Is Ekalaka on the map?

submitted by EPEDC

Ekalaka is a welcoming community that is the gateway into Montana. What attractions does Ekalaka have to lure visitors to its rural community?

In Ekalaka Montana lies a unique Dinosaur Museum, the Carter County Museum (CCM). This museum was the first county museum, as well as the first dinosaur museum in Montana. CCM is on the Montana Dinosaur Trail, where fourteen museums have a passport-style tour of Montana’s dinosaur museums. The museum hosts the Annual Dino Shindig which attracts dino lovers to the area. The Shindig is such a great attraction for paleontologists and people who love to learn about dinosaurs, that it was named Montana’s Event of the Year by the Office of Tourism and Business Development in 2017.

On the outskirts of town, Medicine Rocks State Park is 330 acres of land for people to visit who enjoy hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, picnicking, camping and photography. The park is a treasure — full of history, culture, and unique topography —and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sunrises and sunsets are truly magical at the park. At night, the sky is full of a million stars that can be seen so clearly that Medicine Rocks State Park was recently designated as a Certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary.

Finding a few main attractions and targeting them to create the uniqueness will help put Ekalaka on the map. Tourism will increase revenue and boost the economy because most of the benefits from tourism will stay in the community. Promoting the attractions Ekalaka already has in the community and growing from there is a good investment for the future. Advertising and marketing will be the key to growing the already well-known attractions Ekalaka has to offer.