**IMPORTANT**
Dogs, other than service animals, are not allowed at Dover Park.
Park Information
John H Dover Memorial Park is a flagship park project of YRPA in Billings Heights. Parking and trailhead are at 2531 Mary Street. Park gate is open from sunrise to sunset each day.
Please no fires, fireworks, dogs, overnight camping, ATV’s, dirt bikes, horses, or hunting.
Bikes are welcome, but please keep speed down and yield to pedestrians.
We welcome fishing, hiking, trail running, bird watching, kite flying, and rockhounding.
The Dover Activity Center is available to rent for events and gatherings. More information on our Dover Activity Center page.
Program Information
Information about YRPA and partner programs, including Catkins Nature School, can be found on our Dover Memorial Park Program Page
History
YRPA opened the “Trailhead” area of the park in 2016. This 120-acre area includes miles of trails, access to the Yellowstone, and a beautiful overlook of river corridor. It also contains the Dover Activity Center and plenty of benches, restrooms, and picnic shelters along the trails.
John H. Dover began homesteading on the property in 1882 and grew his 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. Jim and his wife Virginia (Ginnie) began by placing portions of the land under conservation easement. They then made donations of land to YRPA for a publicly-accessible park.
In 2021, the Sindelar family donated an adjacent gravel mine area, more than doubling the size of the property. And in that same year, YRPA was able to purchase the core of the homestead 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. The full John H Dover Memorial Park plan, seen below, set the vision for this 600 acre park at a primary entryway and growth hub of East Billings.
We would love to have your help in this project — we’re looking for feedback, volunteers, donors, and community partners. Contact Dover Park Manager Carolyn Sevier, 406-696-8622, carolyn.sevier@yrpa.org
