Makoshika State Park

View unique Caprock.

Caprock at Makoshika State Park.

This 11,531-acre park on the outskirts of Glendive offers a wealth of ancient attractions, from badlands geology to dinosaur remains.

The name "Ma-KO-shi-ka" is a variant of two Lakota words: maco, meaning land, and sica, meaning bad spirits, thus the land of bad spirits or "Badlands." The state park is a surrealistic landscape of such badlands formations as caprocks, pinnacles and fluted hillsides.

In addition to the pine and juniper-studded badlands terrain, the remains of ten dinosaurs dating to the Late Cretaceous period are preserved here. The skull of a Triceratops is among the many fossils on display in the visitor center.

Three miles of foot trails, some with interpretive displays, run through the park, but hikers and photographers are welcome to leave the trails.

There is a campground with developed sites in the lower valley suitable for tents, trailers or motorhomes of any size, however RV hook-ups are not available. Primitive camping is available in other areas of the park.

Cross-country skiing is permitted off the park roads, but bicyclists are restricted to park roads. Cycling on the 12 miles of park roads is a great way to see wildlife and experience the badlands. The first two miles are paved; the remaining 10 miles have varied road conditions and are more suited for mountain biking.

About 204 species of birds have been observed in the park, about half of all species observed in Montana.

During summer, youth programs are offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays at the visitor center, and campfire programs are held at the park's amphitheater on Thursday evenings from June through the first week of August.

Makoshika State Park's "Buzzard Day," held the second Saturday of June, includes 5- and 10-K runs, a one-mile fun run, food and entertainment in a festival atmosphere.