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Categories: Arts & Culture; Sports & Recreation; Outdoor Adventures; History & Heritage; Local Highlights
Overview. Hoping to escape the constraints of the newly formed reservation system and join forces with the Crow Indians in Montana, Chief Joseph led a band of Nez Perce east from Idaho in August of 1877. Colonel John Gibbon and the Seventh Infantry had other plans, though. They tracked the Nez Perce through the Bitterroot Valley and into the Big Hole area, falling upon the Indian camp while the tribe slept. The Nez Perce fought valiantly; US casualties were initially high, but when the dust of the battle settled the Nez Perce had suffered a greater loss. More than half of the Indian dead were women, children, and the elderly. Chief Joseph surrendered 57 days later near the Canadian border.
What to see and do. There is a small museum at the visitor center with artifacts from the battle and the Indian encampment on display. There are scheduled audiovisual programs and interactive demonstrations at the visitor center, as well. Ranger led tours are offered twice a day to the soldier and Nez perce camps during the summer. Self-guiding brochures are also available that lead you through the 655 acre battlefield. There are picnic areas at the park, and fishing is allowed with a Montana fishing license. All state regulations apply. Camping is available ten miles west of the Big Hole National Battlefield at the U.S. Forest Service's May Creek Campground.
The visitor center is open from 9am to 5pm daily, but hours may vary in the summer. The battlefield is located in southwest Montana, about ten miles west of Wisdom.
Seasonal Alert. The road to the battle area is closed with the first snow of the season.
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Please call ahead to confirm details. We do our best to give you current information, but facts can change. Please let us know if you find something's changed.
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