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Montana Vacation & Travel Guide

Wildlife Refuges

RED LODGE POST

Wildlife refuges are areas, lands and waters, set aside to conserve fish, wildlife, and plants. Refuge managers aim to maintain and improve natural habitats.

National wildlife refuges MT
National Wildlife Refuges in Montana. Grass Lake NWR not on the map, near Billings, is a recent addition. Map courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Montana has 24 wildlife refuges/districts, operated and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuges are amazing places to visit if natural environments are of interest.

Red Rock Lakes
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

 

C.M. Russell Refuge
C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Nine of the refuges are found in western mountainous regions and fifteen more are in the central and eastern parts of the state. All kinds are environments are represented, such as wetlands, prairies, uplands, badlands, and river breaks.



Visitors at refuges experience many kinds of birds, mammals, and plants. Some favorites:

  • Buffalo at the National Bison Range
  • Black-footed ferrets, bighorn sheep, and cottonwood trees at C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
  • Greater sage grouse and golden eagles at Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  • Moose and trumpeter swans at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
  • Canada geese, wild turkeys, red-winged blackbirds at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
Trumpeter swan USFWS
Trumpeter swan at Red Rock Lakes. Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

 

Bison USFWS
Bison (buffalo) at National Bison Range. Photo courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Choose one or more refuges that appeal to you and study the area(s) before you go. A F&WS online map shows locations of refuges and links to refuge Websites.

Be sure to bring a pair of high-quality binoculars for viewing nature close-up. Take along Montana nature field guides too.  A copy of Montana Nature Set: Field Guides to Wildlife, Birds, and Wildflowers of Montana by James Kavanaugh may suffice.  Buy on Amazon dot com.

Enjoy and learn about nature in the great Montana outdoors.




Absaroka Mountain, Mont.

© 2021 John Sandy

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Current weather in Montana cities: Check the weather often.  Find weather here for cities across the state. Weather can change quickly in the mountains and on the plains. Be prepared.

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About Montana

Enjoy the Treasure State. Learn about people and places.

 

 

 

Books on travel in the Treasure State. A few history books, too. Snag and read a few books before you go.

 

Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts

Wonderful lodging of all kinds is available for travelers in most cities, big and small. Here are a few choices that are sure to please. Prices for rooms are a bit higher during the peak tourist season. Lodging in Montana is still a good value, however.

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Experience the Treasure State

  • Trip planning Glacier National Park Montana.
  • Skiing Montana
  • Radon Health Mines
  • Glacier Park Chalets
  • Thomas Cruse: Prospector, Banker, and Rancher
  • Lookout Cabin Rentals
  • Montana National Forests
  • Bozeman Hotels
  • Yellowstone Park Entrances
  • Current Weather in Montana
  • Glacier Park Webcams
  • Blackfeet Tribe and Glacier Park
  • Saint Mary Lake
  • Glacier Reborn
  • Wildlife Refuges
  • Montana on my Mind
  • Best Museums
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  • Many Glacier Hotel
  • Luxury Ranches and Resorts
  • Trail of the Cedars
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  • Lake McDonald Lodge
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  • Going-to-the-Sun Road
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  • Big Timber Cabin Rentals
  • Hotels
  • Snapshot of Livingston
  • Butte History
  • Cabin Rental
  • Snapshot of Kalispell

RSS Glacier Official News

  • Dave Roemer Selected as Superintendent of Glacier National Park 11/05/2022
  • Glacier National Park Hiring for the 2022 Season 28/04/2022
  • Glacier National Park Spring Operations for 2022 15/04/2022
  • Lake McDonald Utility Project Begins June 1 07/04/2022

RSS Yellowstone Official News

  • Anticipate temporary road closures on East Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park due to increased avalanche danger; Stay informed about road status 16/05/2022
  • Winter weather and hazardous driving conditions expected in Yellowstone National Park; ANTICIPATE TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES and DRIVING DELAYS 12/05/2022
  • Chris Flesch named Yellowstone’s next chief of Visitor and Resource Protection 05/05/2022

Hiking In Helena Montana

Want to go hiking in the mountains. Try the trail that goes to the top of Mt. Helena, in Helena. This is an easy one even for young people. Elevation at top, 5,468 feet. Biking allowed too. The view of the mountains to the south and west from the top is awesome.

Don’t Miss in Montana

Montana Historical Society Museum in Helena. *** Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. *** Bigfork, a quaint and charming town in the wilderness. *** Funky downtown Missoula.

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Shop Merino Wool Clothing

Made is Montana is always special. For the finest Merino Wool clothing go online to DuckworthCo.com. Wool used in their products comes from sheep raised on a ranch in southwest Montana.

Montana Luxury Vacations

Luxury vacation destinations offer extra nice lodging, great cuisine, and abundant activities, all in beautiful surroundings:. Triple Creek Ranch near Darby, Montana in the Bitterroot Valley offers so much. (406) 821-4600. TrippleCreekRanch.com. *** The Resort at Paws Up near Greenough, Montana, located 35 minutes northeast of Missoula, rivals the best. (877) 580-6343. PawsUp.com *** The Sage Lodge, a few miles south of Livingston, Montana, offers luxury and great amenities. This is a new resort. In a word, very Nice. (855) 400-0505. SageLodge.com *** The Silver Bow Club, in southwest Montana, offers luxury and wonderful outdoor activities. In Divide, Montana. (406) 491-2157. Silverbowclub.com ***

Gold Prospecting Supplies

The Prospector Shop is on U.S. Highway 12 a few miles west of Helena, Montana. A great place to pick up all kinds of supplies needed for prospecting. Gold mining pans and more. Nice souvenirs here too for wanna-be prospectors. Call (406) 442-1872.

Starbucks in Montana Too

Hey you are in far away Montana.  But finding a familiar coffee shop is a good thing.  Starbucks coffee houses:  in Billings (Grand Avenue); in Kalispell (Main Street); in Bozeman (Main Street) in Missoula (Reserve Avenue); in Helena (Prospect Avenue); in Great Falls (10th Ave. South).

Photo gallery Montana (click on image below)

Blackfeet Nation

Blackfeet Nation (Native Americans) seek to keep cultural traditions alive. Their reservation borders the east side of Glacier National Park in north-central Montana. Flathead Beacon story.

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