These Montana National Monuments Celebrate 25 Years This Year

As America prepares itself for the 250th anniversary of the country, Montana also has reason to celebrate two popular national monuments in the state.  And despite them celebrating just 25 years with that designation, they've been around way, way longer than the U.S. of A.

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These Montana National Monuments Celebrate 25 Years This Year

For 2026, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and The Pompeys Pillar National Monument will both be celebrating their official "national monument" designations during the year.

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The Upper Missouri River Breaks Monument Encompasses a Lot of Land

If you think monument, you probably think an object, rather than total area.  But the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is a massive area of 377,000 acres of remote land that has basically remained unchanged since Lewis and Clark first laid eyes upon it.

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Even now, recreationists can "paddle the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River, hike to overlooks, observe wildlife, or visit historic sites, including those tied to Native American history and early homesteaders".  Learn more about the area here.

Do You Know How This Famous Montana Monument Got Its Name?

According to Bureau of Land Management, Pompeys Pillar near Billings, Montana, which still bears the inscribed signature of William Clark "is the only remaining physical evidence of Lewis and Clark’s great American journey".

But, according to BLM, it wasn't necessarily referred to that by Clark.  He in fact named the pillar "Pompy's Pillar" in his journals.  The reason?  He named it as such because "Pompy was his nickname for Sacagawea’s young son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau".  And now you know!  Learn more about Pompeys Pillar here.