Montana is the embodiment of what remains of the Wild West and Western expansion. Spend any amount of time outside Montana, and you can clearly see that Montana is still somewhat stuck in the past. A past that is known for having a very violent side to it. From the vigilantes of Bannack, native American battlefields, and the deaths of miners buried beneath the earth, Montana is no stranger to spirits and the supernatural.

Montana's state parks are home to paranormal mysteries.

I personally encountered a supernatural event at a Montana state park. Back in 2004, I traveled all the way to the Tounge River Reservoir to catch crappie with a friend. We found a campsite near the reservoir, which is located only a short distance from the Rosebud Battlefield.

According to visitmt.com

Rosebud Battlefield State Park is the undeveloped site of the 1876 battle between Sioux Indians and General George Crook's infantry. One of U.S. history's largest Indian battles, it set the stage for an Indian victory eight days later at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The Tongue River Reservoir State Park offers scenic boating, camping and great fishing for bass, crappie, walleye and northern pike.

During our first night at the state park, we encountered a typical eastern Montana wind. Sleeping in a tent, we accepted the fact that wind gusts were going to jostle the tent slightly. So we chose to just ignore it and try and get some sleep. The wind gusts soon picked up dramatically, and there was no way we could sleep through it. I opened my eyes to see my fishing partner with a terrified look on his face. I asked him what was wrong, and he continued to stare at me frightened without saying a word. It was at that moment a giant wind gust picked up and collapsed our tent. My fishing buddy became almost catatonic and covered his head with his sleeping bag. I calmly got out of the tent and erected the poles again. We parked our SUV as a wind break between the wind direction and our tent.

When I woke up at sunrise to go fishing, my partner was still awake and terrified. I finally got him to speak about what was bothering him and he told me "I could hear the faint sound of Native Americans talking in the wind. I noticed shadows outside of the tent walking around. When the tent collapsed, I saw two hands push on the tent wall forcing it to collapse on us."

Was this a paranormal encounter with ghosts of the nearby Rosebud Battlefield?

Many other state parks in Montana are home to violent pasts. Others are simply pieces of history, where some spirits may linger.

YouTube Channel "What Lurks Beneath" recently shared some great stories of supernatural encounters from some of Montana's park rangers. Stories from Glacier National Park all the way to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

LOOK: The states with the most UFO sightings

For each state, we’ve also included details of famous UFO sightings in that state. Of note is that almost three-quarters of all UFO sighting reports in the United States occur between 4 p.m. and midnight, and tend to peak between 9 and 10 p.m. Food for thought next time you're out scoping for alien life. Keep reading to see which states have had the most UFO sightings.

Gallery Credit: Nicole Caldwell & Matt Albasi

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