Entry No. 26 — the Bozeman file — filed under: soak
Giant Chicken at Chico Hot Springs
A nine-foot, vividly colored chicken statue stands incongruously along a hiking trail behind the historic Chico Hot Springs resort in Paradise Valley. There's no plaque or origin story, just a giant bird waiting about half a mile out on the resort's five-mile multi-use loop. Park at the Field of Dreams lot and walk the trail to find it, then soak in the hot springs afterward.
The story
You're walking the grass-covered hills behind the historic Chico Hot Springs resort, minding your own business on a multi-use path shared with mountain bikers and horseback riders, when you round a ridge half a mile in and get hit with a nine-foot chicken. Painted in vivid white, yellow, and red, the oversized bird stands completely unsheltered in the Montana countryside, staring out toward Paradise Valley without a single plaque or sign to explain itself.
Nobody at the resort put up an official marker, but local lore holds that the statue originally belonged to a short-lived area restaurant. When that business folded, Chico Hot Springs acquired the giant bird and hauled it up onto the Ranch 635 property along their five-mile trail system—leaving it out in the hills as an unannounced surprise for anyone wandering off the main resort grounds.
What it's like
To find the bird, turn onto Dance Hall Hill Road at the edge of the resort property, head up the incline, and park in the Field of Dreams lot. From there, head up the dirt road past the Ranch 635 sign and follow the Multi-Use Trail markers roughly half a mile out. The rolling topography conceals the nine-foot statue until you're right on top of it, making for an abrupt photo op before you double back down the hill for a soak in Chico's open-air mineral pools.
The move: Walk the half-mile trail to pose with the giant chicken, then double back for a soak in Chico's open-air hot pools.
- 📍 Pray
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 163 Chico Rd, Pray, MT (on the Chico Hot Springs multi-use trail, ~0.5 mi from the Field of Dreams lot)
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Out of the Blue Antiques — Match a surreal trailside rooster with theatrical, offbeat antique displays on Main Street in nearby Livingston.
- Yellowstone Gateway Museum — Swap mystery roadside art for three floors of regional history housed in Livingston's 1907 North Side School.
- Fly Fishing Discovery Center (Fly Fishers International) — Follow up your strange trail encounter with a stop at the national fly-fishing headquarters and museum down the road in Livingston.
Good to know
Where is the giant chicken located?
It stands along the Ranch 635 multi-use trail, about half a mile from the Field of Dreams parking lot behind Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Montana.
Is there an admission fee or plaque explaining the statue?
No, walking the trail is free, and there is no plaque or sign explaining why the giant bird is there.
How long is the walk to reach it?
It is about a half-mile walk one-way from the Field of Dreams lot along an undulating dirt and gravel trail.
Can I soak at Chico Hot Springs while visiting?
Yes, you can park near the trail, complete the half-mile walk to the statue, and return to the historic resort to soak in their open-air hot spring pools.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · whistlingandy.com · Official site · Instagram
last checked: 2026-06-24