Beaverhead Rock State Park

Stage I Fire Restriction for Madison County in the Dillon Fire Restriction Area: The following acts are prohibited until further notice:

1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire,
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

EFFECTIVE 7/28/21:  Stage II Fire Restrictions effective for Madison County in the Dillon Fire Restriction Area.

The following acts are prohibited until further notice:

1.  Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

The following acts are prohibited from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.:

1. Operating any internal combustion engine.
2. Welding, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
3. Using an explosive. (A patrol is required for two hours following cessation of all activities as identified in #3 above.)
4. Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.

Exemptions to the fire restrictions:

1. Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act.
2. Persons using a device fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off.
3. Operating motorized vehicles on designated roads and trails.
4. Emergency repair of public utilities and railroads as per attached conditions.
5. Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
6. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
7. All land within a city boundary is exempted.

Resembling the head of a swimming beaver, this natural landmark is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site may be viewed and photographed from a distance, but is not directly accessible.

Sacagawea, a young Shoshone Indian guide traveling with the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, recognized this rock formation and knew that she may be in the vicinity of her relatives. The sighting gave the expedition hope that they may be able to find Native peoples from which to acquire horses for their trip across the mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

Meriwether Lewis, August 8, 1805 wrote:
"The Indian woman recognized the point of a high plain to our right which she informed us was not very distant from the summer retreat of her nation on a river beyond the mountains which runs to the west. This hill she says her nation calls the beaver's head from a conceived resemblance of its figure to the head of that animal. She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of its source; which from its present size cannot be very distant."

• Cultural
• Heritage
• History
• Lewis And Clark
• Photography
• Wildlife Viewing

Some amenities are seasonal. Check with the park for availability.

1. Pack-in/Pack-out

Hours listed below are normal operating hours and may not apply when there is a special restriction or closure. Check Alerts and Closures in the tab below.

Park
Open all year

Campground
DATES
 
Potable water
DATES

Visitor Center
DATES
HOURS

Visit the State Parks Fees & Regulations page for park rules.

Contact the park manager for open volunteer positions at Beaverhead Rock State Park.

For complete position descriptions, application forms, and details about Montana State Parks volunteer programs, visit the Volunteers page.

Montana Residents

• Day use entrance is free*

Nonresidents

• Day use entrance fee with a vehicle: $8
• Day use entrance fee as a walk-in, bicycle or bus passenger: $4
• With a Nonresident Entrance Pass: Free

* Montana residents who pay the $9 state parks fee with their annual vehicle registration have no daily entrance fees to state parks. For residents who don't include this in their vehicle registration, non-resident day use fees apply.

Mailing Address:
Beaverhead Rock State Park
c/o Bannack State Park
4200 Bannack Rd
Dillon, MT 59725

Phone: 406-834-3413
Email: roger.kasak@mt.gov