Can you reserve a site at Initial Rock?

No. Initial Rock is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Initial Rock

Facility · North Dakota ·

Managed by the USDA Forest Service

Little Missouri National Grassland (NF) · Open Access

2,490 ft
Elevation

Custer's three camps are marked along the way, and at one camp on the evening of May 28, 1876, the initials of two of the privates were carved on a sandstone boulder now known as Initial Rock. This was Custer's one-way route to his demise at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

W.C. Williams, Company H, and F. Neely, Company M,who left their initials in the sandstone rock, were with the expedition.

Getting there

46.80741, -103.41166 · 46°48'26.7"N 103°24'42.0"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 82°F in Aug, down to 27°F in Jan.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	27	29	41	53	64	74	82	82	72	55	40	29
Low °F	9	11	21	31	42	52	58	56	46	34	21	12
Precip in	0.6	0.5	0.9	1.8	2.7	2.5	2.4	1.7	1.8	1.2	0.7	0.6

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 6.3 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

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Common questions about Initial Rock

Can you reserve a site at Initial Rock?: No. Initial Rock is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Initial Rock

Cottonwood Campground (ND) 11.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
Cottonwood Group Site (ND) 11.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Roundup Group Horse Camp 14.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Buffalo Gap Campground (ND) 16 mi · Campground · we watch it
Painted Canyon Visitor Center 6.2 mi · Facility
Little Missouri National Grassland 9.1 mi · Facility
South Unit Visitor Center 9.3 mi · Facility
Battle of the Badlands Interpretive Site 13.4 mi · Facility
Burning Coal Vein Campground 14.6 mi · Campground
Wannagan Campground 19 mi · Campground
Whitetail Picnic Area 27.5 mi · Campground
Elkhorn Campground 31.5 mi · Campground

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Info Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.