Billings, Montana

Visited July 19 - 23, 2021

By Marty

Unbeknownst to us when we made the reservation the Billings KOA is the very first KOA, established in 1962! There are over 500 KOA's in the US and Canada.  We stay at KOA's quite often.

Should it be of interest to you, here is the KOA story: The KOA Campground founding story

They have set a high bar at this campground. Even the tents have air conditioning! (well, this one did.)

Sure, it needs some work, but it has potential!

A couple of gray bunnies hopping around downtown Billings.  Not your usual bunny coloring.

Along the northern edge of Billings run the Rimrocks, geological rimrock sandstone formations. There are hiking trails along the top from which you get a nice view (even with the smoke).

About an hour southeast of Billings is Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

From the NPS pamphlet:

"Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life. Here in the valley of the Little Bighorn River on two hot June days in 1876, more than 260 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army met defeat and death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Among the dead were Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and every member of his immediate command. Although the Indians won the battle, they subsequently lost the war against the military's efforts to end their independent, nomadic way of life."

For more on the Battle of the Little Bighorn:

Context and Story of the Battle of the Little Bighorn

It's nice to see park rangers giving talks and visitor centers open again in the National Park Service system!

The remains of about 220 soldiers, scouts, and civilians are buried around the base of the 7th Cavalry Memorial on the top of Last Stand Hill.

The white marble headstones scattered over the battlefield denote where the slain troopers were found and originally buried. In 1881 they were reinterred in a single grave on this site.

The officers' remains were removed in 1877 to various cemeteries throughout the country. Custer was buried at West Point.

The black background tombstone in the center of the photo is that of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.

In the 1990's an Indian Memorial was authorized by Congress to honor the Native Americans who struggled to preserve and defend their homeland and traditional way of life.

An hour southwest of Billings is the Beartooth Highway. The Beartooth Highway is designated a National Scenic Byways All-American Road. Charles Kuralt (for you old timers) described this byway as "the most beautiful drive in America." The highway runs 67 miles from Red Lodge, MT to the northeast entrance to Yellowstone NP in Wyoming.

The road is a popular ride for bikers. While in Cody, WY we noticed many, many touring bikers. There are several scenic highways within a short drive of Cody (Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and Beartooth Highway)

We drove about 60 miles of the highway and then drove it in reverse (that is to say, in the opposite direction - we did NOT back up the whole way). The photo above, as smoky as it is, was taken at 11:08 a.m.

This photo, taken from almost the same spot as the photo above it, was taken four hours later at 3:04 p.m. Smoky skies have been our constant companion since July 7th.

This photo from the web shows you the incredible views from the Beartooth Highway sans smoke. Janell and I agreed to come back someday, before the fire season starts, to really enjoy these amazing views! 

You may have seen these CruiseAmerica rental RV's with the cute dog looking out the window.

Apparently that cute pup has been dognapped (or is he just on vacation?) We spotted him at a construction delay on the Beartooth Highway.  He doesn't seem upset about the situation.

Some pretty serious roadwork underway. The Beartooth Highway doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend and usually closes in mid October, depending on snowfall. This only gives them 4+ months to complete roadwork projects.

This big beam is being readied to...

...be placed across this gulch.

This Front Loader is being driven by...

...this young lady

Did you know that Wyoming (half of the Beartooth Highway is in Wyoming) is known as the Equality State? This excerpt from travelwyoming.com explains why:

Though lovingly referred to as the “Cowboy State,” Wyoming’s true nickname is the “Equality State.” And for good reason. On December 10, 1869, Wyoming, a US territory at the time, passed the first unconditional law in the U.S. permanently guaranteeing women their inherent right to vote and hold office.

On September 6, 1870, in Laramie, Wyoming, Louisa Swain made history by becoming the first woman in the world to cast an electoral ballot under laws giving women full civil and political equality with men. These same laws were never changed even as Wyoming was admitted to the Union in 1890.

And those weren’t the only female firsts that took place in Wyoming. The first female governor was elected in Wyoming and the nation’s first woman to be appointed to public office was done so in South Pass City, Wyoming. In addition, the Equality State is home to the first female jurors, the world’s first female bailiff and the first town that was governed entirely by women.

When invited to join the Union only if women’s suffrage was revoked, Wyoming’s legislature said, “We will remain out of the Union one hundred years rather than come in without the women.” In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state.

The Bear family returning from a drive on the Beartooth Highway

Winner of the best sign graphic award in the Fly & Tackle shop category!