Lewis and Clark Caverns is one of the largest and most remarkable caves in the Northern Rockies. Part of the 350-million-year-old Madison Limestone Formation, this remarkable geological spectacle became Montana’s first state park in 1937.
Although it is likely that at least some of the region’s Native peoples were aware of the caverns, no human presence was documented in the caves until the close of the nineteenth century when, according to local lore, either bats or steam escaping from a vent hole led to the subterranean discovery.
By 1901, local quarry owner Dan Morrison was working to make the site a tourist attraction, but he ran afoul of the Northern Pacific Railway, which claimed ownership of the land. Legal battles ensued. After the courts ruled in favor of the railroad in 1906, the Northern Pacific, surprisingly, transferred the title to the federal government.
