Your honest guide to Montana
Where to see Glacier without the crowds, which towns are worth basing in, when to come for wildlife, and how to actually plan the drives.
Six ways to do Montana
Glacier Country
Northwest Montana: Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, Whitefish, and the densest run of mountain scenery in the state.
Yellowstone Country
South-central Montana and the north gateway to Yellowstone: Bozeman, Big Sky, the Paradise Valley, and blue-ribbon trout rivers.
Southwest Montana
Gold-rush history and big trout water: Butte, Helena, Dillon, Bannack and the ghost towns, the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers, and the Missouri headwaters at Three Forks.
Central Montana
The transition from mountains to plains: Great Falls and the Missouri River, the Rocky Mountain Front, Lewistown, and Charlie Russell and Lewis and Clark history.
Southeast Montana
Big-sky plains, Billings, Little Bighorn Battlefield, and badlands country.
Missouri River Country
The remote northeast: prairie, the Fort Peck reservoir, and the Missouri Breaks.
First time in Montana?
Start with the basics: when to visit, which airport to fly into, how to get around a big state, and where to base yourself.
Plan your trip