Garfield County: Prairie, Dinosaurs and Water Sports

Garfield County combines vast prairie, rugged coulees, fossil-rich landscapes and Fort Peck Reservoir into a destination offering an unusually wide range of different experiences. You can combine wildlife watching and hiking with dinosaur themes, regional history and water sports. When choosing your holiday rental or holiday home, the key consideration is therefore which focus should define your trip: remote landscapes, days by the water or cultural discoveries.

Landscapes for Nature and Hiking Experiences

The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge showcases the characteristic diversity of the region. The area includes prairie with native vegetation, wooded coulees, river floodplains and the badlands of the Missouri Breaks. Activities such as fishing, boating, wildlife watching, photography, camping, hiking and horseback riding are possible or permitted there. This allows you to shape your stay in many different ways, from quiet wildlife observation to active days outdoors.

The Wilderness Study Areas also have their own distinctive features. The Billy Creek Wilderness Study Area encompasses three deep coulees in a rugged landscape. The only public access is on the northern side, via a longer trailless hike through the adjacent Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. In the Seven Blackfoot Wilderness Study Area, fossil-bearing layers of the Hell Creek and Tullock Formations are exposed. The only available public access is at Chalk Butte; from there, you can travel west into Chalk Butte Coulee. You should take such access information into account when planning your day and choosing your accommodation.

Water, Fishing and Seasonal Variety

Fort Peck Reservoir is Montana's largest body of water and is home to more than 50 different fish species. In winter, ice fishing for walleye, pike and lake trout is possible there. During the rest of the year, fishing, camping and boating are among the year-round options in Garfield County. Hell Creek State Park offers facilities for numerous water sports and complements the nature-focused excursions on land.

For anglers and boaters, Hell Creek Marina offers fishing bait, fishing equipment, access to local fishing guides, boat ramps, rental slips and fuel directly on the water. Those planning their trip around the lake will find specific starting points here for organizing their days, without being limited to a single type of activity.

Dinosaurs and History on the Montana Dinosaur Trail

Garfield County lies in the Hell Creek Formation south of Fort Peck Reservoir. The Garfield County Museum is located on the Montana Dinosaur Trail and displays a life-size Triceratops. The museum also includes a settler cabin and a replica of an old blacksmith shop. The grounds also feature a historic jailhouse and schoolhouse. This brings natural history and the history of settlement together in a single museum visit.

The Montana Dinosaur Trail connects Fort Peck, Malta, Jordan and Glendive via fossil-rich formations, parks, museums and information centers. Jordan was founded around 1896 by Arthur Jordan on the banks of Big Dry Creek and preserves the character of the Old West. If you would like to explore the town as another focus of your trip, you can include Jordan in your regional plans.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Style

When searching for a holiday rental or holiday home in Garfield County, it is worth organizing your planned experiences first. For hikes in the Wilderness Study Areas, the access routes described above and the trailless passage at Billy Creek are important planning details. For water activities, consider the options around Hell Creek State Park, Fort Peck Reservoir and Hell Creek Marina. Those who want to combine dinosaurs, early settlement history and landscapes can place greater emphasis on the museum and the Montana Dinosaur Trail.

Road conditions are also relevant for orientation: Brusett can only be reached via unpaved roads. Take this circumstance into account when planning your journey before selecting accommodation as a base for your excursions.

For further orientation, you can also visit Powell County, Stillwater County, Broadwater, Judith Basin County, Carter County, Powder River County and Mineral County.

For the broader travel overview: Montana.