Pictograph Cave State Park - Billings, Montana

July 31

The park didn’t open until 9:00 and until they come unlock the gate you can’t get in. It’s surrounded by ranch lands so you are only allowed on the paths to the caves and the picnic area near the Visitor’s Center. It doesn’t take long to see the 3 caves and only Pictograph has drawings. There are only a few that you can see with the naked eye and binoculars help, but they really are very faded. I’ve enhanced a few of the photos to make them easier to see. Some, we never did find.

 Ghost Cave

 Ghost Cave

 Cliff Swallows

Baby Cliff Swallow in the nest

The ones done with red hematite, which is a concentrated iron ore were the easiest for me to see, but since Greg is colorblind that didn't help him a bit. I'd look at his camera screen and try to get him centered on them. The mineral would be ground up and mixed with binders such as animal fat, blood, berries and even water or urine. The charcoal pigment was carbon dated to approximately 250 B.C.

It was still a very interesting site. The park has three main caves - Pictograph, Middle, and Ghost cave. They were home to generations of prehistoric hunters. The caves were carved from the Eagle sandstone cliff by the forces of water and wind. The first recorded discovery of artifacts and paintings in the caves was made in 1936.

 walkway to the next caves

 Middle Cave

 Middle Cave

 Middle Cave

 there was a Mule Deer very close to the walkway eating the shrub

 walking to the Ghost Cave

 Ghost Cave

 views from the top

 tree growing out of the side of the cliff

 notice the concretions in the Ghost Cave

 views from the top

fall colors?!? It's July!

Since the visitor’s center didn’t open for an hour after the park opens, we did the cave trail and then visited the center and watched their film and looked at the painting on the wall that showed the Pictograph Cave when it was not faded. We then went back up to the cave and found a couple more drawings, but still couldn’t find all of them.

 Grouse - we took a picture since we see them, but have never gotten a photo

 photo of the original pictographs before they faded

 Cliff Swallow feeding her baby

 Pictograph Cave

We of course found a few birds. There were tons of Cliff Swallows and pigeons nesting on the sides of the cliffs.

 Savannah Sparrow

 Savannah Sparrow

juvenile European Starling

Then we had lunch at Grains of Montana. (a bit like a Panera Bread, but a larger menu) It was quite good.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gdTPcigCLnrswgdLA

Then, we shopped for some groceries and headed home to get ready to travel to Cody, Wyoming for 8 nights for our Yellowstone National Park visit.