Montana is a state in the sub-region of Mountain West of the United States. It is the fourth largest state by area, the eighth most populated state at least, and the third state of the third most densely populated state.
If you’re planning a trip to Montana, this article will serve as a comprehensive guide to the state’s top attractions.
1. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
The Glacier National Park is known as the “Crown of the Continent” for its beautiful views along the Montana-Canada border. You’ve probably seen a photo of the magnificent Aqua lake near the park’s most famous glacier. To see this view for yourself, take the start of the Grinnell Glacier path near the Glacier hotel. The hike rises on approximately 3.5 miles until you reach the Grinnell Glacier Overlook, where you can see the 152 acres of the glacier, the turquoise lake, and the superb mountains that include the wall of the mainland fracture. The glacier was named for the man who discovered it in 1885, George Bird Grinnell. He was very impressed with the scene, so he fought to have the area declared a national park in 1910.
2. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD
Going-to-the-sun road is one of the park’s main attractions for many good reasons. This is a winding 50-mile road above the Glacier National Park mountains with amazing views on each turn. Not to mention, the tile position of the road on the edge of the cliff makes it dangerous to drive, so the driver needs to pay more attention to the road in front than the scenery it provides.
To drive through all the roads, you can take a free shuttle or pay for one day on a classic red bus that gives you a little more flexibility by making a stop in a beautiful view. This old bus with this retractable roof has whisked tourists around the park since the 1930s and is often a popular travel method on this road.
3. LOGAN PASS, GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
This is the highest point that can be reached by cars in the national park and on the road that goes down, and it can only be accessed when there is less snow on the streets here, as the roads here are almost impossible to plow.
Logan Pass is a top-rated attraction in Glacier National Park and has some of the most amazing views that are likely to be found. Once the Glacier National Park appeared about 100 years ago, and the roads were completed, the park was formed, and Logan Pass quickly became one of the important places to visit.
The Logan Pass visitor center, which is located at the top, is relatively small and does not have many things to be offered except snacks or souvenirs. This center offers some proper insights about the expected weather in various park areas – especially to those without telephone signal coverage.
4. TRAIL OF THE CEDARS
5. WHITEFISH
Located along the beautiful Whitefish Lake coast in Flathead County, Whitefish is an outdoor adventure center. It was selected by National Geographic as one of the 25 top ski cities worldwide. Whitefish Mountain Resort is considered one of the best destinations to play affordable skiing on slopes that are not crowded with great mountain backgrounds, offering excellent beginner terrain and challenges for experts. Visitors can enjoy hiking, cycling, boating, fantastic eating places, and professional theater when the snow has melted. Because Glacier National Park is only short-sized, Whitefish is also the perfect base for those who plan to visit.
6. MISSOULA
With fertile green landscapes and dense trees, Missoula is known as “Garden City.” Tucked in the Rockies, surrounded by spectacular beauty, including seven wilderness areas and the confluence of three rivers, it offers many outdoor adventure opportunities, including hiking, cycling, fishing, kayaking, and boating in the summer; Snowshoeing and skiing in winter. This is also one of the leading cultural centers of the state. It offers everything from symphony, theater, and opera to roller derby. At the same time, history fans will appreciate many local museums, and extraordinary art lovers can enjoy exploring the Missoula art museum and several excellent galleries. With three different shopping districts that feature various galleries and boutiques, shopping fans will also find what they are looking for.
7. ROOSEVELT ARCH, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
While the majority of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming, about three percent of parks are in Montana. This park also offers the most photogenic entrance, Arch Roosevelt. Visitors who enter Yellowstone in Gardiner, Montana, can drive under these magnificent arches whose foundation was placed in 1903 by Theodore Roosevelt. The inscription reads, “For the benefits and pleasures of people.” To read more about what you can enjoy in Yellowstone, visit our blog on a beautiful natural landmark in Wyoming.
8. WEST YELLOWSTONE
9. MAKOSHIKA STATE PARK
Makoshika State Park in Glendive, Montana, is one of the country’s most beautiful state parks, full of natural paths and all kinds of outdoor activities. The name Makoshika comes from the original Lakota expression, translated as badlands or Bad Spirit. Nevertheless, many miracles can be found throughout this land. Makoshika State Park is the leading site where various dinosaur fossils are found.
Their visitor center, located at the park entrance, has an entirely intact triceratops skull and other badlands artifacts. This center is fully equipped for you to start your trip. It has everything visitors may need: clean drinking water, a picnic table, and a grill, so this is the ideal place to start exploring the park. There are many rooms for picnics and outdoor meetings to be enjoyed by the whole family while sunbathing in the natural rural environment of the park.
In addition, various outdoor activities can entertain anyone who comes to the park. Activities such as golf and archery disk can be done at the visitor center, while the rest of the park can be enjoyed by bicycle riding. There are also various hiking trails to be explored across the expanse of the parks, which are different in terms of difficulties.
10. VIRGINIA CITY
Virginia City was once the largest city in the northwest, with a population of around 10,000 in 1864. More than $ 90 million in gold was withdrawn from this area between 1863 and 1875, making it a trendy place. Preservation began in the 1960s, protecting the old western city as authentic and free from commercialism. Only a few more than 100 people live here but accommodate more than 100 historic buildings, complete with furniture and artifacts. With Virginia City attracting so many tourists, there are many ways to experience what it feels like in the heyday, including riding a narrow-gauge railroad and even jumping on ancient trains. You can also watch Virginia City players famous for doing Vaudeville and Melodrama at Opera House, the most popular forms of entertainment before movies and television.
11. LIVINGSTON
Perhaps the most well-known small town in Montana is Livingston. Livingston is regarded as the first entry point to Yellowstone National Park. Agriculture has always been the main industry in Livingston. Beside being the point of entry into the Yellowstone National Park, it’s also the beginning point for a lot of other fantastic Montana adventures.
Livingston’s downtown area is one of the best things about Livingston. Since many of the structures in the downtown area were constructed in the 1880s, they are rich in history and contribute to the “Old West” feel of the town. Look for historic register plaques that describe the history of the structure and the neighbourhood as you walk through the town.
The Yellowstone River is the main attraction in Livingston with the longest undammed river in North America, outside Alaska. It is a renowned trout fishery in Montana and a well-liked location for water sports like kayaking, river rafting, and fly fishing.
The Livingston Depot Center is a fantastic resource for information about the town’s, railroad’s, and region’s agricultural heritage. The Depot, which was constructed in 1902, was designed to hold all of the visitors who travelled to the area to experience the wonders of Yellowstone National Park.
12. LEWIS & CLARK CAVERNS STATE PARK, WHITEHALL
Located in the state’s southwestern region near Whitehall, Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is the first and most famous Montana State Park, home to one of the most complicated limestone caves in the northwest. Amazing caves are coated with stalagmites, helictites, stalactites, and columns seen under electric lights – they also make a natural gap naturally from the hot summer sun. A guided tour is available between May 1 and September 30, and this park also has a campsite, cabin rental, hiking paths, visitor centers, picnic areas, and a theater.
13. BIGHORN CANYON
Bighorn Canyon is one of Montana’s best-hidden gems. This large water reservoir is home to some of the most stunning boating. Yellowtail Dam created this large canyon. The size of the red cliff surrounding you as a boat or slices of your pontoon through calm water is imposing.
You can easily find a part of the Bighorn Canyon that you will have almost all for yourself. Waterski on calm water without worrying about getting up from another boat or just relaxing on your pontoon and enjoying peace and calmness.
14. BIG SKY
Big Sky is a small town about 45 miles southwest of Bozeman, located high in the mountains, surrounded by forest land, primitive areas of Spanish Peaks, and the Gallatin National Forest. Perhaps the best known because of its superb skiing and free from the crowd, with more than 5,800 hectares of skiable terrain spread across four mountains. During the summer, this beautiful community offers all kinds of outdoor recreational opportunities, including rafting, opportunities to provoke blue-ribbon trout, enjoying the interior increase with the path that you often have for yourself, riding horses or mountain biking, and much more. This is also the gateway to Yellowstone National Park, located less than an hour from the west entrance.
15. FLATHEAD LAKE
Flathead Lake is located northwest of Montana, about 70 miles north of Missoula. This is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Montana, with a mountain peak visible in the distance. Around the lake, there are charming small cities and cherry tree gardens that produce sweet and sweet cherries.
A good base for starting your flathead adventure is a Polson at the lake’s southern end or Bigfork at the northeast end. There are boats and watersport outfitters around the lake where you can rent equipment. You can also bring your boat and use a public dock and boat launch in the State Park of Flathead Lake.
16. HAMILTON
Hamilton is a beautiful Bitterroot valley center located one hour south of Missoula. This crowded and charming community offers fantastic views and art scenes that appear with live music, local theater, and a city center. It also held some fun annual events, such as Daly Days, which celebrated the founder of the city and one of the native copper kings of the state, as well as the Ravalli County Fair and the Microbrew Festival. Hamilton also offers many outdoor activities with a large wilderness area to the west of the valley, including pure forest miles and many wildlife, and the Bitterroot river nearby. You can enjoy fishing, hiking, boating, and mountain biking – favorite sports with locals because of hundreds of miles of paths and dirt roads throughout the area.
17. PHILIPSBURG
This historic city is at its peak as a mining city at the end of the 19th century. Today, Philipsburg offers several attractions, from mining to sapphires to drama and vaudeville-style performances at Opera House Theater 1891 to the Granite County Museum, which offers excellent summies about silver mining operations. It features an exhibition on the history of the era of pioneers and homesteads, old photos and actual mining equipment, and realistic mining and simulation cabins. Nearby, you can explore Granite Ghost Town, part of Montana’s State Park System, which features permanent relics from the abandoned cities, such as the Miner’s Union Hall and Granite Mining Superintendent’s House.
18. HELENA
Helena is the capital of Montana, offering a perfect representation of the past and the present state through its famous attractions. Modern and historical blend, this city has depended on most of its past by preserving many buildings and old interests that make it popular during its post-gold rush era. If you want to learn the state’s history, visiting here offers the opportunity to take one of the many tours that provide excellent insight. This may not look like it at first glance, but you will find a gem when you explore the states. Stop at the center of Helena’s visitors for more insight into how to spend your time here, or take a guided tour to the City’s pioneer cabin, built in the 1860s.
19. HOLTER LAKE
Holter Lake is located north of Helena, along the Missouri River. The historical site of Gates of the Mountains is very close to the camp, which can be accessed by boat. The area is full of outdoor adventure opportunities. Whether you like fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, hiking, boating, water skiing, or all of the above, all these activities are very close to the Holter Lake camp.
Holter Lake Campground is a great place for fun activities. In the area, you can camp, take motorised or non-motorized boat rides, fish, water ski, hike, take pictures of nature or wildlife, watch wildlife, or watch birds.
20. LIBBY
Libby is a city in northwest of Montana. Local natural features such as Kootteni Waterfall have attracted tourism to the area and have been displayed in films such as The River Wild (1994) and The Revenant (2015). In 1892, with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway, the city moved downstream and its name was shortened from Libbysville to Libby.
While Libby was once a mining mecca, today this city with less than 3,000 is popular because of various beautiful attractions. Visit Ross Creek, preservation of ancient western red cedar trees or Libby Dam, Kootteni River, and Kootteni Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Montana. You can also camp at many campsites and enjoy many ski selections. One of the most amazing views can be seen by walking across the swinging bridge that is above the waterfall.
21. ANACONDA
Located in the southwest region of Montana, Anaconda is located in a valley as high as one mile, surrounded by mountains, lakes, and dense forest land. The city was founded when the Giant Butte Anaconda Copper Mining Company needed a smelter for many core copper cores. While the smelting operation ended in 1980, “The Stack” remained an important landmark and the State Park. Today, this city is a popular vacation destination, with the beautiful Washoe theater on the main road, as the last theater in the US built in the Neuvo Deco style. Of course, as with many other Montana Mountain towns, there are also many outdoor activities available in this area, such as fishing, hiking, and golf.
22. FORT BENTON
The whole city of Fort Benton is a national historic landmark and has a rich history. “The birthplace of Montana” was founded on the courage and hard work of thousands of people who came to explore and look for a better future. You will see its history exhibited throughout, especially in the Heritage Complex located on the banks of the Missouri River, where the old fortress shares space with various other museums. Walking along the historical steamboat levee, you will see outdoor art displays. You will also find the past combined with today in theater, shops, art galleries, and great restaurants.