Big Sky Country and a State that we had not planned on visiting. Yet too many people kept saying, ” You need to go to Glacier. Its beautiful.” We did and it is.
The only down side to Montana are the August Wildfires. If you can go in June or early July or maybe September.
Places to Stay
Big Timber
- We enjoyed a week off at the Metcalf Ranch Bunkhouse
- Custer Gallatin Forest is near by and you can find a spot to camp for free.
Billings
Fishing access – it seems you can stay several nights at nearly all of the fishing access points we stopped at. Some are free. Others have a fee that ranges from $6 to $18 depending on if you have a fishing license, are over 62, are a Montana resident, etc. We opted for one of the free sites at Bundy Bridge. Check out all of the sites here.
Walmart – yep stayed one there as well.
Things to do
Little Big Horn
Pompeys Pillar
Billings State Parks – Lake Elmo, Plenty Coup and Petroglyphs
Glacier – We stayed at Two Medicine and Rising Sun. Two Medicine has lots of great hiking and a lake that you can kayak. Rising sun is centrally located a few miles up the Rising Sun Road. The campground is ok.
Many Glacier also has camping and great trails but is the hardest site to get into. We just stopped in for the hiking and drinking.
Both Avalanche Creek and Logan Pass were very busy, too busy.
On our next trip, I expect to return to Two Medicine and Many Glacier for more hiking. Then we might head over the border to Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada. Check when the border crossing is open – the signs when we were there said it opened at 7 am.
Information on hiking trails can be found here.
Great Falls – Planning on checking out the Museum at Maelstrom Air Force Base next tie we are there.
Missoula -check out the 50 mile long, paved Bitterroot Trail.
Butte – there are bike and hiking trails. Were rode the one in town. Look for the maps here.
Tippet Art Center