Makoshika State Park And The City Of Glendive: An Economic Development Partnership

Diane Tipton, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Statewide Information Officer

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Makoshika State Park near Glendive is more than a State Park—it is an important player in Glendive’s economic development story.

Last fall Glendive civic leaders identified Makoshika State Park and the Yellowstone River as the two resources most critical to Glendive’s future economic development.

“Next we worked with the Montana Economic Development Association headquartered in Anaconda to conduct interviews with 500 community members and to set goals to improve Glendive’s economy,” said Don Kettner, chairman of the Dawson County Economic Development Council. “We will focus on enhancing the community, business recruitment and retention and tourism and recreation. It is easy to see that Makoshika is key to our progress in all three areas.”

A state park since 1953, this 11,531 acres of pine and juniper studded badlands, is home to dinosaur remains including the tryrannosaurus and triceratops.

Other community assets, for example Dawson Community College with over 700 enrolled, and the Glendive Medical Center with over 300 employees, also help stimulate the local economy, said Linda Koncilya, Executive Director of the Glendive Chamber of Commerce and advisory committee member helping develop the management plan for Makoshika State Park.

“To make it all work, we need to promote Glendive more as a community, including Makoshika State Park, and to build infrastructure that enhances the community—for example, a trail could link Makoshika State Park, the city and the river,” Koncilya said.

Not that the community isn’t already working to be visitor-friendly.

  For example, the 200 member Makoshika State Park friends group traditionally carries out three annual events: Buzzard Days—June 12 this year—the March for Parks fundraiser and the Melodrama Dinner Theatre.

Combined, these activities raise about $3,000 to $4,000 annually for the park. Funds raised by the Friends group supported improvements to the design of the Makoshika visitor center constructed in 1995. Grants from the Tourism Infrastructure Improvement Program administered by the Montana Department of Commerce helped in 1998 to build a new amphitheatre and in 2000 to construct an 1,800 square foot group picnic shelter.

Projects like these, and the community commitment behind them, are critical to economic development and may signal that Glendive has what it takes to realize its goals.

  “With Makoshika State Park, the Yellowstone River and a major Interstate we have the core elements it takes to succeed. We have a plan, and now we just have to get some things done.”

  “Makoshika has this power to pull people in,” said Jim Lee, president of the Makoshika State Park friends group. “Once they experience this amazing place firsthand they have to come back again.”

The city of Glendive plans to make it easier and more fun for visitors to do just that.