wahkpa chu'gn archaeological site

Visited Wahkpa Chu'gn by appointment on Saturday, Nov. 1st. Was a little chilly but was well worth the trip from Great Falls. Ann was so knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. Artifacts at the site have been very well preserved and were very easy to see. At the end of the tour we got to throw atlatls at a target. That was SO fun. I had never thrown one before. This attraction is well worth the admission and very educational for anyone, especially if you're from Montana.

Definitely worth the time to stop and visit this. Great glimpse into the lives of prehistoric natives. Don't miss it.

One of my undergrad degrees was archaeology and this place rocks! Havre surprised me with some really cool museums. The tour guide was a high school student, but she knew a lot of archeology as well as plenty of interesting history and even a bit of paleontology and geology. I would not be surprised to see her teaching at MSU-Bozeman some day. The tour requires walking some stairs, but she drove us most of the way, so it was pretty manageable. The shop is also an interpretive center and very well done. I'm a shopper and I had a hard time leaving because of the things they were selling. If you come to Havre, go see this!

I had never heard about Buffalo Jumps till we got to Montana. Lucky for us this is only about a 5 minute drive from town, so we were able to see it in about 90 minutes. I had always wondered how the native peoples hunted before they had horses or guns. This site gives you a real appreciation for the life and culture that they had in this area over thousands of years. You see huge numbers of bones and artifacts -- all in the original archeological sites. You also get a chance to try your hand at throwing a native weapon called atlatl -- something they used before bows and arrows. Advice -- don't do this site in the rain -- there are some steep grades to walk on. We discussed the prospect of doing it in the rain with the tour guide (a very knowledgeable and articulate high school girl) -- she recommended coming back at 9 AM the next day. That was far better --we were able to really enjoy the site, including the wild flowers, birds, and fabulous view over the milk river.

My first husband was an archeologist and this site is 100% authentic archeology. The guide, Hannah, was a high school girl, but she was very smart and well educated about her topic. She was clearly following a script, but answered my tough questions CORRECTLY!!! The founders won the Governor's Award and I can see why. Well done!

My wife thought it was excellent while I thought average, so we split the difference when rating. For $8 you get an informal 45 minute trip down the hill and view buffalo bones in two buildings - one has larger bones at the slaughter site and another with smaller bones at a processing site. Our tour guide was nice and informative Unusual and unique, yes. If you are passing through Havre, stop in, but would not go out of the way to see.

Having been to another Buffalo Jump, my family and I found this to be different in a way it was more up close, visually stimulating and fun! You can chose to walk down the stairs or take the ATV ride. What is in those red buildings, history!! It is displayed in a way you can understand and actually imagine yourself there during that time period! My son enjoyed trying out the Atlatl!

A real surprise ! Educational and rewarding. The personal story of dedication was heart warming and the visit was easy to negotiate with the help of the ATV for transport.

I took my four daughters here several years ago. When we talk about Havre it is one of their favorite memories. The site is well documented and you are able to see the bones of the buffalo that "didn't make it". There is a place where you can see if you can throw a spear. My girls loved this and want to go again now that they are older and stronger. The girls were able to spend time digging at the site and finding their own bones. Pretty amazing!

Although the obscure location of this Buffalo Jump and Archaeological dig is set behind Holiday Village Mall do not let that detour you. This is an eye opening and historic site which has more to see and hear about then you'd expect. The original flounder of this location at age 16 is still the active Curator so many decades later. Words are hard to discribe this historical site, it is a MUST see!!!!!! Only open in the summer months for visitors. The guide was full of information about the sites and the ongoing digs. Not shards of bones but full skeletons of Buffalo, layers upon layers of history.For adults and children, photos allowed.A Division of H. Earl Clark Museum: ....."the seeds of our density are nurtured by the roots of our past"www.buffalojump.org Ph:406-265-6417

This is that rare site where careful research and the desire to tell a story well have come together to give the visitor a sense of life in another place and time. Some attractions do that with costumed interpreters. Wahkap Chu'gn does it with an extraordinarily well managed site that is now accessible to most visitors, even though it's strung out over several locations on a steep cliff. Overlooking the beautiful Milk River, with badlands in the distance, your 45-minute tour will explain how Native Americans of three different cultural groups would have stampeded buffalo over the cliff and then processed them. There is a small interpretive center, but the real finds are still in situ, in small huts where they can be protected and visitors can see them close up. Our guide, Christy, was very knowledgeable (and did a great job of piloting the cart down the steep hill). She also hit the foam bison target with her atlatl, inspiring us to put some real muscle into our own throws. You can really tell how much the managers, John & Anna Brumley, and guides care about this important site and about improving it so that its story can reach as many visitors as possible. TIPS: You may want to call ahead and arrange the time you want your tour. The staff is small, so if a tour is under way when you arrive, the office will be closed. Also, if you're visiting on a warm day, try to stop by in the morning, before the exhibit buildings get unbearably hot.

Let me clarify: the site itself is fairly interesting in that it is a place where pre-historic Indians drove bison over a cliff to harvest them. There is an enormous collection of bones and other artifacts to suggest the history of the site. What we found inspiring was the management of the site. It is essentially the work of a man and his wife who dedicate themselves to interpreting and preserving this interesting place. We had a tour with the Mrs. and she came out in a driving rain just for us. She was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about this site. So, yes, this is an interesting place to visit, regardless of its management but because it is the passion of a dedicated couple, you can't help but want to support them. This is the one place in Havre to see if you are passing throgh.

This is such a cool place, I have never seen anything like it. It is an actual archaeological excavation. You get to see walls of buffalo bones and an actual Native American fire pit. I even got to throw an atlatl, what the natives used to hunt the buffalo. Good thing I didn't have to depend on my hunting skills to eat back then. I got my tour from the wife of the archaeologist who discovered the site when he was a kid back in the sixties. She gave an excellent tour, she was very friendly, gave a lot of background details and answered all my questions. They give tours regularly during the summer, but I got mine by calling the phone number. You can walk down the stairs, but they have a concrete trail that they drive you up and down on in a quad as it would be quite a hike. This is one of the best tours I have ever taken, I highly recommend it.

This is a fun and educational stop. It is not necessary to pay for a guided tour - but you make a big mistake if you just wander through unescorted. I was fortunate to have the wife of the archaeologist who discovered this site as tour guide. Everyone was very friendly. The tour was very affordable and every question was answered thoroughly. It was fascinating to learn about the ancient nomadic tribes and how they herded and killed the buffalo. One of the excellent displays even showed how the native Americans prepared and cooked the meat. This was lots better than expected. Look for the signs advertising The Buffalo Jump.

Tours are guided only on an informal schedule. Access to the site starts with a long decent on stairs. Visitors have to be able to handle the stairs to visit the dig areas. Once you're down the hill they do have an electric cart that can be used to traverse the hilllside. Each archeologically dig is contained in a small structure connected by an asphalt path. Our guide was the grandson of the man who discovered the site. He was very friendly, knowledgable, and entertaining. The tour culminates with a hands on activity. Guests are given the opportunity to try using the arrow throwing weapon (the name escapes me) the indians used to kill any surviving buffalo. Unfortunately, some of the site has been vandalized but it is still worth a visit. If you don't have much time I would recommend doing this over the underground tour. The UNDERGROUND TOUR is basically local artifacts contained in the basement of several buildings. The locations are "recreations" and not authentic. Very disappointing.