Pictograph Cave State Park Set To Open For The 2008 Season

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Pictograph Cave State Park will open for the 2008 season on Tuesday, April 1, 2008.   Park hours during April and May are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Admission to Pictograph Cave State Park is free for Montana residents. Park fees apply to non-residents.  

Two of the three rock overhangs at Pictograph Cave State Park provided shelter for prehistoric Indians as long as 10,000 years ago.   The earliest artists decorated the walls of Pictograph Cave with enduring black and white pigments. Later artists added images of red rifles, horses, and plains animals.   The oldest rock art in the cave is more than 2,500 years old. The most recent additions are estimated at 200 to 500 years old.  

A short walking trail climbs gradually from the parking and picnic areas to the base of the rimrocks and leads visitors to Pictograph Cave. Interpretive panels along a loop trail beneath the rims focus on the region’s early people, geology, archeology, plants and wildlife. A printed trail guide includes additional information that coincides with numbered markers along the trail.

A series of summer programs begins on Saturday, May 24, when Ruth Vanderhorst of the Montana Audubon Society presents a bird identification program at the park. Other activities at Pictograph Cave State Park include wildlife viewing, photography and geological exploration.

Trail renovations and improvements are scheduled for the 2008 season, but trails will remain open and accessible throughout the summer.

A special-use permit is required for groups of more than 30 people. Guided tours are available upon request. For information, call Pictograph Cave State Park at (406) 245-0227 or the Region 5 Fish, Wildlife and Parks office in Billings at (406) 247-2940.

Pictograph Cave State Park, southeast of Billings, is one of 50 state parks in Montana that offer people a chance to explore Real Montana and get away without leaving their backyard. For more information about Montana State Parks, please visit fwp.mt.gov and click on “Parks and Recreation.”