You don’t have to be a Geology major to be impressed by the soaring rock cluster at Tower Rock State Park. This towering 424-foot formation marks the entrance to the Missouri River Canyon in the Adel Mountains Volcanic Field, and it’s more than just a massive mass. It’s a part of our local history.

Tower Rock is the centerpiece of Tower Rock State Park.
Wikipedia
The park is located near the small community of Cascade, which is 26 miles from Great Falls.
Tower Rock is a shonkinite intrusion, a type of rock found most commonly in Montana.
Wikimedia
It was most likely formed towards the end of the last glacial period.
This rock was well-known to Native Americans and was even considered to be a sacred place by the Piegan Blackfeet.
Jason O'Niel / Tower Rock State Park Facebook
The Piegan Blackfeet usually spent winters near what is now Helena, so they passed through the area by following the Missouri River. Ceremonies were conducted near the sacred rocks, and individual Blackfeet would also visit the site for meditation and prayer. The Bitterroot Salish and Lower Kootenay bands often passed the rock as well.
In 1805, Lewis and Clark discovered the site on their expedition.
David Kravetx / Tower Rock State Park Facebook
They noted the massive structure in their journal.
Railroad and highway development in the late 1800s skirted Tower Rock, but the landform was never touched.
Jason O'Neil / Tower Rock State Park Facebook
Tower Rock and the surrounding 87.2 acres were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, and the state park was created in 2004.
Tower Rock State Park is open for day use all year long.
David / Flickr
It’s amazing to see this rock formation that has been here through so much of our history.

If you’re a history buff (or you just love Montana), check out Tower Rock State Park. And don’t miss the places on this list of local historical landmarks.

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