Pompeys Pillar National Monument and Visitor Center
Pompeys Pillar National Monument is a remarkable testament to human history, showcasing hundreds of markings, petroglyphs, and inscriptions that create a living journal of the American West. For over 11,000 years, many peoples celebrated this sandstone outcrop as a landmark and outstanding observation point, with explorer William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition leaving his mark alongside countless others.
Visit the Monument and climb the boardwalk to the top of the pillar, learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition and more at the Visitor Center, and enjoy the picturesque riverside grounds and trails.
Hours and Seasons
The monument is open May through September, with exact operating dates varying annually.
For summer 2025, the Monument gates are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Wednesdays. The Visitor Center is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. When the Monument gate is closed, visitors may still walk the ¾ miles to the site during daylight hours.
Additional Information
- Activities
Recommended activities during a visit to Pompeys Pillar National Monument include:
Experience the Pillar: Pompeys Pillar is a solitary sandstone formation that spans about 2 acres at its base and rises 120 feet into Montana's Big Sky. Follow the boardwalk up the Pillar to see Captain William Clark’s famous signature and hundreds of other etchings and petroglyphs carved into the sandstone. The boardwalk – which extends to the top of the pillar – is approximately 1,000 feet long and includes about 200 steps.
Explore the Visitor Center: Exhibits illuminate the journey of Captain Clark and his detachment, including Sacagawea and her son Pomp, down the Yellowstone River Valley in 1806. The center also addresses native cultures, flora and fauna, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Numerous J.K. Ralston paintings and sketches are on permanent display, and a tipi, replica canoes, and a homesteader’s farm can be explored on the grounds outside.
Enjoy the Grounds: Adjacent to the Yellowstone River and shaded by large trees, the grounds around the Visitor Center are ideal for picnicking and relaxing. Paved walkways connect to picnic tables and grassy lawns. In addition, numerous mowed trails ranging from 0.1 to 1 mile in length extend along the river corridor and through mixed grass prairie. Please help us to be good neighbors by respecting private property adjacent to the trails.
Watch the Welcome Video for more information about a visit to the monument.
- Features and Services
Access and parking: The Visitor Center has a large, paved parking area that can accommodate some oversized vehicles such as buses and RVs.
Day Use Only: Overnight camping is prohibited within the Monument.
Cell service is generally good, depending on the provider. Public internet is not available.
Toilets: Four vault toilets are available; two are on the north side of the parking lot, with the others near the steps leading up the boardwalk. The restrooms in the Visitor Center are flush toilets with accessible stalls and changing tables.
Drinking Water: The Visitor Center has a water fountain and bottle-filling station.
Pets must be leashed and are not allowed in the Visitor Center or on the boardwalk up the Pillar.
School Groups and Special Events may be accommodated by special arrangement. For more information, please email [email protected].
Nearby Attractions and Amenities include the nearby town of Worden (gas station, ATM and restroom facilities) and several Yellowstone River fishing and boat access points (courtesy of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks). The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is roughly an hour’s drive south of Pompeys Pillar. The nearest medical facilities are in Billings, MT, which has two hospitals and an international airport.
- Accessibility
Parking: Two paved parking areas serve the Visitor Center and adjoining Monument grounds. The smaller area, closer to the center, has 5 striped accessible spaces with access aisles for vehicles with a side lift or ramp for mobility devices. The larger lot has 113 parking spaces and 14 spaces for oversized vehicles such as RVs and buses.
Visitor Center: The Visitor Center, which was built to comply with Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) accessibility requirements, has entry doors on the east and northwest sides of the building which operate via a push-button system. The center has two restrooms, each with an accessible toilet stall and a changing table. A private, locking, accessible restroom with a changing table is also available for use. A water fountain and bottle-filling station are at a height appropriate for visitors using wheelchairs and other mobility devices. In addition, there are benches with arm rests at both ends of the center.
The center has Braille directional signs, as well as a National Park Service panel that provides a tactile guide to the entire Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which runs through the Monument. The center’s exhibits, including those with audio-visual and interactive components, are designed to be accessible for visitors using mobility devices. Films shown in the theater include closed captioning.
Inside the center, visitors can experience the top of the Pillar, and Captain Clark’s signature, virtually. A ranger can assist with a pan-tilt-zoom camera that focuses on Clark’s signature and other points of interest.
Grounds: Walkways to and around the center are paved and of varying widths, with none narrower than 6 feet across. Next to the Visitor Center, an amphitheater is near one of the pathways. Angled interpretive panels provide information about the site, based in part on William Clark’s journal. Benches without arm rests are located throughout the grounds.
Picnic tables sit on the flat grassy area around the center, not on a concrete pad or walkway. Five of the picnic tables can accommodate wheelchair users at one or both ends. The rustic play area was not designed with accessibility in mind, but we are incorporating accessibility in future plans and opportunities for redesign.
Boardwalk: Flat paved walkways lead to the base of pillar, but the boardwalk to the top is not accessible to people with limited mobility. Visitors must climb 100 steps to the first landing, near Clark’s famous signature in the rock, then another 100 steps to reach the top of the pillar.
Descriptions and photos uploaded October 2024. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
