Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
4.5
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- Gloria381948Warren, Michigan39 contributionsPompeys Pillar...what an experience!!Went last year with my hubby on a road trip out West. It was wonderful and quite nerve racking! I use a walker to walk with, and we stopped in the Visitors Center there, and I bought a sweatshirt, put it in my walker basket, and we walked for a while, then we got in the car, and drove about 5 miles down the road, my hubby looked back and didn't see my walker in the car!!! So we got to a turnaround, and we started praying that the walker was still there...we got back and lo and behold it was right in the handicap parking space, and my sweatshirt was still in the bag in my walker! But all in all We had a lovely time!Visited January 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 December 2023
- Shannon GHelena, Montana5 contributionsAmazing views! Such a hidden gem of history.This is a hidden gem in Montana. I've driven past so many times, and never knew it existed. My daughter was studying Sacajawea and learned about this, so the next time we were driving through Montana, we decided to stop. The views were stunning! There were quite a few mosquitoes on our hike up to the tower, but it was worth it. Definitely stop by!Visited April 2024Travelled with familyWritten 6 July 2024
- Brandon KFlagstaff, Arizona2,034 contributionsVery interesting monument and easy to do with limited timeWe were on a drive from North Dakota out to Yellowstone and had a short stop here to see the Lewis and Clark collection. My father in law talked about it before we left on our drive. We pulled in about 3:45 pm and the ranger at the gate was very gracious to say she would skip her introduction to let us get to the visitor's center that closed at 4. We got in and looked around and then went out back to climb the stairs up to see Clark's signature carved in the stone and the higher stairs to the top to look out over the area. It was ugly hot that day and the stairs are definitely not for people with a weak heart, but it was a good road break and was much more entertaining than expected.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 10 July 2024
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4.5
276 reviews
Excellent
171
Very good
88
Average
14
Poor
2
Terrible
1
KateS
Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
Jun 2022
I really loved this place. The Pillar itself is the main attraction, & I expected to check the box that I had seen Clark's "signature" & move on. That's not the way it happened. :) We really enjoyed walking the entire grounds. The wonderful Bureau of Land Management agent (ranger?) at the top used the permanently-mounted binoculars to show us a bald eagle & its nest, an occupied osprey nest, & the place where Custer camped across the Yellowstone River. The walking path along the river & the grounds around the Visitor Center had some very interesting displays, & the Visitor Center displays were very nicely done. We spent a bit more time here that we expected, & were delighted by the friendliness of both the BLM staff & the volunteers. I highly recommend this place if you're interested in learning more about our U. S. exploration & expansion, & if you're looking for something very cool but still slightly off the beaten path.
Written 2 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruben N
Wheatland, WY
Aug 2022 • Solo
A swing and a miss! For both me and the lightning storm. I missed on actually going up the pillar and seeing William Clark’s name carved into the sandstone, and the lightning missed me. As Bob Uecker said in the movie “Major League”, “just a bit outside.”
The park itself is beautiful. A great place to stop if you’ve got a picnic packed. Walking trails, huge shade trees, and picture spots aplenty. Just serene.
The visitor’s center is likely one of the nicest I’ve been too, and the exhibits are very informative.
But what about the pillar??? When I arrived the clouds seemed fairly far away. When I stepped out of the visitor’s center I heard likely the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard, and I walked about 50 feet and every bit of shade disappeared. Lightning struck incredibly close, close enough that warning sirens activated. I spoke to a family that rushed from the pillar. The hair on their arms tingled and they said they actually felt the heat.
So no pillar story or pictures, just advice. You can check your weather apps, and you can listen to the weather report. But take a peek outside and trust your gut. Rocky Mountain weather can turn on a dime and confound meteorologists.
The park itself is beautiful. A great place to stop if you’ve got a picnic packed. Walking trails, huge shade trees, and picture spots aplenty. Just serene.
The visitor’s center is likely one of the nicest I’ve been too, and the exhibits are very informative.
But what about the pillar??? When I arrived the clouds seemed fairly far away. When I stepped out of the visitor’s center I heard likely the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard, and I walked about 50 feet and every bit of shade disappeared. Lightning struck incredibly close, close enough that warning sirens activated. I spoke to a family that rushed from the pillar. The hair on their arms tingled and they said they actually felt the heat.
So no pillar story or pictures, just advice. You can check your weather apps, and you can listen to the weather report. But take a peek outside and trust your gut. Rocky Mountain weather can turn on a dime and confound meteorologists.
Written 27 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MyPrairieGirl
Roseglen, ND
Jul 2023
I've driven by here I bet like 40 times in my life time and never stopped. I sure am glad I did this trip! It was so beautiful up on the pillar and you can see signatures in the rock as well......guess whos!?!
The visitors center has a nice interpretive area and a really nice gift shop with clean bathrooms too!
It's a nice stroll up to the boardwalk and well worth the steps up to the top.
The visitors center has a nice interpretive area and a really nice gift shop with clean bathrooms too!
It's a nice stroll up to the boardwalk and well worth the steps up to the top.
Written 17 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gypsymamma
Minnesota
Aug 2023 • Family
Having read about Lewis & Clark's expedition I was very excited to see a physical remnant of their time in this area. It's amazing to me that this Clark's signature has survived all these years, and even more amazing to me to find out that the monument just came into the national park system in 2001! Prior to that it was privately owned, and I appreciate the owners who protected this piece of history for so long!
Pompey's Pillar NM is easy to find and most definitely worth a stop. They have a great visitor's center and the walk out to the pillar is easy. There are stairs, but there are benches along the way to take a break if needed. Clark's signature is about 1/3 of the way up and you can take the stairs the rest of the way to the top of the pillar for wonderful views.
I appreciated that there was a Ranger at the landing closest to Clark's signature who could answer questions and give the history behind the monument.
My only word of warning, we were there in August and planned to have a picnic as there are several lovely spots with tables. We didn't realize that the warning sign about mosquitos at the visitor's center was serious. The mosquitoes literally chased us out of the picnic area. Wear bug spray or go in the non-bug seasons!
Pompey's Pillar NM is easy to find and most definitely worth a stop. They have a great visitor's center and the walk out to the pillar is easy. There are stairs, but there are benches along the way to take a break if needed. Clark's signature is about 1/3 of the way up and you can take the stairs the rest of the way to the top of the pillar for wonderful views.
I appreciated that there was a Ranger at the landing closest to Clark's signature who could answer questions and give the history behind the monument.
My only word of warning, we were there in August and planned to have a picnic as there are several lovely spots with tables. We didn't realize that the warning sign about mosquitos at the visitor's center was serious. The mosquitoes literally chased us out of the picnic area. Wear bug spray or go in the non-bug seasons!
Written 31 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pfefmeister
San Francisco, CA
Aug 2021 • Couples
I’m a huge fan of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and this is an opportunity to visually see a rare documentation of their journey. The visitor center is great, with an intriguing display of the expedition’s journey and background. I appreciate their struggles on the quest to find a passage to the Pacific Ocean. Stop by, walk the short steps to the top of the sandstone bluff, and realize that you are standing where William Clark did 2 hundred years ago. I loved it…
Written 12 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geologymom
Blauvelt, NY
Sept 2020 • Couples
We stopped by this national monument once we heard of it and made a significant detour. Unfortunately we didn't realize that the interpretive center would not be open and that you are no longer able to climb the staircase to see George Clark's engraving. While it is still an interesting site, it honestly loses a lot of the impact without seeing the engraving or learning through the exhibits. I think if you are a Lewis and Clark scholar, those things might not matter. But for everyone else, it might be good to check for any updates. I don't know about the center but the ranger said the stairs were closed to help stabalize the formation. Since I didn't see them working on it, I am not sure of the time-line for that project. There is a walk around the formation and you can walk to the river.
Written 29 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
triliumsummer
Mountain City, TN
Aug 2020 • Solo
Found this thanks toy AAA book of Montana. There was no charge to enter since the pillar is not safe to walk on. The ranger said that it would probably be next September before people could walk on it. The do have a camera out so you can see the actual signature of Clark. I honestly forgot the story of Lewis and Clark trail so it was great to relearn some history.
Written 19 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ev2023
Bow, NH
Jul 2020 • Family
The walk up to Clark’s signature was closed due to recent rock-slides, but honestly, there are better things on the side. We were super disappointed that the boardwalk was closed, but one of the volunteers came over and asked if we wanted to see something cool. Of course we were confused but he walked us around to the side of the pillar, way past where everyone else had gone. Over here you could see clear, large print signatures of some cowboys, fur trappers, wagon train travelers, and even a couple of indian petroglyphs! If you use binoculars(BRING binoculars), you can see an incredibly detailed carving of a horse’s head that just looks like a white square from the ground otherwise. The mosquitoes were awful, but came and went depending on the temperature. We tried to look on the bright side! According to the sign, when Clark came through the mosquitos were so thick he couldn’t shoot his rifle, and he didn’t even have bug spray!!
The cottonwood trees were shedding so it looked like it was snowing(probably bad for people with allergies, but we thought it was amazing).
Overall: great photo opportunity, cool history lesson, helpful staff, and fun memorable experience.
Once again I have to say: BRING BINOCULARS :)
The cottonwood trees were shedding so it looked like it was snowing(probably bad for people with allergies, but we thought it was amazing).
Overall: great photo opportunity, cool history lesson, helpful staff, and fun memorable experience.
Once again I have to say: BRING BINOCULARS :)
Written 11 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EC13091
Ellicott City, MD
Sept 2022 • Couples
We were disappointed with our visit here, as it was really nothing special. We have been to many Lewis and Clark sites, and looked forward this one, as it’s the only place you can be sure that Clark actually visited. (Other places are close, but Clark’s signature carved in the rock is the way you know here). But it was teaming with kids, the site wasn’t anything truly historic, the the signature, which we believe to be authentic, looked as if someone carved it last year. It was a good stopping point, but nothing special.
Written 10 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
efpatters
Los Angeles, CA
May 2021
We spotted this site in a Guidebook and had time to stop after a long visit to the Little Bighorn Battlefield. So glad we did! It's not only a gorgeous spot along the river (bring a picnic!) but it's a wonderful lesson in Lewis & Clark expedition. The visitor Center has a great exhibition about that history and is worth seeing before going outdoors to enjoy the Pillar and the walking paths along the river. We visited Pompey's Pillar before we saw the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls and it was a great introduction to Lewis & Clark.
Written 7 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What hotel did you stay at near Pompey's Pillar Monument. We are coming from North Dakota.
Written 7 November 2018
We stayed in Billings, MT. Super 8, I think.
Written 8 November 2018
May through September Visitor's Center open 9-6 October Visitor's Center open 9-4 November through April Visitor's Center and Main Gate are closed (walk in only)
Written 17 September 2018
Yes and they have pull through spots.
Written 6 August 2019
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