Anyone who lives in or has visited the Treasure State will understand that Montana “rocks,” but just how much do you know about the geologic wonders beneath your feet? Beyond the easily viewed glacially carved mountains and sweeping river canyons, many of the state's coolest features are ones found underground. No matter where in the state you are, there’s a treasure trove waiting for you to learn about in a museum, or even dig up from the ground!
Paleontology 101: Montana has long been a hotbed for excavating dinosaur fossils, including the famous “Dueling Dinosaurs,” the fossilized remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Triceratops entangled in each other. Today, Montana is home to 14 separate museums dedicated to dinosaurs, and fossils that form the statewide Dinosaur Trail. The various paleontological sites include museums, active field digs, and myriad programming about the ancient world.
The largest and best-known stop along the Dino Trail is Bozeman’s Museum of the Rockies, which is affiliated with Montana State University and the Smithsonian Institute. The museum houses the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the country, including a fully mounted Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a nearly complete Allosaurus, and a growth series of the horned Triceratops ranging from juveniles to giants.
Mount of a Triceratops horridus adult and a juvenile of the same species displayed at the Museum of the Rockies.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in Bynum includes fossils of some of the first baby dinosaur remains found in the region and has a public education-focused approach to its exhibitions.
In 1902, the first T. Rex skeleton was excavated and identified near Jordan, Montana. The Garfield County Museum in Jordan details this history and includes several impressive exhibits, including a T. Rex skull and various full-sized dinosaur casts.
A young adult Tyrannosaurus rex skull found in Garfield County, Montana on display at the Museum of the Rockies. Tim Evanson, CC BY-SA 2.0.
CC BY-SA 2.
What’s Mine is Mine: Montana’s state flag contains the motto Oro y Plata, Spanish for “silver and gold,” an homage to the state’s mining history. While those two most precious metals secured a spot on the flag, Montana is perhaps best known for its role in the copper industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Butte was the most prolific mining district in the world. Today, Butte is home to the Berkeley Pit, a former open-pit mine that is now a toxic lake a mile wide and comprises one of the largest superfund sites in the world. It’s also a great tourist attraction! Butte is also home to the World Museum of Mining, which lets visitors descend down into an old mining shaft. For another look at the historic boom-bust cycle of mining, take a trip to the Garnet Ghost Town near Missoula, one of the state’s best-preserved townsites in the state.
An arial view of the Berkeley Pit taken by NASA. The city of Butte can be seen in the lower right.
Shine Bright like a Sapphire: Montana is also fertile ground for some precious and semi-precious gemstones, most prominently the sapphire. Travelers keen on gem exploration can visit several sites — Gem Mountain near Philipsburg offers the thrill of sapphire hunting in gravel deposits. The Yogo Sapphire Mine near Utica is the source of the world-famous Yogo sapphires, prized for their intense blue hue. Beyond sapphires, Crystal Park near Dillon, lets visitors unearth quartz crystals and amethysts.
Rough and cut Yogo Sapphires. Image courtesy of the Gem Gallery.
For a more adventurous take on Montana's geologic wonders, swing by Lewis and Clark Caverns, a state park situated between Butte and Bozeman. The park includes one of the largest limestone caverns in the U.S. Visitors can venture nearly a mile into the cave and see an array of stalactites and stalagmites, and huge caverns slowly whittled away by acidic water.
Geologic history and myriad underground treasures are just a few of the reasons that Montana “rocks,” but don't forget, you can have your own hidden gem in the Treasure State to call home! Whether you’re looking to buy land to go prospecting in, eyeing a nice view of the glacially carved mountains, or just want to be close to the unique geologic history of the state, our agents at PureWest can help you find the ideal spot to call home.
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