Makoshika State Park

Makoshika State Park, on the eastern edge of Glendive in Dawson County in Montana’s Yellowstone River valley, is Montana’s largest state park at 11,531 acres and the state’s premier badlands and dinosaur fossil landscape — a dramatic expanse of Hell Creek Formation badlands where the Yellowstone River and its tributaries have dissected the Late Cretaceous sedimentary rocks into a labyrinth of hoodoos, ravines, eroded pinnacles and colorful clay badlands that rival the more famous Badlands of South Dakota in their geological drama.

Makoshika (“bad earth” or “bad land” in the Lakota language) has yielded Triceratops, Edmontosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and other Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils from the Hell Creek Formation — the same rock unit that preserves T. rex and dinosaurs from the last million years before the end-Cretaceous extinction event. The park is an extraordinary and uncrowded geological destination in Montana’s eastern plains that most visitors to Glacier and Yellowstone completely overlook.

Spring (April through June) and fall (September through October) are the finest seasons — the spring light on the badlands (the angled morning and evening light illuminates the hoodoos and clay layers in extraordinary color, from cream and tan through orange and gray) is at its most dramatic, the temperatures are comfortable for hiking (60-75°F), and the park is uncrowded. Late April and May bring the park’s wildflowers and the best birding (raptors and migratory songbirds are passing through). Summer (July and August) is hot (95-100°F) but the early morning and evening light on the badlands is still spectacular; hike before 9 AM and after 6 PM. The park is open year-round; winter brings occasional snow that transforms the badlands into a striking black-and-white landscape. Spring and fall are the recommendations.

The Hell Creek Formation badlands of eastern Montana have been known to Native American peoples — particularly the Lakota and the Crow — for thousands of years; the Lakota name “Makoshika” (bad land or bad earth) reflects the landscape’s character and its role as a landmark in the plains. The first scientific fossil collections from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by the American Museum of Natural History and other institutions — the Hell Creek Formation became one of the most important Late Cretaceous fossil sites in North America. Makoshika was established as a state park in 1953 and expanded to its current 11,531 acres through subsequent additions. The park’s visitor center was built in the 1990s and houses important fossil specimens from the surrounding formation.

Makoshika State Park exposes the Hell Creek Formation — a Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian, approximately 66-68 million years old) sequence of fluvial (river-deposited) sandstones, siltstones and mudstones that preserves the last dinosaur-bearing strata before the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event (the K-Pg boundary, marked by the iridium anomaly and the abrupt disappearance of non-avian dinosaurs, is present at the top of the Hell Creek Formation). The badlands landscape is formed by the rapid erosion of the weakly cemented Hell Creek mudstones and siltstones by the Yellowstone River and its tributaries — the soft, clay-rich sediments erode rapidly in the semi-arid climate, forming the characteristic hoodoos, pinnacles, and tabular buttes. The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, the dinosaur-bearing Hell Creek Formation, and the rapid badlands erosion of the Yellowstone drainage created Makoshika.

Makoshika State Park’s badlands and grassland habitats support a varied eastern Montana wildlife community — mule deer (abundant in the badlands, visible at dawn and dusk grazing the grassy swales between the eroded ridges), pronghorn (on the adjacent grasslands), turkey vultures (soaring on thermals above the badlands throughout the summer — dozens can be visible at once), golden eagles (nesting in the badlands cliff faces and soaring over the plateau), prairie falcons, ferruginous hawks, sharp-tailed grouse, eastern meadowlarks, lark buntings, and prairie rattlesnakes (abundant in the badlands; watch carefully when stepping off trail). The badlands are excellent habitat for a diversity of eastern Montana reptiles (bull snakes, gopher snakes, western hognose snakes). Pronghorn and golden eagle are the standout wildlife encounters.

Makoshika State Park’s badlands ecosystem represents the ecotone between the Montana shortgrass prairie and the eroded clay badlands — a specialized ecological community where drought-tolerant shrubs (sagebrush, rabbitbrush, greasewood) and sparse grasses (blue grama, buffalo grass) colonize the badlands slopes between the hoodoos, while the surrounding plateau supports intact mixed-grass prairie. The badlands provide critical raptor nesting and foraging habitat in a landscape that has largely been converted to agriculture. Fossil protection is the most critical conservation mandate — the Hell Creek Formation continues to yield significant fossil specimens, and the park balances fossil tourism (viewing) with fossil protection (no collection by visitors). The park’s 11,531 acres preserve one of the finest intact badlands landscapes in Montana.

Makoshika State Park holds a unique place among Montana’s natural and geological icons — the largest state park in Montana, the finest badlands landscape in the state, and a significant paleontological site in the most important Late Cretaceous dinosaur-bearing formation in North America (the Hell Creek Formation, which has yielded T. rex, Triceratops and the other great dinosaurs of the last chapter of the Age of Reptiles). For visitors who make the drive to Glendive — off the main tourist circuit of Glacier and Yellowstone — Makoshika is a profound and uncrowded geological experience, with badlands scenery and dinosaur paleontology that rivals more famous destinations. The park is a cherished natural and scientific landmark of eastern Montana.

Makoshika State Park is at the eastern edge of Glendive, Montana — accessible from I-94 (exit 215 or 213 for Glendive) and then following Snyder Avenue east through town to the park entrance. Glendive is 35 miles west of the North Dakota border and about 220 miles east of Billings on I-94. Glendive (adjacent to the park) has full small-city services (hotels, restaurants, grocery stores). A Montana state park entrance fee applies (Montana residents and Montana FWP passholders free; check FWP for current fee schedule). The visitor center is open in summer (May through September); check FWP for current hours. Camping is available in the park (electric hookup sites and tent sites; reserve at FWP). The park roads are generally passable by passenger car.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manages Makoshika State Park. The most critical conservation mandate is fossil protection — it is a violation of Montana law to collect any fossil material (bone, plant, shell or other organic remains) from Makoshika State Park. Significant specimens are regularly found in the park; if you discover exposed bone or a notable fossil, report it to the visitor center staff rather than collecting it (your report may contribute to a significant scientific find). Stay on designated trails to minimize erosion of the fragile badlands slopes. Rattlesnakes are abundant; treat every ledge and rock as potential snake habitat. Pack out all trash. Support the park’s fossil-protection and paleontological research programs.

Prairie rattlesnakes are the most significant safety concern at Makoshika — the badlands are prime rattlesnake habitat (abundant rocky ledges, sun-warmed clay slopes and rodent prey); wear boots and long pants, watch carefully before stepping, and give any rattlesnake you encounter a wide berth (3+ feet; do not attempt to handle or kill). Summer heat is significant (95-100°F in July and August); carry 2+ liters of water per person, hike in early morning, and seek shade during midday. Flash floods in the badlands ravines can occur rapidly during summer thunderstorms; check the weather forecast and stay out of ravines during lightning or heavy rain. The badlands terrain is loose and eroding; avoid stepping on soft clay slopes that may give way. Respect the rattlesnakes, the summer heat and the flash-flood risk.

Montana state park entrance fee (check FWP for current rates; fee kiosk at park entrance). No fossil or rock collecting (Montana state law). Stay on designated trails. Camping: reserve electric and tent sites at FWP; check FWP for current campground status and fees. Pets on leash at all times. Fires in designated fire rings only; check FWP for current fire restrictions (fire bans are common in summer in eastern Montana). No off-road vehicles. Pack out all trash. Check FWP for current park hours, road conditions and any special regulations before visiting.

Glendive, Montana (adjacent — a small city with the Frontier Gateway Museum, which houses significant Hell Creek fossil specimens and pioneer history exhibits, and the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum), the Yellowstone River (the longest undammed river in the lower 48 — the Glendive stretch offers paddling and exceptional paddlefish snagging in spring), Medicine Rocks State Park (100 miles southwest — another Montana badlands park with remarkable eroded sandstone formations and Native American pictographs), and the North Dakota badlands (Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 100 miles east across the border) define the region. Makoshika is an essential stop on any I-94 traverse of eastern Montana — the finest geological detour between Billings and Bismarck.

Arrive at the Cap Rock Nature Trail at sunrise for the finest light on the badlands — the angled early-morning sun illuminates the hoodoos and clay layers in extraordinary bands of cream, tan, gray, and orange that flatten completely in the midday light. Bring a wide-angle lens (the badlands vistas reward the widest field of view possible) and a telephoto for the raptors (golden eagles and turkey vultures soar on thermals above the badlands from mid-morning). Visit the visitor center before hiking for the fossil and geology exhibit — understanding the Hell Creek Formation’s role as the final chapter of the dinosaur age makes the badlands hike dramatically more meaningful. Check with FWP staff about any recent fossil discoveries in the park — significant specimens are occasionally exposed by erosion after heavy rain.