Welcome to Fort Belknap, Montana

Fort Belknap was a station on the Great Northern Railroad named in honor of Robert L. Belknap. This is also agency headquarters for the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in the eastern half of Blaine County. The Gros Ventre and the Assiniboine, who were former enemies, have lived together on the reservation since it was set aside for them in 1887. The old Fort Belknap trading post was established on the other side of Milk River from For Browning after it was forced to close. (from Cheney’s Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)

The combined reservation and additional tribal lands encompass 705,067 acres of the plains and grasslands of north-central Montana. Guided tours are available to Snake Butte, Mission Canyon, Bear Gulch and St. Paul's Mission. Snake Butte is the imposing wall of rock that looms over the 10,000-acre buffalo reserve. It has great cultural significance to the tribes, and petroglyphs and tipi rings can be found there. Every summer the Milk River Indian Days powwow is held in Fort Belknap.

Watchable wildlife in the area include bison, deer, antelope, golden eagles, migratory waterfowl and upland birds. Visitors travel to several excellent wildlife viewing sites, including a large prairie dog town that is a site for the highly endangered black-footed ferret.