Big Hole National Battlefield

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Today tepee poles stand sentinel at the site of August 9th, 1877 dawn attack at the Big Hole.

The Nez Perce chose their camp site in the Big Hole in part due to the Camas, whose roots they gathered prior to the August 9th attack.

Nez Perce warriors captured and dismantled the Mountain Howitzer cannon before the US army could use it effectively at the Battle of the Big Hole.

In 1883 the United States Government erected this monument in honor of the soldiers and volunteers that served and died at the 1877 Battle of the Big Hole.

This monument, erected on the Big Hole Battlefield in 1928, reads; "To the everlasting memory of the brave warriors Chief Joseph's Band who fought on these grounds in the Nez Perce War of 1877."

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

Additional Information

Good For

Wheelchairs

Hearing Impaired

Families

Visually Impaired

Activities

Biking

Fishing

Guided Tours

Hiking

Snowshoeing

Wildlife Watching

Entrance Fees

Entrance fee is $0.00.

Big Hole is fee free!

Directions

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.

10 mi

Overview

Get Directions
1591.47 mi Away
Lat/Lng
45.64618, -113.64605
Size
977.35 Acres

Contact Information

Address
16425 Highway 43 West Wisdom, MT 59761
Website
https://www.nps.gov/biho/index.htm

Stewardships

Owned by
National Park Service