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Pictograph Cave State Park reopens to public

Posted at 11:36 AM, Apr 12, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-12 13:36:00-04

BILLINGS - Pictograph Cave State Park southeast of Billings will reopen Wednesday, two months after it was closed by a rockfall that blocked the access road and several trails.

Since a rockfall in January, Park employees and contractors have worked to clear the road and trails and assess the threat of future rockfalls from the sandstone cliffs that form part of the park, according to a press release.

Trails in the park leading to the Pictograph Cave and Ghost Cave will reopen. One short section of trails will remain closed while crews complete construction on a switchback.

Starting Wednesday, the park will resume regular open hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The visitor center will open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the same days. The park and visitor center are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The 23-acre park includes three main caves that were home to prehistoric hunters. Approximately 30,000 artifacts, ranging from stone tools, weapons, paintings, and instruments have been excavated from the site.

The park has a ¾-mile-long loop trail to the caves, with interpretative displays identifying and explaining the natural features, prehistoric paintings and vegetation found in the area.

Further information about the park is online at https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/pictograph-cave [fwp.mt.gov].

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Rockslide at Pictograph Caves State Park