Beaverhead County: History and Nature

History and nature take center stage in Beaverhead County in different ways: Bannack State Park is designated a National Historic Landmark, and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a large wetland complex. Other highlights include the Beaverhead County Museum and the annual County Fair. Historic sites, events, and trails offer a variety of ways to plan your trip.

History at specific places

Bannack State Park is designated a National Historic Landmark. Every year on the third weekend in July, Bannack Days takes place there, featuring historical displays, reenactments, and activities. Exact calendar dates may vary from year to year; check the dates if you want to plan your trip around the event.

At Clark's Lookout State Park, interpretive panels explain the navigation methods used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The site sits above the Beaverhead River and gave the expedition a view of the route ahead. The expedition is also part of the history of Lemhi Pass: the Corps crossed the Continental Divide there. Lemhi Pass is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark.

Big Hole National Battlefield is a place of great historical significance and a sacred site for the Nez Perce. You can take the site's significance into account when planning your trip without reducing it to a single historical event or point of view.

Museum and events

The Beaverhead County Museum collects and preserves Beaverhead County's natural, physical, and human history and makes it accessible to everyone. Interactive exhibits and events for people of all ages offer different ways to engage with the museum. The focus is on both the county's history and how it is presented at the museum.

The Beaverhead County Fair takes place annually in Dillon, Montana, from the Wednesday of Labor Day weekend through Sunday. The general program includes livestock shows, arena events, 4-H and FFA exhibits, vendors, exhibits, and a carnival. There is PRCA rodeo on two days; the program also includes parades and a large outdoor country-western concert. Individual events vary from year to year. So check the dates and program for the year if the Fair is a key factor in choosing when to travel.

Landscape, trails, and getting there

Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Beaverhead County encompasses the largest wetland complex in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It has two trails rated easy, both out-and-back: the Sparrow Pond Trail and the Odell Creek Trail. Mud or snow on the Refuge's seasonal roads may make four-wheel drive and high ground clearance necessary. Factor this possible vehicle requirement into your route planning, and check conditions before your visit.

The Centennial Mountains Wilderness Study Area forms an east-to-west wildlife corridor between the Yellowstone Ecosystem and the northern Rocky Mountains. A 30-mile section of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail runs through the area. The Tipton-Winslow, Odell Creek, and Nemesis Mountain trailheads provide access to the area; parking at the trailheads is limited. The focus here is both on the connection between these landscapes and on practical landmarks for planning.

Public lands in Beaverhead and Madison Counties managed by the Dillon Field Office provide wildlife habitat and opportunities for dispersed recreation. Beaverhead Rock is a natural landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. You can view and photograph the rock from a distance; it is not directly accessible. Keep this limitation in mind when planning: viewing and photography are possible, but direct access is not.

Discover more destinations: Wisdom, Sweet Grass, Lincoln County, Broadwater, Cascade, Treasure County, Carbon County, Valley County.

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