My Public Lands

Friends of Pompeys Pillar, BLM Pompeys Pillar National Monument, Montana

Located near the Yellowstone River, Pompeys Pillar is a sandstone butte where Captain William Clark carved his name and the date on which the Lewis and Clark expedition party stopped there in 1806. This inscription is the only remaining physical evidence of the expedition on its actual route.

When the BLM acquired Pompeys Pillar and other nearby acreage in 1991, the members of the non-profit Pompeys Pillar Historical Association were among the first volunteers to step up. For more than 20 years, this organization, now known as the Friends of Pompeys Pillar, has provided hundreds of volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours of service each year to Pompeys Pillar, which was designated a BLM national monument in 2001. Volunteers have supported interpretive and educational programs, founded youth shadowing programs, produced educational and interpretive publications, assisted in restoration and rehabilitation efforts, supported emergency responses (including evacuation of historical resources during floods), run the gift store, served as visitor center greeters and docents, conducted special events, and been integral in site maintenance and landscaping.

In 2013 alone, more than 40 regular volunteers put in over 4,000 hours of service at the monument. These volunteers made contact with almost 30,000 visitors, more than 2,000 of whom were students. From attaining status as a public land site through becoming a premier destination within the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, Pompeys Pillar National Monument owes much of its success to the continued dedication and support of its special “Friends.”

Read more about the Annual Making a Difference Volunteer Awards.