Tower Rock State Park

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 central Montana. Captain Meriwether Lewis noted in his journal "an Indian road enters the mountain at the same place with the river on the Stard side and continues along it's border under the steep clifts." Lewis also wrote, "At this place there is a large rock of 400 feet high wich stands immediately in the gap which the Missouri makes on it's passage from the mountains... This rock I called the tower. It may be ascended with some difficulty nearly to it's summit and from it there is a most pleasing view of the country we are now about to leave. From it I saw that evening immense herds of buffaloe in the plains below." Meriwether Lewis, July 16, 1805