Montana contains many parks, trails, and monuments. Several of these attractions extend into other states.
Glacier National Park, one of the more well-known and visited parks, covers over one million acres or 16,000 square miles. This area was designated the tenth national park on May 11, 1910. Over seventy species of mammals including the grizzly bear, wolverine, gray wolf and lynx reside in the park. Over 260 species of birds also visit or live in the park.
Nez Perce National Historic Park extends into four states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Lewis and Clark first encountered the Nez Perce Nation on September 20, 1805. Clark's journal entry described them as follows: "They call themselves Cho Punnish or Pierced Noses; their dialect appears very different from the Flatheads, darker than the Flatheads, similar dress with more beads that are white and blue, brass and copper in different forms, shells and wear their hair in the same way..."
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is another popular attraction. This recreation area straddles the northern Wyoming and southern Montana borders. A landscape of sheer cliffs towering 1,000 feet above a ribbon of blue water-Bighorn Lake-is one of the state's main attractions. The lake extends approximately 70 miles through Montana and Wyoming. Bighorn Canyon is a place where imagination meets reality!
Montana contains many parks, trails, and monuments. Several of these attractions extend into other states.