This Montana State Park Is a Year-round Destination-But Here's Why Winter Is Especially Magical

"And while most travelers center their trips on classic destinations such as Big Sky or Yellowstone National Park, very few venture eastward into the Great Plains. Tucked in this wide-open sprawl is Medicine Rocks State Park, a 330-acre parcel of land that usually slips right under most travelers' radars. Here, the landscape is dominated by the Great Plains Badlands, and the atmosphere is quiet, peaceful, and remote."

"As Teddy Roosevelt wrote in his 1885 book "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman" after visiting the area, it is "as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen." Located between the city of Baker and the small town of Ekalaka, Medicine Rocks State Park is about a 3.5-hour drive from the nearest major airport, Billings-Logan International Airport (BIL). It's relatively difficult to reach, yet in 2024, Medicine Rocks welcomed more than 21,000 visitors."

"People come to Medicine Rocks State Park to get away from it all and to camp beneath its unique, Swiss cheese-like sandstone pillar rock formations. It was also designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020, and many visit the park to admire some of the clearest views of the night sky in the country. For those interested in seeing wildlife, the park is a haven for mule deer, antelope, and grouse, among other creatures."

Medicine Rocks State Park sits in eastern Montana within the Great Plains Badlands and covers roughly 330 acres of remote prairie. The park features Swiss cheese-like sandstone pillar formations, opportunities for primitive camping year-round, and designation as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Visitors can observe mule deer, antelope, grouse, and other wildlife and enjoy exceptionally clear night skies. The park is relatively remote, about 3.5 hours from Billings-Logan International Airport, and welcomed about 21,000 visitors in 2024. Winter is the off-season and offers greater solitude, with much of the landscape, stars, and wildlife to enjoy alone.

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