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Pictograph Cave State Park
3401 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101, United States
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Ed
Review №1

A small park but one of great historic value. Very interesting historical artifacts in the visitors center. RV parking and a paved handicap accessible path to the main cave.

Wi
Review №2

Beautiful state park. Little bit out of the way, but its worth it to see this piece of archeological history. Good place to pull over, rest, hike, and learn. Bathroom available even if the visitor Center is not open

Co
Review №3

I stopped on a whim when I saw a sign on the interstate. I am glad I did. Incredible to imagine this area back then.

Si
Review №4

Great! Very easy to access. Quiet! And it was not busy at all. Perfect afternoon walk for my husband and I on our visit to Billings MT. The info at each cave was interesting as well!

Su
Review №5

This is a great place to where our ancestor used to live. You could find rock painting in the cave which is about 2000-3000 yrs ago. It fells really great when you sit in front of the cave think about out ancestors.

Es
Review №6

For a first time visit this place has a very scenic hike, a little history and was very easy to travel to.

Mi
Review №7

Nice place to visit on a Saturday morning. Clean trails, beautiful view, a bit of history.

Ka
Review №8

Three caves, 1/4 mile loop. Very small park and pictographs were not overly impressive. Caves in general were cool which was the reason for 3 stars, but not a must-see.

Ja
Review №9

If you are not from the area and you find yourself here, take a moment to look around and absorb everything around you. Oh, and watch out for rattlesnakes.

da
Review №10

Didnt feel like it was worth the fee.Got there 15 minutes before opening and put fee in envelope and proceeded with wife to first cave. Trying to see pictographs when a fellow in shorts and flip flops came and said he was park ranger and how we were early and he could write us a citation.Offered to leave but he said we could go on. And made more comments about a citation. Seemed very angry and wanted us to know he was in charge.Went on and finished our tour. Got back to parking lot and saw that car had been keyed.Guess I should be more careful and punctual when visiting Montana State parks. Im 72 year old veteran and guess I have more to learn.

Sa
Review №11

Well maintained state park with a nice trail leading to two caves, one with Native American cave drawings. The drawings are quite faded but it was worth the short hike.

Wi
Review №12

Great little piece of history and added bonus of a short walk!

Br
Review №13

Gorgeous destination for a quick outing just outside Billings city limits. Easy trails for all ages and plenty of picnic space. So few of the original cave drawings remain due to natural erosion but the visitors center was very informative.

ye
Review №14

My Uncle Ray worked to uncover this site in 1938-39 so its a place very close to my heart He would love how well its been preserved and shared with the public!

vi
Review №15

Great place for a pit stop and stretch your legs out on long drives. The visitor center has restroom and artifacts to check out. Watch out for snakes! Expect to pay for parking.

St
Review №16

Nice little hike and a bit of history along the way. The Rimrock is pretty cool.

mi
Review №17

Enjoyed every bit of it. For someone with horrible vertigo, I still wanted to travel and see as much as I could here! will be coming back with a walking stick next time though haha

Ba
Review №18

Awesome place and great views for sure.

Cr
Review №19

Cool little hike best thing in Billings. Half mile tops, I dont know where these other people on Google hiked. Easy peasy!

Kr
Review №20

Fun little park. We stayed about 45 minutes. The trail makes a circle. So, it makes a loop back to the parking lot. Its free for locals but $6 for out of state and $3 for cars with one person. Some beautiful areas for photos. We had fun.

Ka
Review №21

Awesome stop along the way to Yellowstone. Nice visitor center. Beautiful sights. Well worth it

Mi
Review №22

This easily accessible park is a great place to take daily hikes. Please observe trail postings along the walkways and bring your water bottle!

Ka
Review №23

Well groomed trail, actually artifact very difficult to see. Not crowded. Store had a single patch style, no t-shirts, and no walking staff medallions

Wi
Review №24

Helpful friendly staff. Great walk. Beautiful scenery. Snow cleaned from walkways.

Se
Review №25

Great little stop as we were driving through. Not too far off the highway. Nice shaded picnic area, flush toilets, and cold water. The walk to the caves was short yet steep, but worth it.

Je
Review №26

These games were absolutely amazing and the historical significance of them was very interesting to learn about.

Sp
Review №27

Fun little park with a nice area to picnic! Not too crowded even on a beautiful day

Be
Review №28

It was a cool thing to see, but the pictographs are starting to fade, so its a little hard. Its beautiful in the area and a fun thing to stop by and see if youre in the area

Hu
Review №29

Non-residents pay $8, cash only. Plan on 20 minutes - maximum 45 minutes. There are two red pictographs- each approximately 3 feet - in a cave/ cliff shelter. The signs indicate what they looked like and say there are other pictographs. I did not see them. Neither did the other people there. The 100 yard+- path is paved, though I think too steep for a wheel chair. Theres another 300 yard+- gravel path to a cave that CCC folks used in the 1930s. If you bring binoculars theres a cliff which apparently has another pictograph, but the sign is so vague you wont know where to look. For $8 I would have assumed they would have a telescope or at least a tube to look though to tell you where it is. Shaded Picnic tables, garbage cans, and pit toilet on site. Water hose in front of the (presently due to Covid-19 closed) visitor center.

Ro
Review №30

Awesome spot definitely check it out

Ka
Review №31

Easy access, good trail, nice picnic stop.Even the toilet was clean.

Dr
Review №32

This is a great stop. The ride to get there is beautiful, you can park in a very short walk see places that humans have inhabited for 9000 years, twice the age of the Great Pyramids. The staff and volunteers were wonderful, very engaging and pleasant. Its a $6 stop to see such an ancient place. The swallows nests are cool, too.

Re
Review №33

This was an enjoyable stop. It is hard to see the black colored pictographs so bring binoculars. I thought I could just come in with my phone camera but they were still mostly not visible. It is a fairly quick stop for $6 a car. The ranger said we could get in to other parks with the same pass that day but we didnt have time. It was a nice piece of Native American history.

Ja
Review №34

Cool place to stop for a quick detour.

Ma
Review №35

Not much to see. Was better in the past. Puctures are hard to see.

Er
Review №36

Absolutely gorgeous views, extremely informative, nice easy hike-took our littles and dog, great little visitor center!

Co
Review №37

Nice little hike to the caves. Its beautifully scenic and the pictographs were so interesting to see.

Je
Review №38

The perfect place for a family outing. We visited in July and everyone in our family enjoyed it. The hikes to the different caves were varying degrees of difficulty but we made it to each one with no trouble. The visitors center offers a great insight to the caves histories. The gift shop is small but we managed to leave with some fun memories and souvenirs from our trip.

De
Review №39

Late afternoon best time. Pretty steep climb up. Erosion has taken its toll, worth seeing B4 there gone

Ha
Review №40

Its impossible to not feel the power of the Native Americans history when your standing in those caves!!

Cr
Review №41

Its a nice little walk but pictographs are faded. Place needs some TLC and better funding to improve it

La
Review №42

The walk is beautiful and the history

Pe
Review №43

Very light hike to get to the caves. Just enough trails to keep it interesting, but not exhaust anyone. The staff is very helpful, informative and courteous. Also has a shady picnic area. Be wary of snakes and dont panic if you see one. Just get the staff and the will be happy to safely move it to safety!

Du
Review №44

The Pictographs is a pretty little park with a quick trail and some really nice and interesting views. I normally bring any guest that i have in town here as a warm up to any other hikes we may be doing and for some history regarding the Native Americans. The park is always clean and everytime i have gone has never been crowded and the rangers are always super informative. If you enjoy history I recommend stopping by the visitor center and talking with the ranger on duty and reading through the boards.

Jo
Review №45

Nice small hike with some nice history behind it. Pictographs are faded because of weathering but still visible. Picnic tables a plus to make it a trip that you can spend some time there regardless of it being a short trail. The fact that it is a short trail makes it a good hike for younger children as well. Just watch out for rattlers in the hotter months.

Ch
Review №46

Great scenery, little workout for the tweenagers.

Jo
Review №47

Nice quick visit. The actual pictographs were a little hard to see. About 3/4 mile loop. Trail to pictograph cave is paved, reportedly accessible. I think it would be hard for wheelchair just because it is so steep. After the cave the trail becomes gravel and also is steep. Visitor center staff friendly. Entire facility was in good condition.

Je
Review №48

Just absolutely amazing. Bring good walking shoes. There are parts of the trail that are sandy, has stones and uneven...but an easy walk. Watch for Rattlesnakes.....bring a camera.

Ka
Review №49

Great for the family!

ja
Review №50

Nice short hike with beautiful views of nature and wildlife

Sa
Review №51

Fascinating scenic/historic State Park off the beaten track.I ended up in Billings with a few hours to kill, so I decided to check out Pictograph Cave State Park. Its quite a small venue, but an utterly fascinating one. The visitor center contains a display detailing the sites history of human habitation and providing an insight into the archaeological excavations carried out here.The path up to the main cave is only about a quarter of a mile long, but its quite steep. All on all there are three caves along the one mile loop trail, though only the main one holds any pictographs.Pro-Tip: If youre walking the whole loop, the Un-maintained Trail is actually a much easier as well as scenic way of getting to the third cave, than the main path.

Ho
Review №52

Sorry wasnt much left to see. It was a really nice area

Du
Review №53

If you want to reach deep into the old times come see these ancient wonders of time

Da
Review №54

Very nice park. Peaceful in winter. Very picturesque

Je
Review №55

Amazing history! Easy trail to see pictographs in cave 1 as well as walk beside two other caves. Very friendly staff. Fascinating to witness in person. Not too busy, so had my cave experience mostly to myself. $6 to get in. Roughly 30 minutes to an hour if going at a leisurely pace and reading all the placards. Highly recommend.

Je
Review №56

Extremely cool historical and educational sight. Beware of rattlesnakes though!

Br
Review №57

Pretty scenery and good signage. I could not make out any photographs at all.

Ru
Review №58

Great for a short hike and history lesson.

Ri
Review №59

I enjoyed visiting the pictograph caves but was really disappointed in the quality of the pictographs themselves. Theyre hardly visible. Its no ones fault, really, some of them are nearly 2,000 years old and you cant expect them to last for ever. Overall it was a really nice area. I can see why people considered it a sacred spot in ancient times.

Ro
Review №60

I could not see the point of this place? The cave was not really a ‘cave’ and the drawings were none existent. Probably a nice walk but on this day it was far to hot.

De
Review №61

Had good day there it so georgeous..me kids loved I was here when I was a little kid too..

Su
Review №62

Nice place to walk, lovely setting, interesting. Small, easy for families.

Ni
Review №63

Very cool place. Just wish I could have seen the pictures before the rock started crumbling.

Re
Review №64

Not much to do here. Nice scenery but shouldnt be called a cave. Its actually more like a concave dent in the side of a hill. 1 hour and your done here.

Se
Review №65

Apparently the pictographs are easier to see after it has rained. The most recent pictos include fllint lock rifles about 200 years ago

gh
Review №66

Very beautiful. Short hike. Bring your camera!!

Ke
Review №67

Kind of a cool place. Close to Billings and easy to to walk around if you are in moderate shape. I did not see any snakes, but saw some small little gecko looking things. The visitor center has some cool artifacts and restrooms.

Je
Review №68

Great place to see some history! Family friendly trail. We had 5 small children ranging in ages from 2-9 years old, and everyone was able to hike up the side walks and trails to see the caves. A lot of the paintings were hard to see, but the ones painted in red were still visible! Highly recommend seeing this piece of history!

Ta
Review №69

Really fun to explore some Montana history.

Ki
Review №70

Says its wheelchair accessible but we only made it up one hill and it wasnt easy my friend had to leave me at the middle of the second hill on a semi flat shady spot because it was to steep for me and him pushing and pulling me and then when I looked out at the view which was beautiful my anxiety kicked in lol. So he ran to the others and took pictures for me and him and he was fast because I was terrified to be left in that spot alone. The visitor center was cool though

Jo
Review №71

Was awesome to step into the past and see Native American Art

無名
Review №72

Here you can see beautiful landscape, cave, great view and rattlesnake. Watch out!(^_-)

Mi
Review №73

Really cool place. Well worth the visit.

De
Review №74

Take the short drive outside of Billings!! This site is fading with time. The pictographs are almost gone. The history is well documented and the area is beautiful. There are a few caves and worth walking around to each one. Not really handicap accessible to all the caves, but the main cave IS accessible.

sh
Review №75

Cave is awesome and was a great place to take are dogs for a walk

El
Review №76

AMAZING Scenery

Cr
Review №77

Wow wow wow breathtaking , beautiful place. Bring a water bottle. Binoculars so you can see better. Watch out for snakes .. Beautiful place . I loved it. It very informative. $6.00 for out of state visitors.. GREAT PLACE..

So
Review №78

Always love this place, bring plenty of water to drink on your hike

He
Review №79

Pretty cool place to go sightseeing

Ja
Review №80

A short distance from Billings, a short managed trail half is concrete other half is packed gravel. Pictographs can be a bit hard to see but the valley has some nice acoustics and is home to cliff swallows.The park also has some shaded picnic tables and a small grass patch.

Ro
Review №81

You can see the entire park in an hour.

Ke
Review №82

Great history, nice short walk. Do watch for snakes!

He
Review №83

Cool site, small, was maybe 30 min visit.

Ti
Review №84

Great place to take the kids

Mi
Review №85

Pretty scenery but the pictographs are barley visible so that was a let down but still nice place to go to

Br
Review №86

Very nice place and very quiet

Re
Review №87

A good little hike with a lot of history

Ja
Review №88

Beautiful park

Da
Review №89

Short, pleasant walk. The pictographs are difficult to see.

Wy
Review №90

This was a very nice place to visit. Not much there as far as actual pictographs that are visible. When they say watch for rattle snakes, they are not kidding! Came across a baby one on the trail.

Ke
Review №91

Short little hike to get some excerise!

Ca
Review №92

A fun day trip for any age. Trails are handicap accessible and restrooms are as well.

Te
Review №93

Sadly most of the pictographs have faded, or sloughed away. The recovered artifacts are well displayed, and the area is nicely kept. The staff were friendly, and helpful. We saw a very large raptor perched high on the cliff, that looked like a golden eagle. Magnificent!

D
Review №94

Super fun. Fascinating history. Easy walking trail.

Mi
Review №95

This is a great short visit or stop for a break on a long car trip. The hiking trail to the cave is steep but short and paved. Not likely easy to access by wheelchair. The other trails are gravel and also steep with some stairs.The visitors center is very nice with a small gift shop and stories about the caves and area. Very knowledgeable rangers are there to help with questions.

Wy
Review №96

Nice place, lots of birds.

He
Review №97

Excellent, informative family destination

Da
Review №98

Really cool place. Off the beaten path. Handicap accessible. Trails are kept up. Friendly park rangers. Glad we stopped. And reasonably priced to go see. Dog friendly also.......just be sure to pick up after your dog like a responsible human should.

Jo
Review №99

Pretty intriguing place. Definitely recommend stopping in, if you have the time. Its a easy/moderate hike. Less than a mile.

Ko
Review №100

Not very impressed. 90% of the pictographs are washed away. Otherwise theres some nice views and cool caves. The biggest turn off is $6 fee for out of state vehicles, not worth it what so ever. Just a big tourist trap.

Information
100 Photos
100 Comments
4.4 Rating
  • Address:3401 Coburn Rd, Billings, MT 59101, United States
  • Site:http://stateparks.mt.gov/pictograph-cave/
  • Phone:+1 406-254-7342
Categories
  • State park
  • Archaeological museum
  • Bird watching area
  • Picnic ground
  • Souvenir store
  • Tourist attraction
Working hours
  • Monday:Closed
  • Tuesday:Closed
  • Wednesday:9am–5pm
  • Thursday:9am–5pm
  • Friday:9am–5pm
  • Saturday:9am–5pm
  • Sunday:9am–5pm
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
  • Public toilet:Yes
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