big hole national battlefield

Our history books do not teach us of our slaughter of the Native American peoples and destruction of their cultures. This is a must see battlefield site on the sad trail of this band of Nez Perce as they tried to preserve their culture, escape persecution and annihilation. The film is excellent. Spend some time looking at the hillside in the distance and grouping of tipi poles for the Nez Perce encampment. Then you may begin to feel the horror of the surprise attack and slaughter. We did this and this is where it happened. The overwhelming numbers of immigrants with greed for land, minerals and wealth clashing with the native cultures; and then the purposeful decimation of the bison to remove the source of life and starve the indigenous population. Could this conflict of cultures have been handled in a better manner?

Very interesting and informative. Learned a lot we didn't know. Be sure to stroll the grounds as well as the museum.

This is one of the most poignant experiences to help understand the tragedy of the government's annihilation of our Indians. The museum gives a great history of that important battle in the history of the Nez Perce Indians as they tried to elude the US Calvary. The short film fills in all the details of the battle and the center also contains drawings by the Nez Perce afterwards as well as items belonging to the soldiers involved in this event. Don't miss this exceptional tribute to our native people.

I was not aware of this particular battle in history. As we toured the site, viewed the video and walked through the interpretive center, it made me sad. The Native Americans have been treated worse than any other group of people in this country..and as someone said, the rest of us are the immigrants. Well worth a stop to learn another piece of history.

The interpretive center is educational and well documented. The movie is excellent, and provides the background needed to then tour out on foot to the site of the battle. It is a moving, powerful and disturbing experience. This national monument was the highlight of a 7-day trip for me.

this is a well laid out national monument, with interpretive centre, self guided trail and set up on a viewpoint overlooking the whole area. A tragic story of western expansion and its consequences.

If you are within 100 miles of this national park, it is a must visit, if you are at all interested in the way our nation treated American Natives. Political statement here....let us all not forget....we are the immigrants.

We drove to Big Hole National Battlefield from Craters of the Moon National Monument. To be honest, the drive up Idaho 93 was one of the prettiest drives I've ever been on and overshadowed our trip to Big Hole. The museum which overlooks the battlefield is very modern and you can tour it easily in under 2 hours. It is an interesting piece of American history. We were able to travel from Blackfoot, Id to Craters of the Moon NP, and then to Big Hole National Battlefield before driving to Deer Lodge, Mt. where we saw Grant Kohrs Ranch (all in the same day). The scenery driving around this area alone makes it worth the drive. The history is an added bonus.

A grim reminder of what the U S Government and the 7th Infantry..no not the 7th Calvary, did to Chief Joseph and his tribe. Beautiful area and a solemn site. Watch the video at the visitor center.

The Big Hole National Battlefield is not a large park but surely an interesting one. There is a 25 minute video covering the history of the Nez Perce Indians and how they were mistreated. The history of the white man entering their territory and the various battles is well worth learning. There is a trail over to the battlefield area and nice diagrams of how the battle took place. It is a different but beautiful area of Montana.

Of the many NP's I've visited, this is one of my favorite. It depicts, in great deatil and sadness, a very dark era in our countriy's life. The Nez Perce, like all native-american were destroyed and subjugated.....this Park does an excellent job on portraying the tradegy. The visitors center was clean and the staff helpful. Don't miss the ~15 minute video that sets the stage for an understanding of the events that took place. Well worth the stop!

To fully understand the tragedy of the Nez Perce you need to watch the 25 min movie in the visitors center. Then go stand out on the observation deck. If you don't shed a tear you don't have heart.

There's something about this place.... This site offers a well-appointed Visitor Center with views of the massacre site, a moving short video that depicts its sad historical significance, and a gift shop with books for those who want to learn more.In August 1877, several hundred Nez Perce families camped here after fleeing U.S. troops in Idaho. They sought refuge in the willows along a narrow winding river on the edge of an incredibly beautiful “Big Hole” on the East Side of what we now call Lost Trail Pass on the Continental Divide. There, in the night, they were attacked by U.S. troops and civilian fighters. The resulting slaughter of women and children, and the valiant effort of their men to defend them are memorialized in this place.There are short hiking trails (with accompanying printed guide available at each trailhead) that access the Nez Perce campground (a flat 1.2 mile round trip); an overlook of the siege site (a .8 mile round trip with 50 foot elevation gain); and a steeper (.5 mile round trip) to the site of the Army’s mountain Howitzer. There are benches here and there along all three trails for those needing a rest. (Remember to bring mosquito repellant and sunscreen!)While these trails are not paved, nor accessible to people of limited mobility, the trail to the campground—in the dry season—is packed dirt and flat enough that a very fit able-bodied person could push a chair and occupant the length of trail. There is a chair available at the Visitor Center. The Center also offers ample parking (including RV/trailer), a drinking fountain, restrooms (clean), and soft-drink/water vending machine.To walk the trails and take in the material at the Visitor Center, plan to spend a couple of hours here. This most recent visit (June 2014) I spent about five hours of very reflective time on this piece of ground hallowed by blood of innocents. This time of year when the trees and all the grasses are still green, the pastoral beauty of the site—enhanced by the multicolored wildflowers and butterflies—was breathtaking. The views across the Big Hole River Valley to the Pioneer Mountains (east) and the Beaverhead Mountains (south) are stunning.

Memorializes the Nez Perce men, women and children, the soldiers of the 7th U.S. Infantry, and the Bitterroot Volunteers who clashed at the Battle of the Big Hole. You can see the Nez Perce Camp and the Siege Area. After an arduous journey over the Bitterroot Mountains in July, 1877, the Nez Perce Indians thought they had left the war behind them. In this peaceful valley, Colonel John Gibbens and his men attacked the sleeping camp on the morning of August 9, 1877, killing men, women and children. Sad part of history.

The Nez Perce camped here on their flight from the U.S. Cavalry. They were ambushed by the troops as revenge for the Indians' earlier attack. Native-American women and children were shot while sleeping in their tepees. There is a film recreating the fighting with direct quotes from relatives of those who lost their lives here. It is easy to see why the Nez Perce camped here: fresh water from the stream, plentiful wildlife and awesome views from the valley of rugged Rockies' peaks. Don't miss this site. There are 3 hiking trails. We walked the shortest one, a path to the tepees through lush fields of wildflowers with antelope in the distance and almost-tame chipmunks for company.