The Great Outdoors

The destinations and activities mentioned below only begin to indicate the incredible variety of parks, forests, and mountain destinations in Montana. Other noteworthy outdoor destinations include Flathead Lake, the Gallatin National Forest, the Custer National Forest, Grasshopper Glacier, Georgetown Lake, Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, the National Bison Range, the Lolo National Forest, the Helena National Forest, the Bitterroot National Forest, and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Glacier National Park: Glacier is one of the best places to experience the incredible natural landscape of western Montana. Located in almost the northwestern corner of Montana, the park covers an area of roughly one million acres, and has 732 miles of trails. 12 small glaciers are small reminders of the most recent "Little Ice Age"; and repeated glaciation over the millions of years before that was responsible for the area’s rugged peaks and chiseled valleys. The Continental Divide runs through the park, and at one especially famous summit, Triple Divide Peak, rivers flow north to the Hudson Bay, south and east to the Gulf of Mexico, and west to the Pacific. The tallest mountain in the park is Mount Cleveland, at 10,466 feet. Going-to-the-Sun Road traverses the center of the park, and provides visitors with passage through the park and access to some of the trails and higher-altitude areas. From October through early June, the park is mostly inaccessible and has no visitor services, because of winter weather; although there are about a dozen cross-country ski trails. To plan a trip to Glacier, visit www.nps.gov/glac/home.htm . You'll find helpful information about specific hiking trails, travel to the park, and camping and other accommodations.

Yellowstone National Park: While most of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming, the West, North and Northeast Entrances are in Montana. Many visitors to Yellowstone fly in to Billings, Gallatin Field, or West Yellowstone airports, which are all in Montana. Tower-Roosevelt and Mammoth Hot Springs are both in the northern part of the park, near the Montana entrances. Old Faithful is about 30 miles from the West Entrance. Yellowstone is most accessible in late June, July and August, and is accessible in winter only by cross-country skiing or snowmobile. For most visitors, Yellowstone is more likely to be a driving experience than a hiking experience -- actually, only 5% of visitors to Yellowstone leave the paved roads that wind through the park. Horseback riding, hiking, and camping are available, however, and the park actually has over 1000 miles of designated trails. The park's official web site is www.nps.gov/. www.yellowstonenationalpark.com is also a good site for finding restaurants and accommodations in the gateway towns on the outskirts of the park, or for making reservations at a campsite.

 

The Beartooth Highway: Just outside the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone, the Beartooth Highway winds its alpine way from Cooke City to Red Lodge. If you are visiting Montana in summer, try to find a way to incorporate this route into your itinerary. It offers exhilarating views of the surrounding mountains, alpine sage fields and lakes, from altitudes as high as 10,946 feet. The road is usually open from Memorial Day to mid-October, but snow has been known to close it even in summer. For current information about all Montana roads, call (800) 226-7623; the number for Wyoming roads is (307) 772-0824. There are also several opportunities for hiking and camping along the pass, at Beartooth Loop National Recreation Trail, for example.

Trout fishing: Montana is clearly one of the best states in the nation for fishing. Wild trout swim in the upper Missouri and its headwaters, the Madison, Gallatin, Beaverhead, Jefferson, Big Hole, Yellowstone, Lamar, Firehole, Gibbon, Gardner, Lewis, Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Bighorn rivers. Fishers also enjoy the hundreds of miles of smaller streams that feed these rivers. 

 

Guest ranches: A stayat a guest ranch may be the perfect way for you to experience rustic Montana life and scenery, along with such activities as horseback riding, flyfishing, and hiking. Norma Tirrell lists her ten favorite guest ranches all over the state: Circle Bar Ranch, Flathead Lake Lodge, G Bar M Ranch, Klick’s K Bar L Ranch, Lone Mountain Ranch, Lost Fork Guest Ranch, Nine Quarter Circle Ranch, Pine Butte Ranch, 63 Ranch, and Sweet Grass Ranch. Search the web for more information or phone numbers of these ranches; and broaden your search to find dozens of other hospitable guest ranches as well.