dinosaurs have been discovered in the park.
The name Makoshika (Ma-ko'-shi-ka) is a variant spelling of a Lakota phrase meaning "bad land" or "bad earth."
The park offers special events throughout the year, including Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, campfire programs and youth programs in summer, guided hikes and educational events, archery shoots, disc golf tournaments and the famous Buzzard Day festival. September features the Makoshika Music & Arts Festival. A stunning outdoor amphitheater is the perfect setting for occasional movie nights and other events.
For more information about Makoshika State Park, visit fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/makoshika.
Makoshika Music & Arts Festival Sept. 12
The badlands will soon be bursting with music and family entertainment!
Join us for Makoshika State Park's annual Music & Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 12. This free event will run all day and feature local musicians, arts and craft vendors, food and drink vendors, kids' crafts, face painting, a music wall and many other activities.
The event is designed to showcase the many talents of local and regional singers, musicians and performers, as well as local artisans. The festival is a celebration of music and arts in the community and surrounding area, in one of the most beautiful backdrops available!
The first act starts at 10 a.m., and the last act starts at 4 p.m. The music will be based in the outdoor amphitheater above the switchbacks.
Visitors will have the chance to participate in a community-created mural, kids' crafts and much more. Day-use fees will be waived except for campers. Not all of the vendors can accept cards, so visitors may want to bring cash.
To read more about a Montana Outdoors feature about Makoshika State Park, click here.