Montana’s Wild Horses: The Pryor Mountain Must-See

Fall is in the air, and there’s nothing quite like a drive through southeastern Montana to remind you why this state is a little slice of wild heaven. About 50 miles south of Billings, in the high country where Montana spills into Wyoming, roams one of the most iconic herds of wild horses in the country. The Pryor Mountain Wild Horses.

These aren’t just any horses. From sleek black stallions to sun-kissed palominos, grullas, duns, bays, and even the occasional tiger-striped leg horse. Some even have cobwebbing on their faces or bi-colored manes.

Genetically, these horses are a wild cocktail of history. They carry DNA from Spanish breeds brought to the Americas centuries ago, a mix of "light racing and riding breeds," and even a little bit of Quarter Horse mixed in there.

The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range itself is a rugged, breathtaking playground for the free-roaming beauties. The range covers more than 38,000 acres, with elevations from just under 4,000 feet to nearly 9,000 feet, giving the horses everything from cold desert shrublands to alpine meadows and sub-alpine forests.

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Visitors come from all over to see these horses in their natural element, but remember, admire from a distance. These wild Montana horses are protected and managed carefully by the BLM and National Park Service. There's only a four places left in the country with the opportunity to see wild horses, and we are lucky enough to have one of those places right in our backyard.