Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/1285019
D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 0 18 saur bones burst from the hillsides, making excavation much easier than in many other areas of the country. Even today bones continue to make their way back to the surface after eons of being buried underground. When you visit the park, be sure to pay attention and look for the distinctive KpG Boundary line. This horizontal marking on the sediment divides the eras; below lie fossils from the Cretaceous period, while above lie fossils from the Paleocene. The KpG line is just one of the many fascinating geologic features of the park. MAKOSHIKA STATE PARK AS WE KNOW IT TODAY Glendive has adopted the tagline "Good people surrounded by bad lands." But these lands are only bad in appearance. The fasci- nating geologic features, pristine views, campsites, and series of hiking trails mean that you could spend a week here and never tire of the rugged landscape. "Hiking is the number one thing that people want to do when they come to Montana," Makoshika State Park manager Chris Dan- tic explains. "The park offers that when they first cross the border." Whether you're only interested in a 20-yard jaunt from the vehicle to take in Eyeful Vista, or you're up for the four and a half mile trek from Gunner's Ridge to Hungry Joe, there are trails for everyone no matter their fitness levels. Even after the upper roads close for the winter (around the middle of December in most years), you can strap on snowshoes and see how the park completely changes season after season. If you really want to get to know the area, you must spend a few days here. Camping can be reserved in the summer months but fall through spring is first come, first served. From your base camp you can experience miles of hiking, a PD- GA-certified disc golf course, and take in one of the many presenta- tions given at the amphitheater situated in front of the picturesque Twin Sisters formation. While touring the park, it is recommended to hike the Diane Gabriel Trail where you can see Hadrosaur vertebrate trace fossils projecting from the sediment, just as a paleontologist would discov- er them. Continue up the road to the Cap Rock Trail and experience F O R M I L L I O N S O F Y E A R S G I A N T C R E AT U R E S WALKED QUITE LITERALLY THROUGH OUR BACKYARDS.