Madison Buffalo Jump State Park

Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a Montana state park located seven miles south of the Interstate 90 interchange at Logan in Gallatin County, Montana in the United States. The park preserves a canyon cliff used by Native Americans as a buffalo jump, where herds of bison were stampeded over the cliff as an efficient means of slaughter.[4] The main geographic features of the jump site remain largely unchanged since the days of the jumps. Archaeologists have found tons of bison bones buried at the base of the cliffs. They have also uncovered the remains of tipi villages.[5]

Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Interpretive tablets facing the cliff
Map showing the location of Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Map showing the location of Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Location in Montana
LocationGallatin County, Montana, United States
Nearest townLogan, Montana
Coordinates45°47′40″N 111°27′45″W[1]
Area638 acres (258 ha)[2]
Elevation4,554 ft (1,388 m)[1]
DesignationMontana state park
Established1966[3]
Named forA buffalo jump in the Madison River valley
AdministratorMontana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
WebsiteMadison Buffalo Jump State Park

History
The Madison Buffalo Jump, Logan, Montana

The buffalo jump at Madison Buffalo Jump State Park was used by numerous Native American tribes for approximately 2000 years, dating as far back as 500 B.C. and ending around 1750 A.D.[6] The indigenous peoples stampeded the herds of bison off the cliff without the aid of horses or guns.[7] They used the bison for food, clothing, provisions and shelter.[5] The bison were forced into a stampede by young men known as runners. The runners were trained for endurance and speed.[5] The bison were also forced into groups by linear cairns and logs that were placed to funnel the bison into specific locations on areas in behind the cliff face.[8] The introduction of the horse to North America by European explorers and settlers brought about the end of the buffalo jumps.[5] The State park has not changed much over the years; bone shards are still scattered at the base of the cliff and tepee rings still gather around the top.[9]

The buffalo jump along the Madison River was used by numerous tribes including the Hidatsa, Shoshone, Lakota, Dakota, Nez Perce, Bannock, Arapaho, Salish, Cheyenne, Blackfeet, Crow, Gros Ventres, Cree and Assiniboine.[6] The families of the runners from the tribes would camp at the base of the cliffs. From there they were able to process the bison. The meat was used for food and the meat that was not eaten right away was dried.[10] Skins were used for tipis and horns and bones were used for various types of tools.[10]

State park

The park is 638 acres (258 ha) of which the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation owns 617 acres, with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks owning the remaining acreage.[2] There is a small picnic area near the parking lot. An interpretive hiking trail leads visitors to the top of the cliff. Madison Buffalo Jump State Park is a day-use park, open year-round for hiking, wildlife observation, and limited picnicking.[4]

References
  1. "Madison Buffalo Jump State Monument". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "FWP votes to retain Madison Buffalo Jump State Park after receiving Metcalf grant". Billings Gazette. February 14, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  3. "Park Origin by Date". Montana State Parks. 2014. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  4. "Madison Buffalo Jump State Park". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  5. "Madison Buffalo Jump State Park". Montana Official Travel Site. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  6. "Introduction to Madison Buffalo Jump and Bison in American Indian Cultures" (PDF). Indian Education: Montana Office of Public Instruction. p. 6. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  7. Bray, Thomas (July 19, 2006). "Where the Bison Roam". New York Sun. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  8. Nielsen, John (November 16, 2006). "Writers preserve American Landscape Words". National Public Radio. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  9. McRae, W. C. & Judy Jewell. "Madison Buffalo Jump State Monument". Moon Travel Guides. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  10. "Madison Buffalo Jump". Lewis & Clark in Montana. Travel Montana. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
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