Yellowstone: Nature, Wildlife and History

Wildlife viewing, nature trails and history give a trip to Yellowstone a range of different focuses. Specific topics include parks and conservation as well as museums and historic sites. When choosing a hotel for your stay, you can first prioritize the places you want to visit and compare the hotel’s location with your plans.

Trails, parks and natural areas

At Pictograph Cave State Park, an approximately three-quarter-mile loop trail passes over paved, gravel and unmaintained sections. The different trail surfaces are relevant when planning your visit; conditions in winter can affect traction. Swords Park’s features include a historic site, paved and unpaved jogging trails, and a natural area within the 60-acre park. The 350-acre Phipps Diamond X Park has a different focus: it features a disc golf course, unpaved jogging trails and a natural area.

Riverfront Park also combines paved jogging trails with a natural area. It also has picnic facilities, restrooms and three park shelters. If you plan to use a shelter, check its availability before your visit. At the Lake Elmo State Park grounds, an Action Trackchair is available to the public free of charge; using it requires a reservation. Since reservation availability may change, it’s a good idea to check in advance.

The Montana Audubon Center is located on a 54-acre former gravel-mining site along the Yellowstone River. The grounds include three ponds and connect to the Greenbelt trail system. The Center has an accessible trail network, about ten minutes from downtown Billings. This approximate travel time depends on traffic and route conditions.

Wildlife and conservation

ZooMontana cares for more than 100 animals from 56 different species; most are rescued animals. The visitor experience includes up-close animal viewing, interpretive exhibits and hands-on educational programs about the wildlife of the Yellowstone ecosystem. This gives a visit to the zoo a focus that combines encounters with animals and learning about the ecosystem. Animal numbers may change over time.

At the Montana Audubon Center, place-based conservation education focuses on birds, other wildlife and natural ecosystems. Its programs are designed for more than 20,000 visitors annually. The trail network and ponds, along with nature observation and conservation, are all central to a visit.

Museums and historic sites

The Yellowstone Art Museum is located in the heart of downtown Billings. The Western Heritage Center offers guided and self-guided museum tours. Its tours of historic sites in Billings and Yellowstone County last about one hour and twenty minutes. Schedules and reservations may change; check in advance if you plan to take a tour.

The Yellowstone County Museum’s exhibits and archives cover a wide range of topics: the history of Northern Plains Indigenous peoples, westward expansion, mining, cattle and sheep ranching, transportation, military history, music and textiles. McCormick Cabin serves as the museum entrance and as an exhibit space about Billings’ early history. A museum visit offers the opportunity to explore different aspects of regional history side by side.

The history of the roads also helps put the area in context: the historic Yellowstone Trail ran through Billings and much of southern Montana. This route was later largely replaced by U.S. Route 10, later U.S. Highway 10. At Pompeys Pillar National Monument, Clark’s inscription is the only known, visible, intact record of the entire journey. The monument is easily accessible via Interstate 94 Exit 23 or State Highway 312; road conditions may affect routes.

More destinations

Explore more destinations: Billings, Ravalli County, Sheridan County, Big Horn County, Flathead, Garfield County, Park, Mccone County

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