Sweet Grass County
Prairie Dog Town

Montana's rich store of recreation areas can seem almost overwhelming- sometimes. It's enough ,to make people forget that just a short jaunt off of 1-90 east of Big Timber near the town of Grey Cliff is a small state park loaded with some very interesting critters known as black-tailed prairie dogs.

Fascinating to watch, prairie dogs can typically dig 15-40 burrow entrances per acre; each burrow typically has two entrances leading to a tunnel four to seven feet deep and anywhere from 15-25 feet long. Clusters of the chambered burrows are known as dog towns and Grey Cliff Prairie Dog Town State Park has 98 acres of them. That's a lot of prairie dogs.

Thanks to the efforts of a Livingston photographer, the Nature Conservancy and the Montana Department of Highways, Prairie Dog Town was preserved as a State Park when the interstate highway was being built. There are interpretive displays and picnic tables in the park. A day-use fee of $1 per person (6 and up) or $4 a vehicle (whichever is less) is charged at the park entrance to support ongoing maintenance and improvements.

The park is laid out in such a way that one can look over the whole range of the dog town and watch prairie dogs pop up from their burrows, scamper, play and call to one another. Many different postures help convey messages among prairie dogs. If a predator approaches, the prairie dog scampers to his burrow mound and sound a series of short nasal yips to alert others. An upright posture and "whee-oo" call signals that danger has passed.

Large prairie dog towns are further divided into coteries. One coterie (the family territory) is usually comprised of one adult male, three to five adult females, and their offspring. Mature prairie dogs breed in March each year and will give birth to one to ten pups about 34 days after conception. The pups remain in the safety of their burrow for 48-49 days and are fully grown by October or November. They average one to three pounds and are 14-17 inches Ion . Black-tailed prairie dogs do not hibernate, so can be observed any time of the year. They eat green grasses, broad-leafed non-woody plants, roots, bulbs, seeds and insects. Coyotes, foxes and bobcats together with ferruginous hawks and golden eagles are among the prairie dog's many predators. Whenever you see an enlarged burrow entrance, you can be sure a badger has dug deep into prairie dog territory, and weasels have streamlined bodies which allow them to prowl through the tunnels easily.

Here's a little known fact about this often overlooked state park: Prairie Dog Town is the only state park in the U.S. dedicated specifically to prairie dogs.

A trip to Grey Cliff Prairie Dog Town State Park usually offers more than a chance to view and photograph prairie dogs. Over 101 vertebrate species inhabit the special ecosystem found near the dog town, including the burrowing owl, golden eagle, ferruginous hawk, mountain plover and swift fox. Don't forget there is a state park that offers a rather unique experience for everyone, even those who may think they've seen it all.