POMPEYS PILLAR NATIONAL MONUMENT
Pompeys Pillar is one of the most famous sandstone buttes in America. It bears the only remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which appears on the trail today as it did 204 years ago. On the face of the 150-foot butte, Captain William Clark carved his name on July 25, 1806, during his return to the United States through the beautiful Yellowstone Valley in Montana.
Clark named the Pillar Pomp's Tower. Pomp was Clark's nickname for young Baptiste Charbonneau, infant son of Sacagawea, the Shoshoni woman who accompanied the expedition and contributed greatly to its success. The name was changed to Pompeys Pillar when an account of the Expedition was published by Nicolas Biddle in 1814.
This rock I ascended and from it's top had a most extensive view in every direction on the Northerly Side of the river high romantic Clifts approach & jut over the water for some distance both above and below...I marked my name and the day of the month and year.
William Clark
Pompeys Pillar Lewis and Clark
Pompeys Pillar National Monument is a rock formation located in south central Montana, United States. Designated a National Monument on January 17, 2001, and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, it consists of only 51 acres (21 ha), making it one of the smallest National Monuments in the U.S. It was previously designated a National Historic Landmark on July 25, 1965.[1]
The pillar itself stands 150 feet (45 m) above the Yellowstone River and consists of sandstone from the late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation, 75--65 million years ago. The base of the pillar is approximately 1 acre (0.4 ha).
The pillar features an abundance of Native American petroglyphs, as well as the signature of William Clark, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Clark's inscription is the only remaining physical evidence found along the route that was followed by the expedition.
The inscription consists of his signature and the date, July 25, 1806. Clark wrote that he climbed the sandstone pillar and had a most extensive view in every direction on the Northerly Side of the river. He named the outcropping after Jean Baptiste Charbonneau—the son of expedition member Sacagawea—whom he nicknamed Pompy. His original name for it was Pompys Tower; it was changed to the current title in 1814.
Situated 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Billings, Montana, along Interstate 94, the pillar gets 50,000 visitors annually. Archeological evidence suggests that the outcropping has been witness to 11,000 years of human involvement in the area. Consequently, in addition to the pictographs and the signature of William Clark, hundreds of other people have carved their initials into the rock, including early pioneers to the area.
Hardin KOA Hardin Montana
The Hardin KOA is located in the beautiful Big Sky Country, near where Lt. Co. George Custer made his last stand. We invite you to stay with us while visiting our area's many attractions. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument/Museum, Pompey's Pillar National Monument,
Medicine Rocks State Park
In the southeastern corner of Montana, just north of Ekalaka are the great sandstone pillars of Medicine Rocks State Park. As its name implies, Medicine Rocks was a place of big medicine where Indian hunting parties conjured up magical spirits. One of the parks first tourist in the late 1800's, a young rancher and future U.S. president, Teddy Roosevelt wrote; As fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen,.
Weathering has given the soft sandstone rock formations a swiss-cheese look carved by time, water, and wind. Around 65 million years ago, much of Montana was covered by a vast, tropical sea. What today is eastern Montana was at the sea's edge. Some geologist theorize that a sandy river emptied into the sea here and other suggest that sand dunes are the origins of the Medicine Rocks. Whatever the source these geographic marvels compacted under the pressure of their own weight, eventually turning to stone. Then the relentless winds sweeping off the prairies carved away at the stone creating fascinating columns, buttes, spires and pillars.
Early visitors to Medicine Rock State Park left their mark on the park. Encased in fossilized form can be seen the remanents of ancient turtles, small mammals, mollusks, and palm trees in the ancient sandstone formations. Archaeologist also have found Indian tools, weapons, and tipi rings in the park. This unique park is 330 acres in size and is at an elevation of 3,379 feet.
LEWIS & CLARK CAVERNS: VISITOR CENTER
Outside view from the visitor center of the Cave Mountain where the caverns are located, on the last day of official guided tour, Sept. 30, 2013. The state park is Montana's first and best-known park featuring one of the most decorated limestone caverns in the northwest USA. Above ground weather todate: 57*F, rainy and windy; underground inside caverns: 50*+ constant all year round! It's a two-hour, two-mile hike into and inside the caverns; did the 9:30 AM guided tour with seasoned state park guide Derrick. Info: visitmt.com, (Equipment: Samsung SMX-F40 digicam with 65x intellizoom Schneider-Kreuznach lens, 640x480 res., handheld, super windy condition)
Holiday Inn Express Billings - Billings, Montana
Hotel and Resort photography & video by PhotoWeb (photowebusa.com)
Centrally based less than a day's drive from scenic attractions like Yellowstone National Park and Pompey's Pillar, our hotel's accommodations in Billings, Montana provide a premium place for outdoor adventurers and vacationers. Business travelers appreciate the Holiday Inn Express® Billings, MT hotel's location just off Interstate 90 and near the I-90/1-94 junction.
If you're staying in Billings, lodging with us gives you quick access to great attractions like ZooMontana, the only zoo and botanical garden in the state. We're eight miles from Geyser Park Family Fun Center and three miles from MetraPark, where guests enjoy performances ranging from motorsports to country music concerts.
Corporate visitors can rest easy knowing that we're only minutes from the Deaconess Hospital, Billings Livestock Auction Yard and both the ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips refineries. We also invite you to utilize the well-equipped Business Center and free Internet access, so you can catch up with work from any of the hotel's comfortable rooms.
The complimentary, hot Express Start Breakfast Bar provides just what you need to get going with delicious items like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and our signature cinnamon rolls. Afterwards, burn off energy in the indoor pool and whirlpool or in the Fitness Center. When it comes to hotels in Billings, Montana, lodging with us means you can Stay Smart.
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Hotel and Resort photography & video by PhotoWeb (photowebusa.com). PhotoWeb's Virtual Tours, videos, Digital Stills & Worldwide Distribution allow clients to put their most powerful media where the booking decisions are being made. With superior technology and the highest quality custom content available, viewers are guaranteed to be impressed. Photo Web has been providing cutting edge imaging services since 1996. With offices in the US, UK, Australia, Japan, India, and Colombia, PhotoWeb provides services worldwide. For further information, please contact sales@photowebusa.com or tel: 614-882-3499.
U.S. National Parks Road Trip 2017
July 23, 2017 - August 10, 2017
4,750 mile road trip over 19 days including 6 National Parks, 5 National Monuments, and 1 State Park.
In order I saw them:
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Devils Tower National Monument
Wind Cave National Park
Mount Rushmore National Monument
Crazy Horse Monument
Badlands National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Glacier National Park
Palouse Falls State Park
Music: Heal, by Kristofferson
Backroads of Montana: Episode 26 - Kilns & Kin (2006)
Episode #26 of Backroads of Montana hosted by Montana TV & Radio personality, William Marcus.
The Backroads crew travels along as family and friends gather near Lodge Grass to move animals onto summer range; we visit some abandoned beehive charcoal kilns west of Melrose -- all that's left of one of Montana's earliest and most productive gold smelters; we find the exact geographic center of the state near Lewistown; and visit with a woman who's maintaining her family's connection to the African-American history of the Miles City area. William Marcus hosts the program from a barber shop in Columbus.
Program Update
Johnnie Thomas, the woman who researched her family's connection to the African-American history of the Miles City area, died from cancer on January 31, 2008.
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Wild Time 3 - Montana to Arizona Full Time RV Travel
Our Wild Time video series is a way for us to periodically let viewers know where we're at and what we're doing. This episode features talk about our travels from Montana to Arizona.
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Wild America II
We took a 20 Day 5,200 mile trip from Austin, Texas to Glacier National Park and back - the long way. Visiting The Grand Canyon, The Painted Desert, Bryce Canyon National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Glacier National Park, Kintla Lake, Ghost Town in Comet, Montana, Pompey's Pillar, Independence Rock, Denver, Colorado, Cadillac Ranch, and much more.
We hope this video will educate and inspire anyone interested in traveling to this exciting and majestic side of the country. As they say 'A picture doesn't do the landscape any justice'.