The Official Montana Outdoor Travel And Adventure Guide

Surrounded by Glacier National Park to the north and Yellowstone National Park to the south, Montana is a truly breathtaking place. This is the perfect vacation for travelers concerned with being indoors too much in this COVID environment. With so much incredible, pristine scenery to see, Montana is even an excellent destination for solo travel experiences.

Don’t try to see the whole state. There is just too much ground to cover and you probably don’t want to spend your trip driving in the car. Select what locations and activities are most important to you and soak it in.

Peak Travel Season In Montana

The peak travel season is fairly short for some outdoor activities which can mean June-September. Same goes for operating hours for accommodations, park services and tour activities. Pricing is much more attractive in shoulder season and off season. Fall and Spring have beautiful weather and will give you the best value. Expect higher pricing in the summer months.

Glacier National Park

At Glacier National Park you can see glaciers, go hiking, lakes, mountains, wildlife and waterfalls. Entrance fee of $ 35 per car and it is good for seven days. There are also six days per year that are free so look at those dates on the website. A good overall drive is the scenic Going-To-The-Sun Road. It will take a couple of hours to do the 50 miles. Please check the website for the schedule on free ranger-led hikes and lectures. www.nps.gov There are boat rides and entertainment like the Blackfeet tribe singers and dancers daily. If you want to go horseback riding in East Glacier Park, Elk River Adventures offers 1 hour for $50 and 1 ½ hours for $60. May thru Sept. Elkriveradventures.com

If you plan on sleeping overnight and want to stay in the park, go to glacierparkcollection.com for options and availability.

Yellowstone National Park

As you plan your time in Yellowstone try to allow a couple of days there. One option is to first install the TravelStorys app for free, and buy the individual tours from the app. It is $ 12.99 for South Yellowstone and $ 12.99 for North Yellowstone. For more info go to gaperguide.com

The main attractions in the park are the geothermal features and the abundant wildlife like bighorn sheep, bison, wolves and bears. Start with www.nps.gov/yell and it will tell you which activities are going on while you are there. Ranger-led programs are a great way to learn about the park and schedule them into your day. They offer hikes and lectures to enhance your enjoyment of the park. For your options on accommodations and activities go to www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com

If you want a good orientation of the park and see some of the major sights along the Grand Loop, the tour will take most of the day and costs $ 127 ages 12 and older, half of that for 11 and younger.

Right next to the West Yellowstone entrance you can catch the impressive 40 minute IMAX movie about Yellowstone $ 9.75 Down the road from there get your Grizzly Bear and Wolves fix at the Discovery Center where they take care of the injured or orphaned ones. $ 15

If you are looking for some rodeo action, you will find that in the evenings 6 ½ miles from West Yellowstone. Even better, do a one hour horseback ride before the rodeo for $ 50 (includes the rodeo ticket). The rodeo alone is $ 15 adults. 6:30 horseback with a 8 PM rodeo start. www.yellowstonerodeo.com

For some good value accommodation choices right outside the North entrance of the park, check out these three. All include breakfast and all are around the same rate per night at $ 135. Gardiner Guest House, Yellowstone Suites and Johnstads B & B. More info on all three at visitgardnermt.com

If you want to see more of Yellowstone on your next trip, be sure to read out Wyoming value travel vacation guide as well.

Old Faithful & Famous Yellowstone Geysers

Of course the star of the show is Old Faithful geyser. The best way to see it is to drive 30 miles from entering the West Yellowstone entrance. It is located in the Upper Geyser Basin and it erupts 15-20 times per day. It can last from 1 ½ to five minutes long. There is even a phone number you can call with the expected times for the day. Of course that is a best-guess prediction (307-344-2751).

One very photogenic geyser is the Grand Prismatic Spring located at the Midway Geyser Basin. It is the largest geyser in Yellowstone.

Important Considerations For Visiting Yellowstone

Bring bear spray for the park. You just never know when you will come across one. Realize this is not a zoo and they roam free. It can be purchased or rented at many different locations around and outside the park. Remember to keep it very handy. Having it in your bag will not help you much. You only use it if a bear comes within 25 feet of you. With this on your person at all time, you can avoid common travel mishaps on your visit to the National Park.

You have some great choices for lunch inside the park. Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room sits on the lake and the Old Faithful Inn Dining Room has a great western ambiance. Both menus are fantastic. Go for breakfast or lunch. Dinner gets pricey.

Outdoor Montana Dining

If you want some fantastic Montana atmosphere and you have time on your hands to enjoy a slower meal, head for breakfast or lunch at Horn and Cantle in Big Sky at Lone Mountain Ranch. Great menu but pricey for dinner.

If you are looking for a nice evening outdoors, go to Music Ranch Montana. It is a hillside amphitheatre where you can listen to some great local music with wonderful scenery. Nine miles South of Livingston. Check the website for schedules. www.musicranchmontana.net

23 miles south of Livingston, head to some Hot Springs. Chico Hot Springs Resort offers two hot springs pools and has a fantastic menu of Montana cuisine at their restaurant. Cost of the Hot Springs is $ 8.50 per person. www.chicohotsprings.com

Remember that many of these restaurants prepare dishes with meat, fish, poultry, and peanut products. Therefore, you may want to plan ahead if you are vegan, gluten-free, or have severe food allergies. This way, you can plan your trip around food allergies and still eat well.

Fly Fishing In Montana

There are many rivers to fly fish in Montana. The Flathead, Madison, Gallatin, Blackfoot and Missouri are some of them. If you catch a trout that is 20 inches and over they are considered to be a trophy size. In Montana, it is safe to say, if you find a body of water you will find trout. You can take a three hour lesson on the Gallatin from Montana Whitewater for $ 66 plus the small expense of the Montana Fishing License. Yellowstone Park is nearby. Yellowstonefish.com Get in the mood beforehand by watching the movie “A River Runs Through It”.

Montana Dinosaurs & Fossil Digging

Montana is also where the dinosaur used to roam. Take the family and you can dig for dinosaur fossils. The experienced guides will show you what to look for, how to excavate, and they will supply all the tools and supplies necessary. Found in the past have included Pachycephalosaurs, Champsosaurus, Pachycephalosaurs, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex. ½ day $80 but ages 12 and under are free. Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs is located in Glendive. Dailydinosaurdigs.com

If you want to dig a lot deeper into the history of dinosaurs in Montana, go to mtdinotrail.org- There are 14 stops in the state where you can see exhibits, attend programs, or field digs.

Montana Winter Sports

Of course, Montana is home to an abundance of world-famous popular winter sports. One of the most famous destinations for winter sports lovers is the ski resort Big Sky Montana, located about an hour away from Bozeman. With approximately 400 inches of snow a year and over 5,500 acres of skiable land, Big Sky is an incredible stop for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. If these activities are not for you, Montana also has an abundance of destinations for dog sledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, climbing, or even skijoring. If you are a huge fan of winter sports while you travel, be sure to read our latest all-season Jackson Hole Wyoming travel and recreation guide.

Water Activities In Montana

After you have had your share of the mountains and the snow, there are also a plethora of water activities to experience on your Montana outdoor travel adventure itinerary. For fans of paddling, kayaking, or canoeing, head over to the 3 1/2 mile Clearwater River Canoe Trail in Seeley Lake, Upper Missouri River Breaks, and the 59 mile Smith River State Park at Camp Baker. However, you should pay a visit to freshwater Flathead Lake if you like to go boating, tubing, or waterskiing. For the southern half of the lake you will need a tribal recreational permit before you are on Native American land. For fans of extreme water sports, Montana also offers an abundance of opportunities for surfing, wakeboarding, and jet-propelled flyboarding.

Montana Hiking Destinations

Of course, there are plenty of incredible hiking destinations to visit on your trip to Montana. In Great Falls, one of the most popular hiking trails is the River’s Edge Trail, which extends over fifty miles along the Missouri River. If you are in Big Sky, be sure to check out the Ousel Falls Trail. Similarly, the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area is an excellent outdoor experience to check out in Missoula. For fans of hiking, biking, and running, Swan River Nature Trail is another excellent option right in Bigfork, Montana. If you like to experience exciting recreational activities whenever you travel, be sure to read our West Virginia outdoor travel guide for adventure seekers.