Tower Rock State Park — Attraction in Fairfield

Tower Rock State Park is located in Montana, USA, south of Great Falls at the junction of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. This splendid state park is often passed by, as people speed on down I-15, but it is certainly worth the stop. There is a hike that takes you close to the top of the namesake of this park with stunning views atop this low mountain. There are extensive vistas of the surrounding plains, mountains and the Missouri River Valley. The area is a diverse mix of grassland, dry forest and semi-arid scrub land that typifies this part of Montana. The geology is interesting with volcanic, tectonic and erosion forces shaping unique and rugged plains, mountains and canyon topography. The landmark is important in history for Native Americans and Lewis and Clark as being the unofficial gateway to the Rocky Mountains along the Missouri River. The hike also hosts interesting vegetation that is typical of the semi-arid high plains and mountain valleys of the region. Drought resistant vegetation in the park of note include Plains Prickly Pear Cacti (Opuntia Polyacantha), Great Plains Yucca (Yucca Glauca), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus Ponderosa) and Rocky Mountain Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). The summit hike doesn't take too long for a fit hiker, but gets quite steep near the top. The panorama atop this low summit is definitely worth the effort and is a wonderful scenic stop if you are getting tired of a long haul...

This was a nice shorter hike. The FWP maintains it for a quarter mile, but the trail keeps climbing up to the Ridgeline and beyond. There are quite a few places to scramble up rock faces to gain better views and exercise your inner mountain goat. I didn't make it all the way up to the top of Tower Rock yet due to time constraints, but it looked doable. The trail past the FWP sign where they stop maintaining it is steeper and has lots of loose rocks, so stable footwear and a good eye for grippy spots is helpful. There were views of the river towards Great Falls, a variety of Big Belt Mountain views, wild flowers, chipmunks, raptors, and many...

Tower Rock was a landmark for native tribes, the Corps of Discovery, fur trappers, traders and many more that followed in their footsteps. The 400-foot high igneous rock formation lies in a 140-acre site along the stretch of the Missouri River. Now a state park, visitors can learn about the geology and history of the site with five interpretive panels located at the trail head. The trail to the base of the saddle is maintained for a quarter-mile. Tower Rock State Park is a day use only park. Many Native American tribes used the rock as a landmark when they were entering and leaving the rich buffalo grounds of today's north...