Location: Beaverhead County, Montana
Area: 1010 acres (409 hectares)
Big Hole National Battlefield, located in the remote and rugged Big Hole Valley of southwestern Montana, stands as a poignant memorial to one of the most tragic chapters in American history: the Nez Perce War of 1877. Situated in Beaverhead County, approximately 10 miles west of Wisdom, Montana, and about 80 miles southwest of Butte, the site preserves the landscape where, on August 9-10, 1877, U.S. Army forces launched a devastating surprise attack on a Nez Perce (nímí·pu·) encampment, resulting in the deaths of nearly 90 Nez Perce people—many of them women and children—and 31 American soldiers and volunteers. This 656-acre unit of the Nez Perce National Historical Park honors the memory of all who fought, suffered, and died here, emphasizing themes of resistance, loss, and the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples during the late 19th-century expansion of the United States. Unlike more commercialized national parks, Big Hole is a quiet, reflective space where the vast, windswept grasslands and distant mountain views evoke the solitude and tension of that fateful summer morning, inviting visitors to contemplate the human cost of manifest destiny. Managed by the National Park Service (NPS), it remains a sacred site for the Nez Perce Tribe, with coordinates at 45°38′50″N 113°39′12″W and an elevation of around 6,300 feet (1,920 meters).
The story of Big Hole is inseparable from the broader Nez Perce War,
a desperate flight for freedom that unfolded across the American
Northwest in 1877. The Nez Perce, or nímí·pu· ("the people"), had long
inhabited the Pacific Northwest, with deep cultural and spiritual ties
to the land spanning thousands of years. Their traditional territory
included parts of present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana,
where they practiced seasonal migrations for fishing, hunting, and
gathering camas roots—a staple food. However, waves of white settlers,
gold rushes, and broken treaties eroded their lands. The 1855 Treaty of
Walla Walla reserved vast areas for the Nez Perce, but the 1863 "Thief
Treaty" (so named by the tribe for its perceived deceit) reduced their
reservation by nearly 90%, forcing many onto smaller, less viable plots.
By 1877, tensions boiled over when the non-treaty Nez Perce bands, led
by chiefs such as Joseph (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt), Looking Glass
(Allalimya Takanin), White Bird (Pee-na-ow-sis), and Toohoolhoolzote,
refused to relocate to the diminished Idaho reservation. After a series
of clashes with settlers and militias that killed several white
civilians, the U.S. Army pursued them, igniting the war. The Nez
Perce—about 800 people, including 200 warriors—embarked on an epic
1,170-mile retreat toward sanctuary in Canada, crossing mountains,
rivers, and battlefields over 126 days. Big Hole marked a brutal turning
point in this odyssey, where the weary band had paused to gather camas
bulbs in the fertile Big Hole Valley, unaware of the approaching federal
forces.
Just before dawn on August 9, 1877, Colonel John Gibbon, commanding
about 183 soldiers from the 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment (Companies G, H,
I, and K) and 34 civilian volunteers from Montana, executed a surprise
assault on the Nez Perce village of around 200 tipis, home to
approximately 800 men, women, elders, and children. Gibbon, fresh from
the Battle of the Little Bighorn the previous year, aimed to crush the
Nez Perce resistance decisively. His troops advanced silently through
the predawn fog, fording the North Fork of the Big Hole River under
cover of darkness.
The attack began around 4 a.m. with volleys of
gunfire into the sleeping camp, igniting tipis and causing chaos. Nez
Perce warriors, caught off-guard but resilient, mounted a fierce
counterattack using traditional rifles, pistols, and even captured
Springfields. Women and children fled to a nearby willow thicket along
the river, while warriors held off the soldiers in a prolonged siege
that lasted through the day and into August 10. The Nez Perce,
leveraging the terrain's natural defenses like riverbanks and sagebrush,
inflicted heavy casualties on Gibbon's forces, who were hampered by poor
visibility, ammunition shortages, and Nez Perce marksmanship—many
warriors had served as U.S. Army scouts in prior conflicts.
By the
battle's end, the toll was staggering: 89 Nez Perce lay dead (estimates
range from 60-90, with a disproportionate number of non-combatants),
their village razed, and survivors scattered with minimal supplies. On
the U.S. side, 29 soldiers and volunteers were killed, with over 40
wounded, including Gibbon himself, who suffered a severe leg wound.
Despite the devastation, the Nez Perce warriors regrouped and escaped
northward, slipping away under cover of night on August 10 after
repelling a final assault. This victory in retreat allowed them to
continue their flight, but at immense personal cost—families shattered,
leaders like Five Wounds killed, and the band's resolve tested. The Nez
Perce perspective, as emphasized by the NPS and tribal narratives,
frames Big Hole not as a defeat but as a testament to their bravery and
the injustice of the unprovoked attack on a peaceful foraging camp.
The battle shocked the nation and galvanized U.S. military pursuit. Gibbon's depleted command was rescued by reinforcements, but the Nez Perce pressed on, evading larger forces under General Oliver O. Howard and Colonel Nelson Miles through the Bitterroot Valley and over Lolo Pass into Wyoming and eventually Montana's Bear Paw Mountains. Chief Joseph's famous surrender speech—"I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever"—came on October 5, 1877, just 40 miles from the Canadian border. The survivors were exiled to Oklahoma's Indian Territory, where disease and hardship claimed many lives before some returned to the Northwest in 1885. Big Hole's legacy underscores the war's total casualties: over 250 Nez Perce and 100+ U.S. troops, symbolizing the end of Nez Perce autonomy and the broader tragedy of Native American dispossession.
In the decades following, the site faded into obscurity amid the ranchlands of the Big Hole Valley. Veterans and Nez Perce descendants advocated for its preservation. On April 17, 1920, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation establishing Big Hole Battlefield National Monument under the War Department to commemorate the soldiers' sacrifices. It was redesignated as Big Hole National Battlefield in 1972 and incorporated into the Nez Perce National Historical Park in 1965, shifting focus to a balanced narrative honoring both sides. A 1992 cooperative agreement with the Nez Perce Tribe enhanced tribal involvement in interpretation, ensuring the site's role as a place of healing and education.
Nestled in the heart of the Big Hole Valley—a high-elevation basin
(averaging 6,500-7,000 feet) ringed by the Beaverhead Mountains to the
south and Pioneer Mountains to the east—the battlefield encompasses
rolling sagebrush prairies, the meandering North Fork Big Hole River,
and pockets of aspen groves and wetlands that once supported abundant
camas meadows. The semi-arid continental climate features short, mild
summers (highs in the 70s-80s°F or 21-27°C) with wildflower blooms in
July, and long, harsh winters (lows below 0°F or -18°C) blanketed in
snow, making it a haven for wildlife like elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and
birds such as sandhill cranes. The site's natural preservation has kept
archaeological remnants intact, including bullet-riddled tipis stakes
and weapon fragments, though much of the original village area is now
marked by interpretive signs rather than visible ruins.
Today, the
battlefield remains sparsely visited, maintaining its aura of isolation.
The NPS visitor center, housed in a modern log building, features
exhibits on the battle, Nez Perce culture, and the war's context,
including a diorama, artifacts (like a Winchester rifle from the site),
and oral histories. Three self-guided trails total about 1.6 miles: the
1.25-mile Battlefield Tour Trail loops through the attack site; the
0.25-mile Siege Trail follows the Nez Perce defensive positions; and the
0.2-mile Nez Perce Trail leads to the river overlook. Memorials include
white marble monuments for U.S. soldiers (erected in 1920) and a 1988
obelisk for Nez Perce victims, inscribed with their names where known.
As of 2025, the site hosts annual Nez Perce commemorations on August 5,
ranger-led programs in summer, and educational initiatives like Coyote
Camp for youth, with no major changes reported beyond ongoing
preservation efforts.
Access is free, with no entrance fees, and the park is open 24/7
year-round, though the visitor center operates seasonally (typically 9
a.m.-5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day; weekends only in
fall/spring; closed winters—check nps.gov/biho for 2025 updates). Reach
it via Montana Highway 278 from Wisdom (10 miles west) or Dillon (56
miles northwest); the last services are in Wisdom, so fuel up in
advance. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for unpaved roads, but
main access is paved. No camping on-site, but nearby options include
Jackson Hot Springs Lodge or Forest Service sites; lodging in Wisdom or
Dillon.
Summer (June-August) is prime for hiking, wildflowers, and
ranger talks on topics like Nez Perce tactics or the role of women in
the flight. Winter offers snowshoeing on trails, but blizzards can close
roads—carry chains and emergency supplies. Accessibility includes a
wheelchair-friendly visitor center and portions of the Tour Trail, but
the site is rugged overall. Respect cultural protocols: stay on trails,
leave artifacts undisturbed, and drones are prohibited. For deeper
engagement, join the annual Peace Trail Ride or school programs. Big
Hole isn't a spectacle—it's a place for quiet reflection, where the wind
across the prairie carries echoes of resilience and sorrow, reminding us
of the enduring Nez Perce spirit.