Entry No. 32 — the Missoula file — filed under: outdoor

Ringing Rocks

Up a rough gravel road east of Butte sits a pile of weathered boulders that chime like bells when struck with a hammer, one of only a few publicly accessible sites of its kind in the United States. The ringing comes from the rocks' dense crystalline composition combined with the void space left as joints eroded, which lets the pile resonate like the hollow body of a drum; pull a rock out on its own and the clear tone fades to a dull, weak thud. Visitors bring their own hammers and tap out metallic notes from the otherwise ordinary-looking stones.

The move: Pack a hammer, bump up the gravel road past Pipestone, and take turns making the boulders ring like a stone xylophone.

📍 Before you go About 175 miles southeast of Missoula via I-90, at the far edge of day-trip range. The final ~3.5 miles are rough gravel best for high-clearance vehicles; bring your own hammer and watch for bears. Bring water; no facilities.

• 📍 near Pipestone / Whitehall, MT
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Off I-90 Exit 241 (Pipestone), ~3.5 mi up gravel roads, MT

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24