TALKING TRAIL

Meandering through the Long Pines Unit of the Custer Gallatin National Forest is the Little Missouri River. The valley along the river is rich in history, full of wonder, and brimming with breathtaking beauty. Imagine following this river generations ago, when in the distance you spot something so massive and unique that you almost couldn’t believe your eyes. That must have been what it was like seeing Capitol Rock for the first time.

This massive white sedimentary erosional remnant called Capitol Rock is estimated to be around 35 million years old. Rising nearly 200 feet above the surrounding plains, Capitol Rock is what remains of the once continuous blanket of Tertiary-aged deposits that covered much of the Great Plains. After millions of years of weathering related to wind, water, and frost breaking down the hills, Capitol Rock, with the flat-lying strata from millions of years of deposition distinctly displayed, is left alone as an erosional outlier in the landscape of southeastern Montana. This outstanding and scenic feature was designated by the Secretary of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark in 1976, recognizing the important geologic story it tells.

It is easy to see why Capitol Rock is so aptly named. Standing in its majesty, it does not require much imagination to correlate the likeness of this beauty to our great capitol building in Washington D.C. But what is even more intriguing about Capitol Rock is what has been found below the surface. Capitol Rock stands atop what is considered one of the most outstanding fossil fields of Carter County. The remains of a giant sea turtle have been found here, as well as bones from a three-toed horse and prehistoric rhinoceros species. Not far from here, remnants of a saber-tooth tiger were also discovered.

In more recent years, Capitol Rock was an important landmark for cowboys in the years following the Civil War. Long winters made way for a promising spring, with green grass welcoming cattle to the north. Cattle trails were pounded across North America, marking trips from the Mexico border to Dakota Territory. Capitol Rock marked a fork in the road where cattle trails split, sending travelers to either present-day Miles City, Montana, or Medora, North Dakota. Imagine chuck wagons, cowboys, and long-horn cattle resting in the shade of Capitol Rock, a place of magnificent tranquility on their challenging journey north.

Capitol Rock, perched high up on the cliffs and crags of the Long Pines, is now home to hundreds of eagles, hawks, and falcons, including the rare merlin falcon, as well as antelope, mule deer, and turkeys. In a lifespan occurring over 35-million years, there is no doubt that we have yet to uncover all the stories Capitol Rock could tell.