A Guide To Madison Buffalo Jump State Park

An Overview of Madison Buffalo Jump

Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a unique historical park in Montana. The park contains a large bluff which once served as a “Jump Site” for Native American mass hunting tribes. Indigenous “runners” dressed in furs would lead large herds of buffalo into charging, eventually forcing their momentum and direction over the side of a large, lethal cliff, also called a “pishkun.”

This hunting technique would supply local tribes with a large influx of resources. This hunting technique was eventually abandoned in the 1700s, when the introduction of horses provided an alternate form of hunting.

Now, the state park has a monument dedicated to the hunting technique, along with numerous hiking trails, informational plaques and overlooks of the surrounding land.

Information About Madison Buffalo Jump

The bluff used for hunting involved a semi-circular limestone ridgeline and near-sheer drop. Indigenous “runners” would wear antelope and buffalo furs to “lure” herds into following them and wolf furs to “herd” them into charging. Upon reaching the cliff, fleet runners would either escape to the sides or skillfully slide to narrow small ledged below, allowing the heavy momentum of the buffalo herd to overshoot the cliff’s edge.

This hunting technique was used for generations, the practice extending for over 2,000 years. To this day, buffalo bones remain embedding in the ground at the base of the cliff.

Traditionally, every part of the buffalo was used. Hides became clothes and shelters, horns became tools, tendons became bowstrings and decorations and meat became food. The entire tribe would spend days carefully recovering everything usable. Even a buffalo’s tail would find a second life fulfilling its original purpose as a fly-swatter.

The cliff used for this hunting technique is 4,554-feet tall, making it one of the largest buffalo-stampede hunting cliffs in the region.

A Guide to Madison Buffalo Jump

The park is located seven miles south of the Interstate 90 interchange.

Activities within the park includes visiting the heritage exhibits, bird watching, hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing and photography.

The park has a small entry fee. For state residents, Montana citizens who pay their state-park-fee with their vehicle registration enter for free. Those who don’t pay non-resident fees.

Entrance with a vehicle is $8 USD. Entrance on foot or bicycle is $4 USD.

The park is open during all daylight hours throughout the year.

Points of Interest Near Madison Buffalo Jump

For those road-tripping through the Montana region around Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, there are many interesting things to see.

Headwaters Heritage Museum

This is a unique little historical museum dedicated to the region, filled with artifacts such as the largest brown trout caught in Montana, a diverse barb-wire fence collection, a dugout canoe used in a Lewis and Clark documentary and a preserved log cabin from the 1860s.

Tippet Rise Art Center

Found near the small town of Absarokee and the Bear Tooth Nature Reserve, this is a expansive, operating ranch which offers workshops on sustainable land-management practices. The center also doubles as a popular arts and music hub, with massive outdoor sculptures sitting on open plains.

Elkhorn Ghost Town

Found in Elkhorn State Park, this is a quiet shamble-shack ghost town in the deep mountains of Montana. There are several still-standing buildings, such as Fraternity Hall and Gillian Hall, as well as rusted machinery lingering beside a stunning mountainous backdrop. The site is open year-round.

Ringing Rocks of Montana

This is an entirely unique formation of boulders which plays clear, ringing tones when struck with a mallet or steel wrench.  The reason behind this phenomenon is somewhat unknown, but it’s believed the chiming noise is caused by the composition of the stones and their joining patterns as erosion wore them away. A stone removed from the rock mound no longer rings.

American Computer and Robotics Museum

Formerly known as the American Computer Museum, this fascinating, in-depth museum has carefully crafted exhibits regarding the history of computing, AI, robotics and computers, beginning with authentic cuneiform tablets and mechanical computers, eventually leading to subjects such as the Enigma code, the video-game revolution and Quantum Computing.

Berkely Pit, Butte

The massive Berkely Pit was created by the mining town that spurred the US’s copper supply from 1955 to 1982. Since then, the closed mine has become an enormous reeking hole and an environmental disaster, with some of the most toxic waters on the planet. The pit, despite being a toxic brew of heavy metal poisons including arsenic, lead, and zinc, is a popular tourist attraction.

Garnet Ghost Town, Drummond

Preserved from the 1890s, this town was a thriving gold-rush community. It eventually died off, but many of the compact log cabins remain intact, along with the ruins from an old silver mine.

Garden of One Thousand Buddhas

This is a strange garden of Eastern culture dedicated to peace, located in a mountain valley. The garden is located near Arlee, Montana and is free to enter.

Metal Mech Moose at Kalispell Montana

This is a large, neat moose sculpture standing outside the small city of Kalispell, Montana, which is known as a gateway to Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.

Montana Grizzly Encounter

This is a large mountain sanctuary dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of grizzly bears. The site offers educational programs and tours for guests.

Glacier Distilling Company Chicken

Found in the foothills of Glacier National Park, this unassuming distillery specializes in small-batch whiskey and drinks. The site offers tasting tours. Their huckleberry whiskey is a best-selling item,

Museum of the Rockies

Found in Bozeman, this is an excellent natural history museum dedicated to the fossils and creatures found around the Rocky Mountains.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park

This is a large nature preservation area which is home to a large series of limestone caverns. Note that tours of the caverns requires a certain level of fitness, as there are steep portions and the ground is somewhat wet and slippery.

Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site

This historic site pays homage to the original ranch which once stood as the headquarters for a 10 million acre cattle empire.

Custer Gallatin National Forest

A vast and beautiful nature preserve filled with stunning mountains, lush grasslands, diverse forests and a wide range of native animals.

Earth’s Treasures

This is a museum and mining-store combination found just off main street in Bozeman, Montana. The venue sells authentic ancient fossils.

Granite Ghost Town State Park

This mining down was a victim of the silver panic of 1893, when the silver industry abruptly collapsed after two decades of exploitive growth. Many of the stone and wooden structures found here are still standing.

Pictograph Cave State Park

This protected area contains three caves which are known for their rock-art and extensive deposit of ancient artifacts. Approximately 30,000 artifacts were excavated here, including stone tools, weapons and cave paintings.

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