Wild About Visiting the Prairie
Your starting point for any trip to American Prairie.
American Prairie is made up of many remarkable places. While all are open to explore, we’ve highlighted four primary visitation hubs. These core destinations offer established infrastructure, curated itineraries, and everything you need to begin your prairie adventure.
Choose by Location
Learn more about each one of these unique experiences and choose the one that aligns with your skill and what you love most about the prairie.
Start Here
Downtown LewisTown
National Discovery Center — Lewistown, MT
Your trip starts here
The best place to orient yourself before heading north. Interactive exhibits, a live black-footed ferret, the Ken Burns theater, maps, gift shop, and staff who can tell you current road conditions and what’s active on the prairie.
Downtown Lewistown — no gravel
Free admission to exhibits
Open year-round
Most Immersive
Hut Stays
The PN
Where history, rivers, and wildlife converge
Three private huts at the confluence of the Judith and Missouri Rivers. Adjacent to Judith Landing State Park. The elk rut peaks here in September.
~1 hr to Winifred, then gravel
3 private huts — book individually
Highlight: September–October elk rut
Most Accessible
Best for First-Timers
Mars Vista / Antelope Creek
An easy gateway into the wild
Right off Highway 191 — no high-clearance vehicle required. Enjoy prairie dogs, sage grouse leks, one of Montana’s best stargazing sites, interpretive hiking trail, and a Wilderness Study Area. Tipis available through Aaniiih Consulting, LLC.
Paved Highway Access
Cabins
Tipis
RV Hookups
Tent Camping
Full Bathhouse On Site
Most remote
Bison Country
Sun Prairie/Buffalo Camp
Where bison still roam
The most remote of the four properties — 2.5 hours from Lewistown, the last 50 miles on gravel. This is where the bison herd is most visible. No paved roads. Some limited cell service. A sky that earns the word vast.
High-Clearance + 4WD After Rain
Open May – October
RV Hookups
Tent Camping
Pit Toilets
Choose by Activity
Not sure which property to go to? Start with what you want to do.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Bison Viewing
Sun Prairie
A herd of several hundred bison moves across Sun Prairie. Auto-tour the property roads. Early morning and evening are best.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Wildlife Viewing
All Properties · CMR Refuge
Pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, prairie dogs, and — if you’re lucky — mountain lions and swift fox.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Birding
Mars Vista · CMR Refuge · Bowdoin
300+ bird species call this area home at least for part of the year. Sage grouse leks are active at dawn mid-March through May. Bowdoin NWR east of Malta is ideal for viewing shorebirds and pelicans.
Summer
Fall
Camping
Sun Prairie · Mars Vista · The PN
There are three ways to enjoy camping on American Prairie: backcountry dispersed, developed tent/RV sites at Buffalo Camp and Antelope Creek, and three equipped huts at the PN.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Land Snorkeling
All Properties
Move through the grass at ground level. The prairie at close range is a different place. No equipment required — just curiosity.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Hiking
All Properties · CMR Refuge
There is no marked trail system on most American Prairie land. This is cross-country walking across two-tracks and open terrain. Navigation skills recommended.
Summer
Fall
Mountain & Gravel Biking
American Prairie Two-Tracks · Prairie to Peak Loop
Remote gravel riding with no traffic, no guardrails, and no noise except wind. Outside Magazine featured the Prairie to Peak Adventure Loop in its May 2023 issue.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Auto Touring
All properties · CMR · Breaks Byway
The scale of the prairie is best understood from a vehicle. CMR Auto Tour (1.1M acres) and the Missouri Breaks Backcountry Byway are standout experiences.
Summer
Fall
River Floating
Upper Missouri · White Cliffs
The White Cliffs section (47 river miles, 3–4 days by canoe) follows the same corridor Lewis and Clark described in May 1805. Class I water.
Summer
Fall
Power Boating
Fort Peck Lake · Upper Missouri
Fort Peck Lake: 245,000 surface acres, 1,600 miles of shoreline. World-class walleye and northern pike. Multiple FWP boat launches.
SPRING
Fall
Hunting
Over 82,000 Block Mgmt Acres
American Prairie is one of Montana’s eight largest Block Management cooperators. Free public access. Pronghorn, deer, elk, upland birds. Reservations are administered by MT FWP.
Summer
Fall
Horseback Riding
All properties · Little Rockies · CMR
American Prairie land is open to horses. Little Rocky Mountains near Zortman: 40+ miles of BLM trails. Outfitters offer guided multi-day Missouri Breaks pack trips.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Kite Flying
Mars Vista · Open Prairies
There’s almost always enough wind to fly a kite here. No trees. No power lines. Just open sky and wind for approximately forever.
Summer
Fall
Stargazing
Sun Prairie · The PN · Mars Vista
One of the darkest sky corridors in the continental US. The Milky Way is often visible with the naked eye June–October.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Finding Deep Quiet
Sun Prairie · The PN
Quiet Parks International Wilderness designation. No traffic, no aircraft, no construction. Listen to the wind, meadowlarks, and your own heartbeat.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Historic Tours
Fort Benton · Judith Landing · Upper Missouri
Lewis and Clark passed through in May 1805. Judith Landing State Park is seated at the historic Judith/Missouri confluence. Bear Paw Battlefield is 2 hours to the north.
What to Know Before You Go
American Prairie is not a national park. There are no entrance booths, no rangers at the trailhead, and no guarantee of seeing wildlife on any given day. That’s not a disclaimer — it’s what makes the prairie worth visiting.
What you will find: open land, big skies, and room to roam.
What you should bring: a full tank, extra food and water, and the patience that open country rewards.
Cattle guards exist. So do fences. Cows, ranch operations, and machinery may be on the roads. Give them a wave. Give them space. This is a working landscape — real Montana, not a theme park.
Roads can be impassable when wet. Seriously. Call it off if it rained. High-clearance vehicles are recommended at most properties. 4WD required at Sun Prairie and the PN, especially after rain.
Cell service: while getting better, assume none.
Download maps before you leave.
How Access Works
American Prairie manages a mix of private land and leased public land. The surrounding landscape includes large tracts of public land, including the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the Missouri River Breaks, among others.
The vast majority of American Prairie is open year-round for the public to visit and explore without permission. We also welcome the public to cross our deeded land to access adjacent public land. Please follow posted signs regarding road status; some roads are open to non-motorized travel or ranch traffic only. Foot and horse traffic are allowed off-road. Motorized use and bikes are restricted to existing roads. Hunting on American Prairie lands requires signing up through the Block Management Program, and detailed information for each property is included on our hunting page.
