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State Parks and Recreation Board votes to acquire historic Judith Landing property • Daily Montanan [1]
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Date: 2024-12-20
The State Parks and Recreation Board on Friday voted unanimously to approve the acquisition of a property at the confluence of the Missouri and Judith rivers that will become Montana’s 56th state park.
“The park holds significant cultural and historical value, as you all know, including its connections to indigenous communities, early exploration and importantly, Montana’s rich ranching heritage, these elements have shaped the region’s identity and economy over centuries,” said Megan Buecking, Executive Director of the Montana State Parks Foundation, which is donating the property to the state. “The preservation of these landmarks, including the historic ranch structures, will provide an opportunity for education and reflection on the area’s rich history, making the park a key resource for cultural learning and appreciation.”
The 109.43-acre property was previously part of a 47,000-acre unit of land known as the PN Ranch owned by American Prairie. The organization had identified the parcel’s historical and cultural significance when it purchased the larger property in 2016. In November, American Prairie announced the donation of the 109 acres to the Foundation with the intent of preserving the area for the public.
The Foundation previously helped raise funds toward the creation of the state’s 55th park, Somers Beach State Park, which FWP acquired in 2021, and this spring purchased and donated a 26-acre property to the state to expand Missouri Headwaters State Park.
In the draft environmental assessment developed by FWP in advance of the Dec. 20 State Parks and Recreation Board meeting, a snippet of the area’s history is laid out as the “impetus behind the proposed acquisition and subsequent development.”
The area around the confluence of the two rivers is known to have been used as a seasonal campground and burial site for Native peoples, was a documented campsite for members of the the Lewis and Clark expedition, and was the site of the discovery of the first dinosaur fossils in the western hemisphere in 1855.
The land was subsequently used as U.S. Army camp and then as a cattle ranch at the start of the 20th century. A 1901 ranch house still sits on the site, along with a few older structures including a blacksmith building, schoolhouse and old post office.
Bill Schenk, FWP Land and Water Administrator, told the board that the history of this area is “quite rich.”
“I know the park staff is looking forward to the opportunity to highlight and bring that information, make it available to the public with the interpretive opportunities that are at this site,” Schenk said.
While the property is a donation, FWP will reimburse the Foundation for around $17,000 in expenses related to the acquisition. In addition, FWP will seek funding to develop the park to the proposed “rustic service level” — a designation that includes only limited amenities and self-directed visitor experience — in House Bill 5 during the 2025 legislative session.
“In reviewing the history in this one little site, it encompasses all of Montana,” board member Kathy Mclane said. “It’s a phenomenal value.”
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