Encompasses badlands containing dinosaur fossils and rock from the Hell Creek Formation

General Information

Hours:

Park Open daily 7am to 10pm
Visitor Center
Summer Hours June 3 to 3rd Sunday of Sept:
Open daily, 10am to 4 pm, closed for cleaning noon to 1pm.
Winter Hours 3rd Monday of Sept to 3rd Thursday of May:
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4pm.
Closed all federal and state holidays except Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.

Fees:

Montana Residents: Day use entrance is free
Non-Residents: Day use entrance fee with a vehicle: $8

Pet Policy:

Pets allowed

Closest cities with hotels:

Glendive

Seasons:

Open all year though fully accessible for only four months during summer, owing to the very heavy winter snowfall

Address:

Harrison, NE 69346

Website:

fs.usda.gov/recarea/nebraska/recreation/recarea/?recid=10616

Rating:

★ 5.0

Glendive, MT Weather Forecast

How to Get There

From Medora, ND (63 miles): Get on I-94 W in North Billings. Follow I-94 W to I-94BL W/N Merrill Ave in Dawson County. Take exit 215 from I-94 W. Continue on N Merrill Ave. Take S Taylor Ave to Makoshika State Park Rd.

From Billings, MT (219 miles): Get on I-90 E/US-87 S in Lockwood from Box Elder Creek Rd, Cedar Canyon Rd and Rosebud Ln. Follow I-94 E to I-94BL E/W Towne St in Dawson County. Take exit 210 from I-94 E. Continue on I-94BL E/W Towne St. Drive to Makoshika State Park Rd.

Overview

Makoshika State Park from the Lakota Maco sica, meaning 'bad land' or 'land of bad spirits' is a nature preserve and public recreation area located on the southeast side of Glendive in Dawson County, Montana. The state park encompasses badlands containing dinosaur fossils and rock from the Hell Creek Formation. It is the largest of Montana's state parks at more than 11,000 acres (45 km²).

Fossil discoveries

Dinosaur fossils discovered in and near the park include examples of Triceratops and Thescelosaurus. A 600-pound juvenile female triceratops skull measuring 5.5 feet long was unearthed in 1991. The skull is displayed in the park's visitor center. In 1997, a fossil thescelosaurus considered to be the largest and most complete skeleton of its kind was found by an expedition led by Jack Horner and Bob Harmon.

Wildlife

Turkey vultures, prairie falcons, and golden eagles make a home in the park.

Activities and amenities

The park features a visitors center with geology and fossil displays, scenic drives, nature trails, campground, archery area, amphitheater, and picnicking facilities. Events include the annual "Buzzard Day" celebration.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Makoshika State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0