Ringing Rocks

The Whitetail-Pipestone Recreation Area eighteen miles east of Butte and north of I-90 hides a natural wonder that is one of Montana’s best kept secrets. The jumbled pile of rust-colored boulders, probably dumped there as debris from an ice-age glacier as it moved and receded eons ago, chime harmoniously when struck with a wrench or hammer. Rocks have been known to be used as musical instruments for several thousand years. So-called lithophone stones have been found among various culture...