We spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Montana with my mother; it was the first time that I had been “home” for Thanksgiving in over twenty years. On Saturday, we found a new place to hike right on the edge of Billings: Four Dances Natural Area, administered by the BLM. It preserves 765 acres (310 ha) with sagebrush grasslands, Ponderosa pine gullies, and Yellowstone River cottonwood floodplains. The area provides habitat for peregrine falcons, which nest along  the 200-500 foot (60-150 m) tall sandstone cliffs which overlook the Yellowstone River.

Four Dances is located near an industrial area, with views (and odors) of an oil refinery, coal-fired power plant, and stockyards. Despite this, it is a very nice addition to the hiking and natural areas in the Billings area.

I didn’t have a camera with me, so these are BLM photos from sangres.com

Grace and Peace