Wait, how do you even say Makoshika?! Thought you’d never ask my friend. We are here at Makoshika State Park, Montana’s largest state park with 11,538 acres of amazing badlands to explore.
Makoshika, pronounced Ma-KO-shi-ka, is a variant of the Lakota Native American word “mako sica”, meaning “bad land”. Across much of eastern Montana, western North and South Dakota, are badlands, all abundant with fossils from the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. So come along and let’s explore!
The best place to start when visiting a National Park, Monument, etc. is the Visitor Center. Lots of wonderful history, unique features explained, telling of critters they protect and encourage us to, and personalized information to help us enjoy our stay. Who could ask for more? Here at Cedar Breaks the overlook behind the Visitor Center takes us to the view we came to see–the massive geologic amphitheater, 3 miles across and 2,500 feet deep called Cedar Breaks. Let’s go . . .
Here we are, at last! Cedar Breaks National Monument in western Utah. I tried to visit three times prior, each between mid April and late May. The entire area was closed because of snow. So finally planned a dedicated trip to the Monument in early June. Hooray, not much snow left and roads clear. Let’s go!
US-550 is part of Colorado’s San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. We’ll be traveling from Durango to Ouray, Colorado, about 70 miles of the 305-mile US-550. The 25-mile stretch between Silverton and Ouray is called the Million Dollar Highway. No one knows exactly why it got that name, although the whole area was home to very productive silver, gold, lead, copper, and zinc mines. The Million Dollar Highway served those mines, but is best known today for it sharp curves, steep grades, and narrow road edges. Sound scary? It is, but as we head north from Durango, we slowly climb into the beautiful mountains along US-550.
