National Park Near Me
Menu

Big Hole National Battlefield

National Battlefield · Montana

Multiple tepee poles and a river are silhouetted against a dawn sky.
Today tepee poles stand sentinel at the site of August 9th, 1877 dawn attack at the Big Hole. Photo: NPS Photo

Hours

See this week's hours below.

Entrance fee
The Park Service lists no entrance fee for this site.
Phone
406-689-3155
Address
16425 Highway 43 West, Wisdom, MT 59761
DirectionsOfficial park page ↗

About Big Hole

On August 9, 1877, gunshots shattered a chilly dawn on a sleeping camp of nımí·pu· (Nez Perce). By the time the smoke cleared on August 10, almost 90 nımí·pu· were dead, along with 31 soldiers and volunteers. Big Hole National Battlefield was created to honor all who were there.

Hours

Big Hole National Battlefield

The grounds and trails at Big Hole National Battlefield are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

MondaySunrise to Sunset
TuesdaySunrise to Sunset
WednesdaySunrise to Sunset
ThursdaySunrise to Sunset
FridaySunrise to Sunset
SaturdaySunrise to Sunset
SundaySunrise to Sunset

Changes to these hours

  • Thanksgiving, Nov 26: Closed
  • Christmas Eve, Dec 24: Closed
  • New Year's Eve, Dec 31: Closed
  • Christmas Day, Jan 1: Closed
  • New Year's Day, Jan 1: Closed

Getting there

Big Hole National Battlefield is located on Highway 43 ten miles west of the town of Wisdom in southwestern Montana. Bear Paw Battlefield is located on Route 240 sixteen miles south of the town of Chinook in north-central Montana.

Weather

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Wisdom has a humid continental climate.

Things to do

Arts and Culture, Birdwatching, Bookstore and Park Store, Cross-Country Skiing, Cultural Demonstrations, Fishing, Food, Freshwater Fishing, Front-Country Hiking, Gift Shop and Souvenirs, Guided Tours, Hiking, Junior Ranger Program, Museum Exhibits, Park Film, Picnicking, Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Shopping, Skiing, Snowshoeing, Wildlife Watching.

Source: National Park Service data feed, checked September 24, 2026. Hours shown are the Park Service's posted standard hours plus any date changes it lists. Official page for Big Hole ↗