The following is a release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park invites visitors to enjoy indoor and outdoor activities at the park on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Join the park’s popular guided rock art hikes from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to learn about the differences between pictographs and petroglyphs and see both art forms firsthand.
On hikes, First Peoples Buffalo Jump rangers lead visitors to glyphs and petroglyphs on the park’s cliffs. Participants will also learn about his two distinctive methods of creating rock art and the symbolism and meaning behind them.
Reservations are required. The program costs $4 and has 20 spots available for strenuous off-trail hikes along the cliffs. Hiking is weather dependent and may be canceled due to inclement weather. If it snows and conditions become slippery on the day of the hike, hikers may want to use Yaktrax or similar microcleats for hiking.
After the hike, visitors can celebrate the holiday indoors by helping cut down trees in the park from 1 to 3 p.m. No reservations are required for this event. Visitors of all ages can enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies at the visitor center while making paper. Join Ranger Mart as they decorate ornaments, decorate the tree, and sing holiday songs.
On both Saturday and Sunday, all items in the gift shop will be 25% off.
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is currently open for the winter season, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Monday and Tuesday.
Admission to the park is free for Montana residents. Non-residents pay $8.00 per vehicle. The park is located 3.6 miles north of Ulm, just off Exit 270 of Interstate 15. For more information about First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park, visit stateparks.mt.gov/first-peoples-buffalo-jump/.
If you have questions or would like to reserve a spot for a hike, please contact First Peoples Buffalo Jump State at 406-866-2217 or andy.keller@mt.gov.