By editor
Valley County, North of Glasgow
North of the Milk River, the land rises into an immense, unbroken plateau of mixed-grass prairie. This is the North Valley Grasslands, one of the largest and most intact tracts of native sod remaining in the United States. To the untrained eye, it is an empty expanse of wind and grass; to the birder, it is a fragile, irreplaceable sanctuary.
The birds here are masters of camouflage and aerial display. Because there are no trees from which to sing, species like the McCown's Longspur and the Sprague's Pipit launch themselves high into the air, delivering their territorial songs on the descent. The Long-billed Curlew, North America's largest shorebird, stalks grasshoppers in the short grass, its haunting, liquid calls echoing across the prairie. This is a place to sit quietly by the side of a dirt road at dawn, listening to the complex, overlapping songs of the Baird's Sparrow and the Western Meadowlark.
Visitor Access
The North Valley Grasslands are primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and are free and open to the public year-round. There are no designated trails, visitor centers, or facilities; birding is done by driving the remote gravel and dirt county roads (such as Highway 24 north of Glasgow) and stopping to scan the prairie. High-clearance vehicles are strongly recommended, and travel is ill-advised after heavy rain.