Prairie Dog Town

   ~Montana State Parks

This week's featured State Park is Greycliff Prairie Dog Town  located at Old US Hwy 10 Greycliff, MT.Located just off interstate 90 in Southeast Montana, Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park is the perfect stop on a family road trip! 

Greycliff is protected and preserved through the joint efforts of Montana State Parks, the Nature Conservancy and the Montana Department of Transportation

The black-tailed prairie dog, which calls this park home, is only one of five different species of prairie dogs! Within the Greycliff colony, the prairie dogs have a “coterie” which is like a prairie dog family. Each coterie consists of an adult male, three adult females and their offspring under two years old.  If you’re planning to visit, you’re more likely to see these active creatures on a mild winter or cool summer day as they tend to hide when it’s too cold or hot. 

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park is located in southeast Montana. The site is 98 acres in size and is situated at 3,600 feet in elevation. This black-tailed prairie dog community is protected and preserved through the efforts of the Nature Conservancy, the Montana Departments of Transportation and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Interpretive displays help to tell the story of these small, entertaining creatures. Visitors are reminded not to feed, touch, or harass the prairie dogs. The parking area at the park, ideal for viewing the prairie dogs, is ADA accessible and pets are allowed but MUST BE ON LEASH. A golf course is located nearby in Big Timber and also five museums.

Did you know?

Prairie dogs have an important ecological significance! They create habitats that provide prey, shelter, and forage for many animals, including black-footed ferrets, burrowing owls and mountain plovers. 

Planning a stop? You’ll find: 

✅ A picnic area is conveniently located at the entrance of the park, but remember, do NOT feed the prairie dogs! These are still wild animals whose diet is specifically adapted to natural food NOT human food. 

✅ Interpretive displays help visitors to understand prairie dogs and the role they play in our ecosystem. 

✅ The landscape makes for beautiful photography. 

✅ Wildlife abounds here, see how many different creatures you can spot!

Prairie dogs are very talkative and are known to have at least 11 different calls!

Black-tailed prairie dogs typically dig 15 to 40 burrow entrances per acre, which means in the 98-acre state park, there are between 1,470-3,920 burrow entrances!

These prairie dogs build a complex burrow, which can be up to seven feet deep and 25 feet long, and includes a listening chamber, dry chamber, regular chamber, and toilet, all of which serve different functions.