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Capitol Rock National Natural Landmark

Ekalaka Montana

Listing Type: Landmark
City: Ekalaka Montana
Region: Southeast Montana
406-605-797-4432
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer/


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Capitol Rock, located in the Long Pines Unit in Montana, is a massive white limestone uplift that resembles the Nation's capitol building. Remnant of the once continuous blanket of Tertiary deposits that covered much of the Great Plains. Late Cretaceous, Paleocene, Oligocene, and Miocene strata are well displayed.

The Sioux Ranger District is located in the southeast corner of Montana and the northwest corner of South Dakota. The District is composed of eight separate units of Federal land and has often been described as 'islands of green in a sea of rolling prairie.' This is an appropriate description as the Federal lands are hills or mesas of ponderosa pine rising above rolling grasslands.

The area offers excellent antelope, mule deer, white-tail deer and turkey hunting. The area is also rich in archeology, paleontology, produces some oil, and supports a sizable livestock population. One of the largest populations of Merlins (a small falcon) known in North America occurs on the District.

In Montana the following campgrounds and picnic facilities are available: Lantis Springs and Wickham Gulch in the Long Pines Unit and Ekalaka Park and McNab Pond in the Ekalaka Hills Unit. There are numerous opportunities for dispersed recreation activities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobile riding and cross country skiing throughout the District. There are no designated hiking trails but most of the ridges are open and provide spectacular panoramic views.

There are two stocked fishing ponds on the district; Rabbit Creek in the Slim Buttes and McNab Pond in the Ekalaka Hills. They contain crappie, bass and rainbow trout.

Directions: Capitol Rock is located 30 miles southeast of Ekalaka.

Capitol Rock National Natural Landmark
Custer National Forest, Camp Crook, SD 57724

    Activities
  • Picnicking





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