Phillips County: Nature and History

If you’re looking for a hotel in Phillips County, you can tailor your trip planning to your interests. Wildlife watching, fishing, hiking, and dinosaur history offer different ways to explore the area. Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge and Trafton Trail offer nature experiences; the Phillips County Museum and H.G. Robinson House showcase different aspects of the region’s cultural heritage. Nelson Reservoir, Burnt Lodge WSA, and Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs also provide specific options to consider as you plan.

Wildlife Watching and Exploring the Water

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge uses the Milk River Valley’s water supply system to provide valuable wetland habitat for birds throughout the seasons. Activities available there include wildlife watching, photography, sightseeing, hiking, and hunting. A self-guided auto tour begins near the refuge headquarters. The auto tour offers year-round opportunities to view wildlife and habitats from your vehicle.

The refuge is open for public use from sunrise to sunset. During hunting season, hunters may use the area beginning two hours before sunrise and after sunset as well. This exception applies to hunting. If you decide to visit, you can weigh a drive for wildlife viewing against the other activities mentioned.

Nelson Reservoir covers 4,320 acres of water and has 30 miles of shoreline. Fishing is available for walleye, yellow perch, and northern pike. Facilities at the reservoir include a concrete boat ramp, a campground, and picnic shelters. Since facilities may change, it’s a good idea to check their condition before your trip.

Trails and Scenery at Burnt Lodge WSA

At Burnt Lodge WSA, the terrain is shaped by parallel ridges formed by coulees and steep canyons. Exposed shale and sandstone form badlands features, interspersed with prairie vegetation and occasional stands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Activities mentioned for the area include hiking, backpacking, primitive camping, wildlife watching, photography, and horseback riding.

A publicly accessible trail at Cart Trail Coulee provides the start of the access route. After the trail ends, the hike continues cross-country over BLM land. Getting there requires driving more than 50 miles on unpaved roads. Washouts and muddy “gumbo” can affect conditions; four-wheel drive and high clearance are recommended. Road conditions can change seasonally. Take this specific approach into account when planning, rather than treating the hike as equivalent to the auto tour at the refuge: the two offer different ways to experience the landscape.

Dinosaurs and Cultural Heritage

The Phillips County Museum preserves the region’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage. Its exhibits include the 33-foot skeleton of “Elvis,” a Brachylophosaurus. The museum also features an interactive display of a 700-pound Apatosaurus thigh bone. The dinosaur exhibits are presented alongside historical displays about mining, Indigenous peoples, the military, medicine, outlaws, ranching, and settlement history. The museum is also a member of the Montana Dinosaur Trail.

Another point of historical interest is Sleeping Buffalo Rock, an ancient object revered for its spiritual and religious significance. The rock overlooks a historic ford on the Milk River known as Cree Crossing and offers a panoramic view of the river valley. Sleeping Buffalo Rock is located in a three-sided protective structure along U.S. Highway 2. Check the roadside conditions in person before planning a stop.

The restored H.G. Robinson House dates to 1903. It is just east of the museum, next to a “Walk through time” garden. Tours are available by request; arrange an appointment before your visit. The museum and house therefore offer different ways to explore the region’s heritage, from exhibits on natural history and dinosaurs to a restored historic building.

Trail, Hot Springs, and Golf

Trafton Trail is a one-mile nature trail. It runs near the Milk River and offers opportunities to observe birds, rabbits, and deer. Its proximity to the river and the wildlife viewing opportunities mentioned make the trail different from the cross-country access route that continues beyond the trail in Burnt Lodge WSA.

Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs draws its water from a 3,200-foot-deep well that supplies water at 108 degrees. The facility includes a main pool, a hot tub, and a sauna. Since facility details may change, check them before your trip. Marian Hills Golf Course is a challenging public 9-hole course on the southern edge of Malta. Check in advance for current operating information.

Malta and Getting Around the Region

Malta is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 191. From there, direct road connections lead to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as to the U.S.–Canada border at the Port of Morgan. Amtrak offers daily passenger rail service to Malta; check the connection before you travel. Malta is considered the center of this agricultural community and the heart of Montana’s “Dinosaur Country.”

The area’s size also offers a sense of Phillips County: it encompasses approximately 1.6 million acres of public land and 1.7 million acres of intermingled private and state land. These approximate figures and the mix of land ownership describe the county’s geographic context, while each of the places mentioned offers its own focus for trip planning.

Explore more destinations: Malta, Wheatland County, Big Horn County, Stillwater County, Cascade, Ravalli County, Daniels County, Custer County.

For the broader travel overview: Montana.