Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manages five diverse state parks in south-central Montana. Many of these parks have seasonal hours and restrictions for the fall and winter seasons.

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park is located near the community of Greycliff between Big Timber and Reed Point. The day-use park offers interpretive displays on the ecological importance of black-tailed prairie dogs and wildlife viewing opportunities. Access to this park is walk-in only from Nov. 1 to April 1, but the park remains open year-round.

Cooney State Park

Cooney State Park offers diverse activities throughout the year. Amenities are restricted at the state park beginning late Sept., but the park remains open for use year-round. The Marshall Cove and Red Lodge Arm campgrounds remain open year-round. All other campgrounds at Cooney State Park are closed until spring.

Docks at Cooney will be pulled from the water Nov. 1. The dock at Deadman’s Basin Fishing Access Site near Ryegate have already been pulled for the year.

Lake Elmo State Park

Lake Elmo State Park is a popular park inside Billings city limits. The park remains open for day-use year-round from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. A pit toilet near the boat ramp is the only available restroom from mid-October to mid-May.

Chief Plenty Coups State Park

Located on the Crow Indian Reservation, Chief Plenty Coups State Park is a day-use park that preserves the log home, sacred spring, and farmstead of Chief Plenty Coups. Plenty Coups is considered the last traditional tribal chief for the Crow or Apsáalooke people.

Winter hours are in place at Chief Plenty Coups State Park. The park grounds are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. The visitor center and Chief’s House are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday.

Pictograph Cave State Park

Pictograph Cave State Park includes three natural sandstone caves considered some of the most important archeological sites in the Northern Plains and numerous pictographs, or rock paintings, dating back over 2,000 years.

This day-use state park located just outside of Billings is open Wednesday to Sunday. The park grounds are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the visitor center is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information on state parks in the area, visit: fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/regions/region5.