Montana Park of the Week: Pirogue Island State Park

A local treasure with a wide variety of bird species, including Passerines, belted kingfishers, shorebirds, waterfowl, and bald eagles, as well as both whitetail and mule deer, the island, is an excellent location for wildlife viewing.

The island also boasts prominent plant life with more than 140 species, including a healthy population of cottonwood trees, peach-leaf willow, green ash, and red-osier dogwood.

For visitors who enjoy hiking, Pirogue Island features 2.8 miles of designated hiking trails with interpretive signs offering insights into the history and wildlife of the island.

As a very level site, visitors will find an easy walk throughout the 269 acres, and when the water isn't flowing, visitors can take a walk along the tree-shaded side channels and wade through the pools of water that form during hot weather

An isolated, cottonwood-covered island located on the Yellowstone River, Pirogue Island State Park is an excellent location for enjoying Montana's natural beauty.

While wading through channels of the Yellowstone River is the most popular way to get to Pirogue Island, others stop by as they float down the river.

Did you know? Pirogue Island State Park is 500 miles from where the Yellowstone River begins south of Yellowstone National Park and 170 miles from where it ends near Williston, North Dakota.

Pirogue Island State Park is a public recreation area on an island in the Yellowstone River, two miles north of Miles City, Montana.