Reviews

Susie Tincknell Smith

What a fascinating place! The topography is badland-esque. Triceratops and T-Rex remains have been found here. Be sure to check out the Visitor Center and to take the scenic drive up to amazing view points. We camped in Site 12. It was a little tight for our 35 foot Class A but there was only one other camper in our loop. Potable water was available as were vault toilets. The night sky is breathtaking here.

Kevan Irsch

Stunning vistas and lots of really cool, unique rock formations. It's crazy to me that the back half of the scenic drive isn't paved though, including getting to the most popular trail in the park. It was okay in my Civic, but the park seems a little bit neglected for how beautiful and important it is. Had some issues with poor trail markers in Kinney Coulee trail. Otherwise, phenomenally gorgeous.

Will Larson

We were looking for a campground to stay at on our way to Glacier. We decided to reserve a site here instead of theodore roosevelt because it looked nicer than the campgrounds there. While the main campground was a little cramped, we decided to exchange it for a campsite in the "pine on rocks" campground, which are first come first serve. Can't recommend it enough if you're just tent camping. Don't try and go up there with a R.V. But in a tent, Pine on rocks can't be beat. Views were incredible. Did a few trails and loved them. The Kinney Coulee trail was our favorite. So many unique rock formations. A very nice park for star gazing as well. Check out the visitor center to see dinosaur bones. They have a fantastic display. We loved our stay and will go back in a heartbeat!

Donny Hacker

First off, motorcyclists be aware that once you enter the park and get maybe 1-2 miles down the road that weaves through the park, the pavement abruptly ends towards the top of a hill. There is a sign that indicates the pavement ends and when it does, it turns to dirt and what I consider to be relatively loose gravel. I ended up turning around simply because I didn't feel comfortable riding on it - your experience may be different depending upon your bike and skill level. The road itself that runs through the park is not maintained very well either. People were openly running and walking right in the middle of the two lanes that loop through the park in either direction since, apparently, there aren't paths that connect the various trails running through the park. Given there are a few steep inclines and near blind curves on a few parts of the road, I don't think it's healthy to have your visitors walking in the middle of the road intended for vehicle traffic. Now, this may have been more the fault of the people who saw fit to walk in the middle of the road more than the park itself, but still. Upon arriving at the entrance, there is a sign that says to pay inside the visitor center, but there was nothing indicating that it's free for Montana residents. When I stopped inside to double check, there was no one at the front desk and there were several other people wandering around trying to find an employee as well. I wandered around the inside of the center to see the various exhibits for about 20 minutes and by time I was done, an employee had shown up at the desk. I asked about the fee and was told so long as I had Montana tags, I was good to go - not that anyone was actually enforcing this in the park anyway. There doesn't appear to be anything stopping out of towners from simply driving into the park without paying the fee except the honor system. The visitor center is nice enough with some exhibits and a small gift shop, but I found it to be lacking in basic amenities like a decent restroom - restroom only had one toilet and if occupied, you would have to wait or use one of the vault toilets inside the park. I'd be interested in coming back here to do some hiking, but that would be the only thing bringing me back. The park is pretty enough, but it's nothing you can't already see in the surrounding area. I suppose if you were visiting here from out of town, you might have a different experience.

Jim Cincotta

This is a beautiful state park with inspirational vistas. We arrived on a Tuesday in June for a one night stay on our way to Glacier National Park. We camped in site 9, with close proximity to the vault toilet, trash, recycling, and water. The pads are level making it easy to back in and set up. The campsites all provide wonderful views of the colorful rock formations. There are many hiking trails throughout the park providing ample opportunities to experience the environment up close and personal. There is a beautiful amphitheater tucked into the hillside with awesome views. The experience would be improved if the trailheads were marked with the hiking distances.

Kristin Mazziotta

We were really looking forward to this park, however, we arrived on a day the visitor center was closed. The place was a ghost town, so we still drove around a bit and saw the landscape, but it was not the experience we were looking for. It was beautiful nonetheless. We wished there was more open when we went.

Jasmine Lovell

Interesting that we had to park at the bottom of a steep hill but it definitely gets the hearts pumping! Beautiful but kind of dangerous hike to the bridge. I'll definitely be back for more pics!

William Boyeff

I stayed at the Pine on Rocks campground in Makoshika State Park in mid-July. It was incredible. The site offers amazing views right from your tent, making it perfect for those who want to wake up to stunning landscapes. The hiking trails throughout the park are fantastic, with plenty of scenic overlooks and opportunities for breathtaking landscape photography. There’s something for everyone, and the views of the badlands and surrounding wilderness are well worth it.

Wind Napol

One of the underrated state parks. This park provides lots of hiking trails options long with disc golf course. If you are into rock formations and fossils this is a place for you. It’s like a mini Grand Canyon. But be careful because the grounds are still eroding at certain locations. Limited restrooms access.

Yang Song

Came on 4/8 and main road gate was closed about halfway into the park. I was told by another visitor that this gate sometimes closes due to non-optimal weather conditions. To my understanding the most scenic parts of this park are beyond this gate. Disappointed but not discouraged, I parked at the parking lot by this gate, and decided to hike along Switchback trail. Fortunately, this trail eventually merged into another trail and led me onto the main drive road that was shut. On foot and navigating with google satellite map, I located and hiked Kinney Coulee trail and Cap rock trail. Along both there were a lot of unique formations and some vast overlooks. There was also a natural bridge along cap rock trail. Despite it rained a little these days, the mud condition wasn’t bothering me. Eventually I hiked along the main drive road back to my car. In total I hiked about 5 miles and took me about 3 hrs(leisurely hike). Came across a couple of vault toilet deep into the park. Would have been more convenient if the road-closure condition is notified somewhere.