The Vision of Jim Sindelar
John H. Dover made his claim on an island in the Yellowstone in 1882. From there, he built a short-horned cattle ranch into a successful, multi-generational operation. His grandson and heir, Jim Sindelar, began working with YRPA in the early 1990’s with an eye on conservation and public access. Even before then, Jim and his wife Virginia (Ginny) had placed much of the land under conservation easement. The 142 “Trailhead” section of the park is a result of a series of land donations and was opened to the public in 2016. The area includes miles of trails, access to the Yellowstone, and a beautiful overlook of the river corridor. In 2021, the Sindelar family donated an adjacent gravel mine area, more than doubling the size of the property. In that same year, YRPA was able to purchase much of the remaining ranch property with funding from the Montana Natural Resource Damage Program, Ducks Unlimited, Phillips 66, Montana FWP, and others. A master planning effort in late 2022 pulled these three sections together and set the vision for this 630 acre natural area at a primary entryway and growth hub of East Billings. This project has only been possible through support and partnership with dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals, and YRPA Is honored to carry on the legacy of natural beauty and public enjoyment of the outdoors.
Indigenous Connections with the Dover Park Area
This park area has been part of “Crow Country” from the time of the Apsaalooke migration to the region around 500 years ago, and was within the original 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty boundaries of the Crow Reservation. The area also has historical connections with the Tsis tsis’tas (Northern Cheyenne), Newe (Shoshone), Nakoda (Assiniboine), Dakota, and other indigenous peoples. Today, Billings has the 5thhighest percentage of people of Native American ancestry among U.S. urban areas, representing dozens of tribes. The plants, animals, and natural elements present at Dover Park have important relevance to many indigenous cultures, andthose connections are recognized through many of our trail and feature names. The 1872 “Battle of Poker Flat” (also called the Baker Battle)was a prominent event of settler history in the area and took place at the northern edge of what is now Dover Park. Involved were a survey crew from the Northern Pacific Railroad with their 372-soldier escort against nearly 1400 mounted warriors led by the Minneconjou, San Arc, Oglala, Brule, and Hunkpapa. The actions of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, both present at this battle, added to their reputations during a time of ongoing conflict, which reached a peak at the Battle of Little Bighorn / Battle of Greasy Grass four years later.
Natural History
Bordered by the Yellowstone River, the longest undammed river in the continental U.S., Dover Park contains key representative habitat types of south-central Montana. Sagebrush steppe, mixed-grass prairie, and cottonwood riparian forest are dominant, peppered with woody draws and south-facingsandstone exposures. The river provides a key corridor for animal migration and is a critical biodiversity hotspot in this dry climate. More than 100 birdspecies have been documented at the park, along with coyotes, white-tailed deer, mink, cottontail and jackrabbits, leopard frogs, crayfish, mourningcloak butterflies, yellow violets, prairie clover, and hundreds of other terrestrial and aquatic species. Look for interpretive signage and links to onlineinformation on flora, fauna, and natural elements throughout the park.