By Suzanne Waring
While planning your Montana sight-seeing trips for this coming season, you might investigate visiting the American Prairie in northeastern Montana. The purpose of making this trip would be two-fold: it provides recreational activities while also offering a trove of learning experiences. The American Prairie (also previously known as the American Prairie Reserve) has been created for visitor enjoyment as well as preservation of an important ecosystem.
First, you say, what is the American Prairie? In 1999, a group of scientists, including researchers from the Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund, published a study indicating that temperate grasslands are among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. Large-scale temperate grassland ecosystems remain only in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Patagonia, and the Northern Great Plains. Something had to be done to preserve this precious ecosystem in its natural state. In 2001, the Prairie Foundation was created to do just that.
Over the years, landowners in northeastern Montana have supported preservation of the prairie through stewardship of the land, protecting this special place that is largely unplowed and intact. American Prairie now works alongside such landowners, federal agencies, and tribal nations to ensure that Montana’s grassland and wildlife are protected into the future and accessible to the public. Presently, American Prairie is made up of 140,552 deeded acres, and the total area that is managed is 527,068 acres.
“Through our organization, we buy private land at market value, when it is available, and open it to the public while we simultaneously work to restore biodiversity. Those properties that are adjacent to existing public land, such as the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, are prioritized because our goal is to connect 3.2 million public and private acres, which is enough to support a healthy prairie ecosystem,” said Corrie Williamson, Community Outreach Director, who works out of the Lewistown office.
American Prairie provides critical habitat for a variety of species and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the land as it was when the Indigenous people hunted for buffalo and Lewis and Clark first explored the region.
As you are planning your vacation, determine the logistics of your trip by browsing the American Prairie website: start with americanprairie.org/plan-your-trip. The Internet site will tell you about accommodations, whether a hotel in a nearby community, a campsite for your RV or tent, or huts in three different locations. Reservations must be made for the shelter huts and cabins, and it is advised to make reservations for a campsite.
The website also gives an in-depth history of the American Prairie and the duties of the forty-some people who work there. You can also write to request an American Prairie Map and Guide to American Prairie, P.O. Box 908, Bozeman, MT 59771.
The American Prairie provides a home to two herds of bison. A team of employees keep the bison fenced and healthy. The herds have grown large enough that every year bison are given away to conservation groups and Indigenous Tribes who want to start their own herds, and some are available for harvest through a public lottery system.
You will want to visit the American Prairie’s National Discovery Center that is the gateway to the prairie landscape. It is located at 302 West Main in Lewistown, Montana. The Exhibit Hall includes interactive exhibits, and the Night Sky Theater explores the nuances of the prairie ecosystem. The Talpin’s Children’s Center gives children their own place to play and learn about the prairie. The Ken Burns American Heritage Theater offers a variety of films that introduce visitors to the American Prairie, its mission, and the prairie ecosystem. The center is open Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and by appointment. Employees at the Center will help you with the ways you want to explore the prairie, whether it involves hiking, bicycling, car tours, photography, or hunting.
From the Discovery Center in Lewistown, head north on Highway 191 to the American Prairie lands. Even if you aren’t camping, stop at the Antelope Creek Campground where an interpretive trail leads you to a settler’s cabin and a pond where waterfowl are found. Along the way, interpretive signs provide information about the shortgrass and sagebrush prairie. The spectacular view provides take-home memories of the vast vistas.
During the summer, field studies and activities are held at various locations on the American Prairie. A partner to the American Prairie is the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, that have their own programs. You might see the artist in residence out in the countryside, painting a view of the beautiful landscapes or researchers, monitoring buffalo.
“Come see us. The Discovery Center and our properties are open all year,” says Williamson. “Observe early spring bird migration, or you might get to see pronghorn fawns or bison calves being born. The prairie wildflower blooms are prolific during the last of May through most of July. The elk rut in September, and in October the fall colors will take your breath away.” Williamson notes that these lands are far from the beaten path and can make you feel as if you are the only person honored with seeing the swells of hills bright with sunshine or dark in shadows rolling toward the mountains for miles and miles.
The American Prairie is unparalleled for exploring natural landscapes. And yes, we Montanans are fortunate that it is part of our state. You won’t want to miss seeing the “back to nature” aspects of the American Prairie! MSN