About this place

Located approximately 18 miles north of Billings, the Acton Recreation Area consists of an extremely diverse landscape. With Cretaceous Age upland bluffs of Eagle sandstone, minor badlands, steep drainages, weathered shale, and scattered ponderosa pine, this 3,800-acre parcel of land allows for many wildlife-viewing opportunities. Open to camping, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and hunting (during season), Acton provides multiple possibilities for use year-round. About 6.6 miles of mapped roads are open for motorized use.The Acton Recreation Area is located within the Hoskins Basin Archaeological District, an area containing the remains of both conical and cribbed aboriginal wooden dwellings. Both types are increasing rarities on the northwest plains, as are sites where both sorts of structures are represented. Reports of early explorers indicated that dwellings of this type were once common. Due to loss through natural causes (weathering, floods, and fire), many of the structures have been lost. Their use for firewood and fence posts accounts for other losses.Distribution of the both the cribbed and conical dwellings is quite limited. The cribbed type is reported to have been spotted only from south-central Montana to northern Wyoming. The conical type has a wider range but is not as common in south-central Montana as the cribbed type. No off-road motorized vehicle use is permitted to protect the archaeological sites and wildlife habitat.