The vacation that began with a 2 night stay in Illinois continued with a cross country drive from Rock Cut State Park to the largest state park in Montana, Makoshika State Park. The projected drive time on Hwy 2 was 14 hours. I knew better than that, I knew who was driving.
We packed up our gear at 5:30 Central time and we’re on the road by 6:00 AM. “It’s a Highway Song, you sing it on and on, on and on!” Blackfoot reference but oh so true. That was our day and into the night. We rolled from Illinois into Wisconsin to drive across 3 states into Montana. From Wisconsin we rolled into Minnesota by passing Minneapolis heading into North Dakota.
In North Dakota we ran into a terrible thunder storm with lightning, hail, dark clouds and heavy rains. We watched the storm on the horizon as we drove towards it, the inevitability of meeting it weighing heavy on the mind. Fatigued from hours behind the wheel, the storm was like a test of resolve. The lightening big, bold and blinding as it streaked from sky towards the rolling plains. We drove through it and were rewarded by a magnificent rainbow. Night fell and we drove into a changing landscape that was indistinguishable in the darkness.
We arrived at Makoshika State Park in Glendive Montana after 11:00 PM Mountain time. It was dark and quiet at the Campground, we rolled in and tried to set up our tents as quietly as possible. The sky looked immense overhead. We were heading into big sky country and I felt the name apt.
Exhausted we tried to shortcut setup and ended up unfolding Mom’s tent and setting it without staking it, using the excuse of not disturbing others to forgo the exercise. The wind blew and the sides of mom’s tent folded in on her. She was not a happy camper. To make matters worse we set her on top of the largest anthill in the whole park. Abashed and apologetic, we set her to rights after the sun rose.
Makoshika is famous for its dinosaur trail, fossils and its museum. It is set in the Montana Badlands. It is an incredible sight to wake up surrounded by rocky outcrops and looking up into such an alien landscape. Coming from the verdant wet forest lands of Appalachia, the desert plains and badlands are fascinating. The very feel of the air is different.
With one full day here to explore we got right to it by heading to the visitor center and checking out the museum with its fossil collection and Triceratops skull. In the heat of the day we headed deeper into the park and drove up into the upper Park checking out the sights and marking trails of interest. The hikes were short intense dips into the canyons and gorges that run through the park.
We did Cap Rock Trail a 1/2 mile loop with rock formations that tickled the eye and baffled the mind. Seeing the Cap Rocks, big boulders sitting atop spindles, created over 1000’s of years through erosion, is a treat leaving one awed by the sheer artistry of Mother Nature. From this sweet little loop we headed up to the Kinney Coulee Trail. It was 1 mile long. The distance didn’t sound too bad and the allure of the landscape drew us out and down. It was hot, and dry and the scramble down and rock hopping and clambering around was strenuous. There was a picnic table near the half way point and we stopped to rest.
It was shady and a welcome respite from the sun. I drank my remaining water then wondered at the wisdom of that. We started back towards the trail head, the sun, the rocky desert like terrain, the climb, it all made for a most challenging 1/2 mile. By the time we got back to the vehicle, my mouth was dry and I felt like I had been eating chalk. Going in the heat of the day added to the difficulty of the hikes, but we only had the day to see what we could.
We went into Glendive for a late lunch and supplies. When we got back to camp we decided to do the Diane Gabriel Trail and check out the Hadrosaur fossil in situ. The 1.9 mile hike was easier due to the cooler temperatures. We hiked through some grassy land to the juncture with the side path to the fossil site then up to an overlook where we surveyed the Campground and looked off into the distance.
Makoshika is a fun park with lots to offer for exploration. The visitor center is nice with lots of information and very helpful Park Rangers. We enjoyed the campsite we had. The Badlands of Montana are different from the Badlands in South Dakota. The ecology of the different landscapes across this great land offer the searching, inquiring mind much to feast upon.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 