
Today tepee poles stand sentinel at the site of August 9th, 1877 dawn attack at the Big Hole.
Photo: NPS Photo
On August 9, 1877, gunshots shattered a chilly dawn on a sleeping camp of nımí·pu· (Nez Perce). By the time the smoke cleared on August 10, almost 90 nımí·pu· were dead, along with 31 soldiers and volunteers. Big Hole National Battlefield was created to honor all who were there.
16425 Highway 43 West
Wisdom, MT 59761
Big Hole National Battlefield is located on Highway 43 ten miles west of the town of Wisdom in southwestern Montana. Bear Paw Battlefield is located on Route 240 sixteen miles south of the town of Chinook in north-central Montana.
Get directions →This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Wisdom has a humid continental climate.