Things to Enjoy in Montana

In Montana – Visitors Enjoy:

• Stunning scenic landscapes
• Fly-fishing in wild, trout-filled rivers
• Camping, cycling, and hiking in wilderness areas
• Abundant cultural and historical  attractions
• Magnificent mountain ranges
• Elk, mountain goats, and grizzly bears
• Boundless and beautiful plains
•  Wonderful state and national parks

• Quaint and interesting small towns
• Western guest ranches
• Exciting events in every season
• Fantastic ski resorts
• Well-preserved ghost towns
• Pristine lakes and rivers
• Uncrowded places in the cities and countryside
• Experience the “old west”
• Friendly people who live in Montana

Highlights for visitors:

• Scenic Area: Gates of the Mountains near Helena
• Scenic Mountain Routes: Beartooth Highway (U.S. Highway 212) near Red Lodge; Going-to-the-Sun Road (near Kalispell in Glacier National Park)
• Natural Site: Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park
• Lakes & Rivers: Flathead Lake near Kalispell; Fort Peck Lake near Glasgow; Madison River near Ennis; Yellowstone River in southeast Montana
• Museums: Montana Historical Society Museum in Helena; Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyo.; Headwaters Heritage Museum in town of Three Forks.
• Restaurants: Bistecca at the Granary in Billings; Blackbird Kitchen in Bozeman; On Broadway in Helena; The Pearl Café in Missoula; Dante’s Creative Cuisine in Great Falls; Uptown Café in Butte
• Western Stores: Hoglund’s Work and Western Wear in Great Falls; Western Outdoor in Kalispell
• Sports Store: Scheels sports store in Billings

• Scenic Drives: I-15, Helena to Great Falls; Montana Route 540 (near Livingston); Montana State Highway 78, Columbus to Red Lodge
• Small Towns: Bigfork; Red Lodge; Livingston; Lewistown
• Historical Site: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Hardin; St. Mary’s Mission in Stevensville
• National Parks: Yellowstone National Park; Glacier National Park
• State Parks: Lewis and Clark Caverns; Bannack (a ghost town); Wayfarers/Flathead Lake; Giant Springs
• Nightlife: Missoula
• Mountains: Absaroka Mountains, drive from Belfry, Mont. to Cody, Wyo., along Montana State Highway 72 and continuing south on Wyoming State Highway 120; Bitterroot Mountains, drive south from Missoula to Hamilton, along U.S. Highway 93; Crazy Mountains, view from Big Timber along IH-90

• Wildlife: Grizzly bears in captivity in town of West Yellowstone and at sanctuary near Bozeman; buffalo in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park
• Lodging: Grand Union Hotel in Fort Benton; Sage Lodge near Livingston
• Ski Areas:  Red Lodge Mountain; Whitefish Mountain Resort
• Events:  Montana State Fair in Great Falls; Home of Champions Rodeo in Red Lodge; Fourth of July Parade in Bigfork
• Outdoor Sports:  Fly-Fishing Madison River near Ennis; hiking in Glacier National Park; a stroll in Swords Park on the Rimrocks in Billings; a guided boat tour on Flathead Lake near Kalispell

Travel  tip:

• On National Register of Historic Landmarks in Montana.

Enjoy all the fun things to see and do in the Treasure State.

Absaroka Mountain, Mont.
© 2022 John Sandy