Weird, eroded rocks in the middle of nowhere Montana.
What brought me to this Montana state park in the middle of nowhere (but with fantastic cell service)? It had a convenient campground. I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise, but I’m glad I did. Luckily, I had left Devils Tower early enough for some exploration before the sun set.
Medicine Rocks State Park is a small state park surrounded by prairie. A series of eroded, almost hoodoo-like sandstone rock formations start randomly showing up as you drive down the highway. Medicine Rocks got its current name by the medicinal plants that used to grow around them. Teddy Roosevelt even visited and described the area “as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen.”
As it is a Montana State Park, there are no decent trail maps to be found anywhere online. So, I kind of winged it and just started walking. (There is still a 2021 program schedule on the website. Worst state park website system ever.)
The campground is actually just a random series of campsites strewn about the park. There was only one other campsite being used. I really liked the one next to that guy, but I wanted solitude since I could. This campsite was by itself and surrounded by more weird rocks.
I turned around after the last photo. Hunger compelled me to.
Medicine Rocks was a surprising gem. It’s a small park in the middle of nowhere and poorly signed, but it was fun. It was a perfect for a late afternoon exploration.
Check out my next update where I will be visiting Montana’s badlands!
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