Eastern Wildlands Chapter

Eastern Montana

Sunset in Makoshika State Park
Sunset in Makoshika State Park

About the Eastern Wildlands Chapter

The Eastern Wildlands Chapter supports Wild Montana’s mission by providing community outreach and education that inspire residents of Yellowstone, Carbon, Big Horn, Custer, and many other eastern Montana counties to protect the Beartooth and Pryor Mountains, as well as the buttes, breaks, badlands, forests, and waterways spanning the eastern section of the state.

The Eastern Wildlands Chapter gets into the field to hike these wild places, introducing new people to the beauty of eastern Montana through seasonal Wilderness Walks. We also host community events that bring people together around their love for wild places in the area.

Contact Us

The Eastern Wildlands Chapter typically meets the third Tuesday evening of the month in Billings. All are welcome! Email eastern.wildlands@wildmontana.org for more information on when and where we’re meeting this month.

Interested in giving back to the public lands you love by serving as a board member? Learn more here.

Chapter Board

President: Carole Boerner
Vice President: Vacant
Treasurer: Tyler Kaftan
Secretary: Dave Sapp
Members: Rita Harding, Izzy Sommerdorf, Curtis Settergren, Tommy Rodengen, Larry Robson, Zelie Lorenzana, Addison Sessions

How We Help Keep Montana Wild

By keeping an eye on the Pryors

Just outside of Billings, but a world away, the Pryors include tremendously diverse landscapes ranging from desert to subalpine meadows, sagebrush, thick Douglas Fir forests, and riparian areas. Here you’ll see big skies and big views. Every year, our dedicated members lead Wilderness Walks and coordinate stewardship projects like weed pulls and trail maintenance projects. Learn more and sign up for our volunteer stewardship projects here.

By helping people discover the wildlands of southeast Montana

The Eastern Wildlands Chapter, Billings Community Foundation, and Cairn Cartographic all partnered together to create a comprehensive map of the Pryor Mountains. This map will help Montanans and visitors experience this unique mountain range in Southeast Montana. Please contact the chapter at eastern.wildlands@wildmontana.org if you would like to purchase a map.

 

 

Upcoming Events

Public Lands Trivia Night

Otium Brewing 21 South 9th Street, Miles City, United States

Come for the trivia and leave knowing a little more about our public lands and Wild Montana’s conservation work in eastern Montana.

Free

The Wilderness Act at 60

One Legged Magpie 17-19 Broadway N, Red Lodge, MT, United States

Wild Montana's Eastern Wildlands Chapter and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation presents "The Wilderness Act at 60" with Traute Parrie.

Free

Hike Bear Canyon in the Pryors

Eastern Montana MT

NEAREST TOWN: BRIDGER | DIFFICULTY: MODERATE
Spring is the best time to be in the Pryor Mountains. On this out-and-back adventure, we’ll pause to admire the diversity of birds and wildflowers that make the Pryors an ecological hot spot in southern Montana. Our route will take us up Bear Canyon to the Big Sky Trail until we hit the “T” junction. We’ll find a scenic spot for lunch somewhere along the way before retracing our footsteps. The Pryors are part of the traditional homelands of the Apsáalooke (Crow) people, and petroglyphs, pictographs, and tipi rings are all possible sightings, so it is important to visit with respect.

Free

Acton Recreation Area Hike

Eastern Montana MT

NEAREST TOWN: BILLINGS | DIFFICULTY: MODERATE
Are you looking to explore Billing's wild backyard? The Acton Recreation Area is a great place to start. Join us for a hike through the area's badlands, bluffs and sparse ponderosa pines. We'll keep an eye out for wildlife and share suggestions for outdoor opportunities at other BLM recreation areas near Billings.

Free

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