Pictograph Cave

After spending the night comfortably in our car, north of Billings, Montana, we woke up with the sun and headed south into town. We stopped to get gas and breakfast at a little gas station. We then headed to the entrance of Pictograph Cave, but found we were a few minutes early, so we sat and waited for the ranger to arrive and open the gate. Meanwhile, coyotes could be heard yipping in the distance. Finally the ranger arrived, and we drove up to the parking lot. After the ranger settle himself in his trailer, he came out to take our entry fee and talk to us. I think he was a little curious why we would be there so early in the morning. When we mentioned we'd be heading to Yellowstone in the afternoon, he seemed skeptical that such a thing was possible.

The park is small, having just a simple loop trail, that leads up and past 3 shallow caves in the face of a cliff. There is a little guide book that describes what you see at various markers, as you make your way around. At this early hour, there was a herd of bunnies in the one flat area adorned with picnic tables. They were everywhere. You have never seen so many bunnies in your life. Despite the surrounding grasslands, this sloping area is still mostly scrub. There were also a lot of birds nearby, including cliff swallows, in their little mud homes, and circling hawks. The primary attraction here is the pictographs left on the wall by the former residents of the cave. After taking a leisurely walk in the early morning light, and just as other visitors were starting to arrive, we headed off for Yellowstone.