Garfield County: Dinosaur History and Coulees

Garfield County lies in the Hell Creek Formation south of Fort Peck Reservoir. Geological history, landscapes, and local history offer different perspectives on a trip. The Garfield County Museum is on the Montana Dinosaur Trail; nature and water activities provide other focal points. If you’re looking for a hotel in Garfield County, you can start by deciding which of these interests you’d like to shape your stay.

Landscapes and Outdoor Activities

Hunting, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing, photography, camping, hiking, and horseback riding are all possible at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Its landscape ranges from prairie with native vegetation to wooded coulees and river bottoms, as well as the badlands of the Missouri Breaks. If you want to focus on a variety of landscapes, the open prairie, wooded ravines, and river landscapes there provide specific points of reference.

The Billy Creek Wilderness Study Area includes three deep coulees in rugged terrain. Its only public access is from the north side through the adjacent Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and requires a longer hike without a trail. Fossil-bearing layers of the Hell Creek and Tullock Formations are exposed in the Seven Blackfoot Wilderness Study Area. The only available public access is at Chalk Butte; from there, you can head west into Chalk Butte Coulee. The access points differ significantly: Billy Creek requires a longer hike without a trail, while Chalk Butte is the access point for Seven Blackfoot. Check weather-dependent access and route conditions before your visit.

Dinosaur History and Local History

The Garfield County Museum is on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. The route connects Fort Peck, Malta, Jordan, and Glendive via fossil-rich formations, parks, museums, and information centers. The museum features a life-size Triceratops. It also has a settler’s cabin and a recreation of an old blacksmith shop; the grounds also include a jailhouse and a schoolhouse from an earlier era. The museum thus combines dinosaur exhibits with insights into settler and community history.

Jordan was founded around 1896 by Arthur Jordan on the banks of Big Dry Creek and retains the character of the Old West. The town’s history offers a different perspective in time from the dinosaur exhibits at the museum: here, the focus is on the founding of a town; there, on geological history. If you’re interested in the region’s history, you can consider both topics as distinct parts of your stay.

Water, Water Sports, and Fishing

Fort Peck Reservoir is Montana’s largest body of water and is home to more than 50 different fish species. In winter, ice fishing for walleye, northern pike, and lake trout is possible there. Two different aspects are therefore relevant to trip planning: the reservoir’s species diversity and a specific seasonal fishing opportunity.

Hell Creek State Park offers facilities for numerous water sports. Hell Creek Marina offers fishing bait, fishing gear, access to local fishing guides, boat docks, rental slips, and fuel right on the water. As visitor services may change, check the current offerings before your visit.

Plan Your Stay

Then factor specific destinations and their access conditions into your plans. This lets you choose a hotel location based on the activities you actually plan to do.

Discover more destinations: Jordan, Wibaux County, Musselshell County, Sweet Grass, Ravalli County, Cascade, Dawson County, Custer County.

For the main travel overview: Montana.