Montana greets travelers with breathtaking natural wonders, stunning mountains, expansive plains, and a wide open sky. Here are our 7 favorite things to do during your trip.
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Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is incredibly picturesque with rugged mountains, remnants of ancient glaciers, pristine lakes, and a variety of wildlife. It offers a wide array of activities that showcase its many breathtaking landscapes.
The top activity at the park is driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This scenic highway offers stunning views of the park. Stop at Logan Pass for a panoramic view. And don’t miss taking a walk along the Sunrift Gorge. If you want to leave the driving to someone else, take advantage of the vintage Red Bus Tours with knowledgeable drivers pointing out the sites.
The park also features 700+ miles of hiking trails ranging from easy walks to challenging routes. The most popular is the moderately strenuous 10 mile Grinnell Glacier Trail. Fortunately, you can shorten the hike by taking a boat shuttle across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine. Scenic boat tours are also available. You can also tour the park by horseback on guided trails.
No matter how you get around the park, keep an eye out for wildlife. Grizzly bears, black bears, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and various bird species are just some of the creatures inhabiting the park.
Lodging and camping is available in the park. Or there are many great places to stay in the area. And there are many other fun things to see and do.
Beartooth Highway
Beartooth Highway is a scenic mountain pass winding through the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness from Red Lodge, Montana, to the northeastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Spanning 68 miles, it offers panoramic views of mountains, glacial lakes, and forests. The road is impassable in winter due to heavy snowfall, so expect it only to be open from late May to mid-October each year.
Download the GuideAlong Beartooth Highway tour. It uses GPS coordinates to tell you detailed information about the area and guidance on where to stop for the best views. It’s like having a personal tour guide in the car with you!
There are many great places to stay in Red Lodge, Montana. And there are plenty of other things to do nearby!
Virginia City & Nevada City
Step back in time by visiting the well-preserved ghost towns of Virginia City and Nevada City. These historic mining towns are one mile apart and offer a glimpse into Montana’s Gold Rush history. Both cities were founded in 1863 when gold was discovered in nearby Alder Gulch. Virginia City was designated as Montana’s territorial capitol. Nevada City was established as a mining camp.
Today, Virginia City is open year round and contains many historic buildings showcasing 19th century architecture. More than 90 historic structures were moved to Nevada City to create an open-air living history museum which is open during the summer months.
The Nevada City Old Town Museum and Music Hall is not to be missed. It showcases artifacts and buildings from the Old West. Costumed interpreters bringing the past to life on weekends. Want to strike it rich? Then pan for gold at River of Gold nearby. You can also enjoy the scenery by taking a ride on the Alder Gulch Shoreline Train connecting Virginia City and Nevada City.
Want a guided tour? There are several options! You can ride in a circa 1941 fire engine for a 35 minute narrated tour of Virginia City. Or take a 30 minute historical stagecoach tour through Alder Gulch. And don’t miss the entertainment opportunities provided by the Virginia City Players and Brewery Follies.
There are many great places to stay in Virginia City or in Nevada City. You can also check out other fun things to see and do in Virginia City and in Nevada City.
Big Sky Resort
No matter what time of the year you visit, Big Sky Resort has outdoor activities for you to enjoy. This premier resort is nestled in the Madison Range of the Rocky Mountains. With almost 6,000 acres of ski terrain, it’s one of the largest ski resorts in the U.S.
In the winter, it offers both downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing tours, and Sno-Go biking. Adventurous skiers can even explore the slopes at night by the light of a headlamp! For those who aren’t steady on skis, you can enjoy the beautiful views by dog sled, sleigh ride, snowmobile, or snow-coach. Horseback riding and fly fishing are also available. And don’t miss the Enchanted Forest immersive light display featuring over 10,000 lights along a 1 kilometer path.
Even though skiing is king at Big Sky, things don’t slow down in the summer. You can enjoy the nice weather with a ton of adventurous activities. Ride the chairlifts throughout the park for marvelous views. Better yet, sail through the sky on 1,400 feet of ziplines. Or try rock climbing in Gallatin Canyon. Prefer to stay on the ground? No problem! Big Sky Resort offers golfing, hiking, archery, disc golf, and great opportunities for wildlife viewing. You can also hit the trails on a mountain bike or by horseback. If you love the water, there’s fly fishing, whitewater rafting, paddle boarding, and kayaking available. There’s even an outdoor escape room challenge.
You can stay at the resort, or there are many great places to stay in Big Sky. And there are plenty of other things to do nearby.
Little Bighorn Battlefield
Visit the place where General Custer took his last stand at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. The monument commemorates the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn. Start at the Visitor’s Center for an overview of the complex history of the battle. Then take a self-guided or ranger-led tour of the battlefield. The most intense fighting occurred at Last Stand Hill where you can see the white marble makers showing where soldiers fell. Then you can pay your respects at Custer National Cemetery onsite. A 4.5 mile self driving tour with an audio guide provides a narrated story of the battle.
General Custer and his men were fighting the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indians. This battle marks one of the last armed efforts to of these indigenous people to preserve their way of life. Their sacrifice is commemorated with the Indian Memorial which was added to the site in 2003.
If you want to get a unique perspective of the battle, time your visit to coincide with the yearly Battle of Little Bighorn Re-enactment. This 90 minute cosplay event was established to highlight Native American history and showcase the land where Sitting Bull’s camp was located and some of the battle took place.
There are many great places to stay in Crow Agency. And there are also several other fun things to see and do while in the area.
Museum of the Rockies
Located in Bozeman, the Museum of the Rockies in THE place to visit if you are interested in paleontology. It has an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils, including complete dinosaur skeletons. You will learn about several important digs that took place in Montana. See a mounted T. Rex, a nearly complete Allosaurus, dinosaur eggs, and more. Also see other prehistoric mammals on display including mammoths, rhinos, and bone-crushing dogs.
You will also learn about the cultural and natural history of Montana through exhibits on Native American heritage, pioneer life, the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and Yellowstone National Park. The Taylor Planetarium in the museum offers immersive shows about astronomy, space, and the natural world that change seasonally. And the Living History Farm offers a glimpse into Montana farmsteading in around the turn of the 20th century. It features a homestead, outbuildings, and gardens.
There are many great places to stay in Bozeman. Check out these other fun things to see and do while in the area.
Gates of the Mountains
Follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as you float through the scenic canyon passageway known as Gates of the Mountains. The explorers passed through this canyon on July 19, 1805, during their famous journey to explore western territories. Meriwether Lewis named the area Gates of the Mountains because he thought the cliffs resembled giant gates.
Towering limestone cliffs jut up dramatically along both sides of the Missouri River creating the passageway. Take a guided boat tour through the canyon and marvel at the towering cliffs. Keep an eye out for wildlife. You might see bald eagles, bighorn sheep, deer, and various types of birds. After your cruise, stick around for some blue ribbon trout fishing or to hike on the trails to explore the canyon on foot.
There are many great places to stay in Helena. And there are plenty of other things to do nearby!
What’s on your Montana trip itinerary?
These are just 7 of the sensational sites to see in Montana. But the state is full of many more incredible destinations that are worth exploring. Tell us below where you plan to visit!
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