Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Remember your OUTDOOR ETHICS when enjoying your public lands. Please RECREATE RESPONSIBLY.
Overview
Pompeys Pillar National Monument encompasses 51 acres on the banks of the Yellowstone River with a massive sandstone outcrop covering about 2 acres at its base and rising 120 feet high toward Montana's Big Sky. The monument's premier location at a natural ford in the Yellowstone River, and its geologic distinction as the only major sandstone formation in the area, have made Pompeys Pillar a celebrated landmark and outstanding observation point for more than eleven thousand years of human occupation. Hundreds of markings, petroglyphs, and inscriptions left by visitors including William Clark and the Lewis and Clark Expedition have transformed this geologic phenomenon into a living journal of the American West.
The surrounding BLM-managed public land adjacent to the Monument is designated as the Pompeys Pillar Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), which is approximately 432 acres. The ACEC was designated to protect the significant cultural resources along with riparian ecosystem and fish and wildlife habitat. The ACEC is open to walk-in access year-round.
Know Before You Go
Hours
Main Gate (May 1st - September 30th): 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Interpretive Center (May 1st - September 30th): 9 AM - 4 PM
NOTE: Even when the Monument is closed, visitors may still walk into the site during daylight hours. The walk from the gates to the Pillar is about 3/4 mile. Special arrangements can be made during the off-season for school programs and other special events.
Available Facilities
- Interpretive Center
- Amphitheater
- Day Use Areas
- Boardwalks
- Walkways
- Vault Toilets
- Picnic Tables
The interpretive center, restrooms, parking lot and day use area are fully accessible.
Educational Programming
Opportunities may exist for scheduling field trips to the site. For more information please email blm_mt_ppnm_pillarschoolgroups@blm.gov
Pets
Pets must be on a leash at all times. Please pick up after your pets. Dog waste stations are present throughout the Monument.
Be Respectful!
Please respect the heritage of Pompeys Pillar National Monument. Do not deface any tree, shrub, rock, or ancient Indian artifact. Do not touch petroglyphs or remove any artifact. Not only is this illegal, but it erases evidence of past generations and deprives others of the knowledge about these sites.
Partnerships: Friends of Pompeys Pillar
The Friends of Pompeys Pillar provides substantial and much needed support for the Monument. This 200-member, nonprofit organization supplies more than 35 volunteers to assist visitors at the site and help operate the interpretive center. Profits from this enterprise assist with operation of the Monument. More than 2,500 hours of volunteer time are donated each year.
Helpful Links
Photos
Phone
Activities
Addresses
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
The area is easily accessible from Interstate 94, using exit 23, or from State Highway 312. The monument is 25 miles east of Billings, Montana
Fees
Fee rates apply only when the Monument Entrance Gate and Visitor Center are open, which is from May 1st to September 30th.
Vehicle rates are based on number of passengers.
Standard Vehicles:
- 1-6 passengers - $7
- 7-25 passengers - $12
- 26+ passengers - $20
Commercial and/or Group Vehicles:
- 1-6 passengers - $25
- 7-25 passengers - $40
- 26+ passengers - $100