First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park | Great Falls

First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park – Ulm, Montana

Perched above the sweeping plains just west of Great Falls, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is one of Montana’s most culturally significant and visually stunning historic sites. Once a vital hunting ground for Native tribes of the Northern Plains, this ancient buffalo jump preserves both the natural beauty of the landscape and the profound ingenuity of the people who depended on it. Stretching across thousands of acres, it offers a place of reflection, discovery, and deep connection to the rhythms of the land.

Historical Significance

For nearly two millennia, Indigenous peoples - including the Blackfeet, Salish, Crow, and other Plains tribes - used this site as a communal hunting ground. The towering sandstone cliff, measuring roughly 1 mile long and 30 to 50 feet high, served as a natural buffalo jump, where herds of bison were driven over the edge during coordinated hunts.

These hunts were meticulously planned. Skilled runners, disguised in wolf pelts or buffalo hides, would guide the animals toward the precipice using noise, smoke, and movement. When the herd was close, the thunder of hooves filled the air before the animals plunged over the cliff. Below, waiting hunters processed the fallen buffalo, using every part of the animal - meat for food, hides for shelter and clothing, and bones for tools.

Over generations, layers of bone accumulated at the base of the cliff, forming one of the deepest buffalo bone deposits in North America, a physical record of thousands of years of human activity and ecological harmony.

The Cultural Landscape

The park spans more than 1,700 acres, encompassing grasslands, coulees, and high cliffs that overlook the Missouri River Valley. Standing atop the bluff, one can see for miles - the distant Rocky Mountain Front to the west, the Missouri winding toward Great Falls, and endless stretches of prairie in every direction.

Archaeological studies here have revealed stone tipi rings, drive lines, and tool-making sites, offering rare insight into pre-contact hunting techniques and social organization. To many Native communities today, the site remains sacred - a place of respect, ceremony, and memory.

Visitor Center and Exhibits

The park’s Visitor Center, located near the base of the cliff, is one of the most thoughtfully curated interpretive facilities in Montana. Inside, exhibits explain the cultural, ecological, and spiritual significance of the buffalo jump through multimedia displays, models, and artifacts.

Highlights include:

A life-size buffalo jump diorama, showing how a coordinated hunt unfolded.

Interpretive panels detailing the seasonal cycles of Plains life, from tipi construction to food preservation.

Displays of tools, weapons, and clothing made from buffalo materials.

A short educational film that combines oral histories with archaeological insight.

Outside the center, a trail system leads to the top of the jump, allowing visitors to follow in the footsteps of the ancient hunters. Along the way, interpretive signs describe vegetation, wildlife, and geology, connecting the cultural story to the living landscape.

Hiking and Landscape Experience

The 2-mile interpretive trail to the cliff top is a gentle but scenic walk, with panoramic views that expand as you climb. The wind often carries the scent of sagebrush and the faint sound of meadowlarks, and in summer, wildflowers dot the path with yellow balsamroot and purple lupine.

At the summit, the view is breathtaking - wide-open prairie to the east, the Missouri River shimmering below, and the distant Rockies silhouetted in the haze. Standing near the cliff edge, it’s easy to imagine the rush of hooves and the skill it took to orchestrate such hunts. The site’s serenity today belies the intense activity it once witnessed.

Education and Cultural Programs

First Peoples Buffalo Jump hosts guided tours, cultural demonstrations, and storytelling sessions that deepen the visitor experience. Tribal elders and educators occasionally share traditional knowledge about buffalo, land stewardship, and ancestral lifeways. Seasonal events such as Native Games Days and Living History weekends bring together communities to celebrate heritage through drumming, dance, and craft demonstrations.

The park also works with Montana schools, offering field trips that emphasize the ecological and cultural balance practiced by early inhabitants.

Wildlife and Natural Beauty

Beyond its archaeological treasures, the park teems with natural life. Pronghorn antelope, mule deer, and red-tailed hawks frequent the area, while the tallgrass prairie provides a glimpse of what Montana looked like centuries ago. The mix of rolling hills, sandstone outcrops, and big-sky horizons makes it a photographer’s dream, especially during sunrise and sunset.

Visiting Information

The park lies about 10 miles southwest of Great Falls, near the small town of Ulm, and is open year-round (weather permitting). The visitor center operates seasonally, typically from spring through fall. Picnic areas, restrooms, and shaded seating are available near the entrance, and interpretive trails are well-marked for self-guided exploration.

Closing Impression

First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is far more than a scenic overlook - it is a site of living history, where the stories of Montana’s first inhabitants still resonate through wind and stone. To walk here is to step back into a world guided by cooperation, reverence, and respect for nature. The vastness of the land and the echoes of ancient hunts create a sense of timeless continuity, reminding every visitor that these plains have always been - and remain - sacred ground.