Painted Rocks State Park, State park at Painted Rocks Reservoir in Ravalli County, Montana, US
Painted Rocks State Park is a public recreation area at the southern end of Painted Rocks Reservoir, 24 miles south of Darby, Montana. The park is named for the green, yellow and orange lichens covering the grey and black rock walls of the granite and rhyolite cliffs. The reservoir was created in 1939 by impounding the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, and the park was established in 1963.
The Painted Rocks Dam began construction in 1939 to create a water reservoir for agricultural irrigation needs. This structure shaped the landscape and the river that now forms the heart of the park.
The West Fork Valley of the Bitterroot Mountains was an important place for the Bitterroot Salish people before the reservoir was created in 1939. The park's name comes from the green, yellow and orange lichens covering the grey and black walls of the granite and rhyolite cliffs.
The park has around 25 campsites, with some available for advance reservation during the warmer months. Visitors should know that the access road is winding and the best time to camp is during the warmer season.
Painted Rocks State Park has Bortle scale class 1 skies, the darkest rating, because it lies far from light pollution. The reservoir and the surrounding Bitterroot Mountains sit 24 miles (39 km) south of Darby, Montana.
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