Two Moon Park

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Two Moon Park sits along the Yellowstone River on the east side of Billings, where cottonwood trees, wildlife, and river trails now welcome visitors throughout the year. Long before the city existed, this same stretch of river bottom served a very different purpose. The Yellowstone Valley provided water, food, shelter, and travel routes for generations of Indigenous people who moved through and lived within this landscape.

Among those who knew this valley were the Crow (Apsáalooke) and Northern Cheyenne. The river offered a natural corridor across the region, while the cottonwood groves and springs found along its banks made ideal places to stop, camp, and gather. For centuries, people traveled these bottomlands following the rhythms of the seasons and the resources the river provided.

The park takes its name from Chief Two Moon, known in Cheyenne as Ísseomévo’e. Born around 1847, Two Moon became one of the Northern Cheyenne’s most respected leaders and warriors. He is remembered for fighting alongside Northern Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho warriors during the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Although there is no record placing Chief Two Moon at this exact location, the park’s name honors both his legacy and the enduring Indigenous history of the Yellowstone Valley.

Like much of the Yellowstone River corridor, the land changed over time. Parts of the area were used for grazing and gravel extraction, and by the 1960s and 1970s several development projects were being considered for the property. Had those plans moved forward, the landscape visitors see today could have looked very different.

Instead, local residents, conservation advocates, county officials, and community organizations worked to protect the river bottom from further development. Their efforts eventually led to the creation of Two Moon Park as part of Billings’ Bicentennial projects in the late 1970s. The preservation of this land safeguarded one of the community’s most valuable natural areas along the Yellowstone River.

A lesser-known piece of local history involves the park’s name. Historical records suggest that Two Moon Park and nearby Coulson Park may have exchanged names at one point, creating some confusion in older maps and documents.

Today, visitors can explore miles of trails, watch for wildlife, and enjoy access to the Yellowstone River as people have done here for generations. The landscape has changed over time, but the river remains the constant thread connecting the stories of those who came before with those who continue to visit its banks today.