Big Hole National Battlefield Big Hole National Battlefield is a memorial to the people who fought and died here on August 9 and 10, 1877; combatants in a five month conflict that came to be called the Nez Perce War of 1877. Like other Indian Wars in the late 1800's, the Nez Perce War involved two very different groups with very different outlooks on land rights, civilian authority, government powers, social organization, and the responsibilities of the individuals to society. In 1992, legislation incorporated Big Hole National Battlefield with Nez Perce National Historical Park, making it part of a unique park consisting of 38 different sites located in five states; Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Big Sheep Creek This isolated, spectacular mountain valley is a narrow canyon with a good dirt road that often provides exceptional opportunities to view bighorn sheep and other wildlife.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, following the construction of the Yellowtail Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. This dam, named after the famous Crow chairman Robert Yellowtail, harnessed the waters of the Bighorn River and turned this variable stream into a magnificent lake.
Bighorn Lake extends approximately 60 miles through Wyoming and Montana, 55 miles of which are held within spectacular Bighorn Canyon. The Recreation Area is composed of 70,000+ acres, which straddles the northern Wyoming and southern Montana borders. There are two visitor centers and other developed facilities in Fort Smith, Montana and near Lovell, Wyoming. The Afterbay Lake below the Yellowtail Dam is a good spot for trout fishing and wildlife viewing for ducks, geese and other animals. The Bighorn River below the Afterbay Dam is a world class trout fishing area.
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a lesser known treasure waiting to be discovered. It boasts breath-taking scenery, countless varieties of wildlife, and abundant recreational opportunities, such as boating, fishing, ice fishing, camping, and hiking. Bighorn Canyon offers visitors what few other National Park areas can, that of solitude, serenity, and beauty. In the midst of our chaotic world, this is a truly unique quality.
Bitterroot National Forest The Bitterroot National Forest occupies 1.6 million acres in the Northern Rocky Mountains, surrounding the Bitterroot Valley in west central Montana and a portion of the Selway River drainage in east central Idaho. National Forest lands begin in the foothills above the Bitterroot River Valley and extend into the Bitterroot Mountain range to the west and the Sapphire mountain range to the east.
Black Coulee NWR Black Coulee NWR is a 1,494-acre refuge located north of Dodson in northeastern Blaine County, Montana. A portion of the refuge was purchased with migratory bird funds, and technically is a Waterfowl Production Area. This unstaffed station contains one large retention reservoir with a newly-replaced water control structure and reconstructed concrete/rubble spillway. A portion of the refuge is under easement only.The western portion of the unit is managed strictly as a NWR and is mostly low-quality native range. The unit can receive large amounts of snow melt in some years, but also has been dry during periods of drought. Black Coulee Reservoir has received considerable siltation from adjacent agricultural lands, which has reduced water capacity and the ability to carry water over for a number of years.The refuge is managed primarily as a resting and nesting place for migratory birds. The area also has resident wildlife such as prong horns and raptors. Some riparian wildlife species can be found around the reservoir.
Bowdoin NWR Bowdoin NWR is a 15,551-acre refuge located in the Milk River Valley of Phillips County in north central Montana. The refuge is approximately half water and half uplands, with the uplands comprised mostly of native short and mid grass prairie. Bowdoin has a history of overgrazing by livestock and sheep, but there has been no grazing on Bowdoin since the mid 1970's. Bowdoin NWR's primary objective is to preserve and enhance resting, feeding and nesting habitat for migratory birds. The refuge attracts migrating waterfowl by the thousands and also provides nesting habitat for breeding ducks and geese. The refuge is managed for migratory birds, and has a Mayfield duck nesting success of 50-60 percent. Colonial nesting birds are also important, with large colonies of American white pelican, double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, eared grebe, Franklin's gull, black-crowned night heron, and white-faced ibis. The refuge also has nearly 70 threatened, endangered, candidate, or species of special concern present during at least part of the year. The piping plover has nested on the refuge, and concentrations of 150 bald eagles have been documented at Bowdoin in spring. The Baird's sparrow is an important candidate species, and Bowdoin is leading the work effort for this species and its role in grassland ecosystem efforts for the ecosystem management team. The area is equally important for a variety of resident and migrant wildlife, including raptors, white-tailed deer, prong horns, coyotes, colonial nesting water birds, and many grassland nesting songbirds. Water quality is a major problem at Bowdoin. Lake Bowdoin has become a large evaporative basin with salt accumulations reaching quite high levels during low water periods. Discharging salty water into Beaver Creek is regulated by the State of Montana.
