Hiking at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park

Days 7, 8, and 9 of our 2020 vacation out west brought us to Great Falls, Montana. My sister is in the Air Force and is currently stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, so we spent a few days at her house. It was a nice break to just sit and relax, eat home cooked meals, catch up on laundry, and watch tv.

We were not able to venture out much, as her outings are restricted for the time being due to Covid. We were able to get groceries, order take-out, and do a little hiking. We also visited the river at sunset, and checked out the fish hatchery and dam.

Our main ‘event’ for this leg of our journey was hiking at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park. We were not as prepared as we should have been, with only roughly 6-7 bottles of water for 7 people on a 95 degree Montana day. Some of us weren’t so sure we would make it to the top of the cliff (…me…), but once there, we were so proud and happy we did!

First People’s Buffalo Jump State Park is located in located in Ulm, Montana and is one of the nation’s largest buffalo jump sites. A buffalo jump is where Native Americans used to stampede herds of bison off a cliff for hunting purposes. There are a multitude of ways the Native peoples used bison- not just for food! This site has over a mile long sandstone cliff where the bison were herded off of, and there are now up to 18 feet of compacted bison remains still there.

We started out on the interpretive trail, but soon found our way around to the smaller trail that hikes you up to the cliff. Wearing tennis shoes or hiking boots is a great idea, and you do not want to venture off the carved out path. The brush is thick, and though I am sure most of the noises we heard were actually grasshoppers, some were very likely rattlesnakes!

There are a few benches placed sporadically so you can take a break if needed. There are tons of great photo opportunities as well! Be sure to admire the wildflowers along the way.

This state park has an interesting visitors center as well. Of course they have quite a few taxidermied animals, including a few bison that were used in the movie Dances With Wolves.

Know Before You Go

1. Wear sunscreen and bug spray.
2. Be wary of rattlesnakes!
3. Take plenty of water.
4. Wear the right shoes if you plan to hike to the cliff.
5. You can park at the top of the cliff rather than the visitors center if you’re not into hiking but want to see the jump site up close!