I had so much fun looking into where to go and what to do once I head into Big Sky Country. The scenery is gorgeous and there is no shortage of adventuring to be had. I hadn’t given much thought to Montana specifically, so it was a treat to virtually explore. Its the 4th largest state in the US, so big sky abound, exploring Montana is going to be an adventure that I will surely need to revisit.
Montana National Parks
Montana is home to Glacier National Park and also contains a corner of Yellowstone National Park. I’m currently planning to enter Yellowstone from the Montana side and head into Wyoming from here. West Yellowstone is the western entrance to Yellowstone and it looks like so much fun. Never having been there, I imagine its akin to Moab and Arches National Park. There’s two places I’m dying to eat there – Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon, and Beartooth Barbecue. The food looks delicious and the ambience sounds perfect. Something about it feels so nostalgic. The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is also located in West Yellowstone. I’ll definitely take some time to visit and learn more about them before heading into Yellowstone National Park. I’ve seen black bears, but never grizzlies.
Most of Yellowstone is located outside of Montana, so we’ll talk more about Yellowstone when we venture into Wyoming. Glacier National Park, however, is the the real icon of my trek through Montana. Going-to-the-Sun Road is an absolute must! The views look spectacular and there are several attractions, lakes, and trails along the way!
Glacier is also host to Native America Speaks. This is a seasonal program in which members of the Blackfoot, Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille tribes speak about their history and culture. I’m excited to be able to attend these presentations and demonstrations.
In addition to the indigenous presentations in Glacier National Park, the Little Bighorn Battlefield is another national memorial in Montana with ties to indigenous peoples. Located in Crow Agency, it is the place where the Lakota and Cheyenne took a final stand to defend their territory and preserve their lifestyle. Crow Nation has a tour group called Apsaalooke Tours which offers both public and private interpretive tours of the National Monument. Too often we focus on the account of events of the perpetrators of these acts, rather than those who were stripped of rights and culture. I think this would be the perfect way to learn about this historic battle.
The expedition of Lewis & Clark also came through Montana, and there is a stretch of river they would have travelled on that you can boat. I do love some water adventures, so you know I’m signing up to do this!
Quirky Sites
Call ’em niche, quirky, kitschy or tourist traps – I don’t think you’re doing yourself a favor by skipping these places on your adventures. After all, there is only one Montana Vortex & Mystery House! Yes, I understand the science behind the mystery. No, I absolutely don’t feel like ruining a fun experience just because I “know how it works”. I’ve done that far too much in my life! The Montana Vortex & Mystery House is a crooked little shack that sits in (near?) a vortex. As a result, it appears to defy the laws of science and physics! Apparently, you can even feel the vortex! I’ll report back when I make it there.
Red Lodge is supposedly one of the (if not the) most haunted towns in all of Montana. That’s a whole town! That means I have a really high probability of catching a ghost and becoming a firm believer, right? I sure hope so! Not only is it apparently haunted, its also a hotbed of UFO and extraterrestrial activity. If I see a ghost and an alien on the same night, we can just call the whole van life journey a success. Maybe even my whole life, at that point.
Now, this is not to be confused with Bannack, which is the creepiest ghost town in the US. One has ghosts, one has been ghosted. Both are super awesome. With mining history, public lynching, and murder apparently there’s also ghosts. But mostly history!
Butte also has a little history of its own to explore. It’s one of a handful of towns in Montana that features an underground tunnel system. These tunnels you can take a tour of as part of the Butte City Underground Tour. It includes sites such as an old speakeasy and jail sites. The underground is always steeped in lore, and the same can be said of the tunnels under Billings, Missoula, and Havre. Havre has restored their tunnels after they fell out of use. You can also take tours, including areas such as reconstructed opium dens, restaurants, and saloons.
Big Sky Country
There are places to hike all over the state of Montana. Any state featuring the Rocky Mountains is bound to have a multitude of places to explore and I plan on doing just that!
In no way can I be exhaustive in this list, but a few gems stuck out to me when I was looking up where to go. The first is not one for the faint of heart (or so I hear). It’s the Kootenai Falls Trail, which includes a swinging bridge that only 5 people can walk on at once! I love bridges and I love falls, so this is definitely going on the list.
Montana has a reputation to uphold and it would be such a shame if I didn’t do my part to help. I grew up in rural Colorado, so the western feeling is not a stranger. I can’t help that I want to stay at a Dude Ranch in Montana and go horseback riding! There are so many options to choose from! I’m not sure which Dude Ranch I’ll end up at, but I’m excited. There’s an entire association dedicated to making sure these live up to the Dude Ranch seal of approval and you can even sort ranches by the things you can do at them. We’ll see what happens but I’m absolutely getting on a horse!
I’m sure you’ve seen several trends pop up by now if you’ve been reading this series, but where would I be without mentioning hot springs? Montana is home to several. The one that really piques my interest is Boiling River hot springs near Gardiner, MT. This location is unique in that it lies near the Gardner River, so you get the mixing of the hot and the cold waters. Natural hot springs are my absolute favorite! I’m also always excited to try natural spring water (for better or for worse). The largest freshwater spring in the US is located in Giant Springs State Park. I wasn’t able to find too much information on the how so we’ll conquer that when we get there.
There’s many more places to explore and things to do and food to eat and I’m really excited for this leg of my trip. Any places I need to check out? Trail recommendations for Glacier National Park?
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