Big Sky Country. The Treasure State. The Last Best Place. Whichever of these nicknames you use for Montana, you won’t be wrong. America’s fourth largest state by area – which has just been named in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2024 as one of the world’s top regions for travellers – is a real Western wonder. With endless beautiful and intriguing places to explore, from national parks and other natural attractions to small towns, slick cities and historic landmarks, what are you waiting for?
Click through to discover the very best spots to see in Montana right now...
Swaddled by the spectacular landscapes of the Beartooth Mountains and Custer Gallatin National Forest, this charming enclave calls itself a town and has the quaint, community feel of one, but it’s actually a small city. A Native American trading post frequented by cowboys and outlaws back in the 19th century, Red Lodge has since retained its Western-style architecture and reputation for warm hospitality. Head downtown to sample the fruits of its locally-owned independent shops and farm-to-table restaurants, or visit Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary to support animals from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem who are unable to live in the wild.
While Wyoming is the state most synonymous with Yellowstone, Montana has two gateways into America’s oldest national park. The little tourist town of West Yellowstone is just a short drive from the West Entrance and will steer you right into the heart of this geothermal marvel. West Yellowstone is fun to visit in its own right, with the must-see Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center promising close encounters with Greater Yellowstone animals who can’t live in the wild. Yellowstone’s North Entrance – the original way into the park – can be found in Gardiner and leads into the so-called ‘American Serengeti’ year-round, via the iconic Roosevelt Arch.
See these incredible historic images of Yellowstone through the decades
Beginning just south of Red Lodge, the Beartooth Highway is a 68-mile (109km) All-American Road snaking through Montana’s highest mountain peaks and into the state of Wyoming. After crossing the border via Montana's Cooke City, the road climbs to reach Beartooth Pass (elevation: 10,947 feet/3,336m) and enters Shoshone National Forest before arriving at the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The scenic route, with its hairpin bends and sharp switchbacks, is typically open between May and October. Allow at least three hours for the total drive (not including photo stops).
Known to the Shoshone Tribe as Cut-tuh-o-gwa (swift water), the Gallatin River was renamed after the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived in Montana during the early 1800s. Around a quarter of the river falls within the northern tip of Yellowstone National Park, attracting hikers, fly fisherfolk and watersports nuts with its astonishing beauty, as well as local bears, deer and moose. Downstream, the river rushes through the Gallatin Canyon and the Gallatin Valley, where the scenery effortlessly shifts from pine forests to cottonwoods and hay fields.
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Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Medicine Rocks State Park is filled with unusual sandstone formations that look like lumps and shards of dusty honeycomb. Shaped by the elements over millions of years, these unique rocks were deemed sacred by some Native American groups (such as the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Sioux peoples), who convened in their shadows for ceremonial and religious gatherings. Called “as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen” by Theodore Roosevelt when he visited as a boy, Medicine Rocks is still a captivating haven for nature lovers.
Bannack, a former boomtown near the border with Idaho, was Montana’s first territorial capital and the site of its first major gold strike in 1862. Within a year, the settlement’s population had ballooned to over 3,000, which was then followed by a gradual decline as gold became less valuable. Now labelled the best preserved of all the state’s ghost towns, Bannack is something of an open-air museum, showcasing more than 50 original Old West buildings seemingly frozen in time. There are 28 campsites (including a tipi to rent) open for year-round overnight stays in the park too.
Soaking a swathe of Montana’s Missouri River Country, Fort Peck Lake (really a reservoir) is the state’s largest body of water. Its 1,520 miles (2,446km) of shoreline outnumbers the length of the Californian coast and is home to the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, populated by herds of mule deer, red foxes, mountain bluebirds, coyotes and so much more. The lake was founded with a practical use in mind – to alleviate flooding, as well as post-Depression poverty by creating jobs – but has evolved into a hub of outdoor recreation.
Wrapped in blankets of trees on all sides, it’s no mystery how Missoula won its nickname. The ‘Garden City’ is uniquely situated within driving distance of five of Montana’s seven national forests; Lolo National Forest surrounds it entirely. Within Lolo, visitors will find myriad walking and cycling trails sewn throughout the picturesque Rattlesnake and Blue Mountain National Recreation Areas – but there’s plenty to do indoors too. Missoula is a burgeoning university city; its downtown neighbourhood and the so-called ‘Hip Strip’ are awash with music venues, cool art galleries and coffee houses.
We can’t round up the most gorgeous places in Big Sky Country without mentioning Big Sky itself. Dramatic peaks crest all around this small town like rearing waves and wear whimsical names like Sphinx Mountain, Cinnamon Mountain and Lone Mountain (pictured). Adrenaline-inducing winter sports and whitewater thrills are the main draws here, with the Big Sky Resort boasting some of the biggest skiing in the US. While a sense of adventure is encouraged, it’s not mandatory to enjoy your time in Big Sky – just hit the Historic Crail Ranch Museum or the shops instead of the slopes.
The name of Montana’s largest state park derives from the Lakota phrase meaning ‘bad earth’ or ‘bad spirit’, relating to the harsh and inhospitable conditions of Montana’s eastern badlands. But life has been known to thrive in what is now Makoshika State Park; aside from the juniper and pine scrub that peppers its rocky landscape today, dinosaurs once roamed here. At the park’s visitor centre, you’ll find the fossilised remains of tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and even more prehistoric creatures. As well as archaeological wonders, Makoshika is laced with nature trails, scenic driving routes and campsites. An open-air theatre hosts an annual Shakespeare festival too.
This sculpture park in Lincoln features large-scale installations by Montana natives and international artists that celebrate Blackfoot Valley’s precious cultural, environmental and industrial heritage. Carving through the western corner of the state, the Blackfoot Valley cradles a free-flowing river of the same name and has been inhabited by Native American peoples for at least 10,000 years. One of the most striking pieces you can see at Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild is “Tree Circus” by Patrick Dougherty (pictured), created out of willow and alder wood.
Forming part of the Crown of the Continent – a Venn diagram of vast temperate ecosystems shared by Montana and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta – Glacier National Park is a wilderness of alpine meadows, gleaming lakes, majestic valleys and vanishing glaciers. It is vast, but we think hiking in the Many Glacier area is a particularly jaw-dropping introduction to exploring this national park. Tripping the Going-to-the-Sun Road can’t be missed either; take an interpretive tour with Blackfeet-owned tribal business Sun Tours to fully understand the national park’s complex history.
Set within the High Plains, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park is where Indigenous hunters used to kill herds of buffalo and bison by driving them over a sheer cliff. Believed to be the largest such jump in North America, this site was used for at least two thousand years and features a mile-long (1.6km) sandstone ledge where compacted bovid remains lie entombed beneath. While this all might make you shudder, a single jump could feed, clothe and shelter the hunters’ people for a whole year, so they were necessary for survival.
Incredible ancient ruins in the USA you probably didn't know existed
Butte was once called the Richest Hill on Earth, owing to the abundant copper lodes that transformed it from a humble mining town on the slopes of the Continental Divide into Montana’s first major city. At the turn of the 20th century, Butte was the largest city west of the Mississippi, and was also the biggest between San Francisco and Chicago for a considerable stretch of time. Nowadays, while the copper boom has long since dwindled, the city remains a monument to its past – it contains one of the USA’s largest National Historic Landmark Districts and some fascinating museums that document its 1800s prime.
Bozeman is Montana’s other university city, which has been called “the most liveable place.” Combining ample opportunities for backcountry exploring and adventure sports with diverse festivals, farmers’ markets, theatres, cafes and craft breweries, the growing town is keen to show off its experimental and eclectic vibe. Spare some time for the Museum of the Rockies, an affiliate of the illustrious Smithsonian Institution and home to one of the country’s largest dinosaur collections, as well as exhibits on regional Native American culture and Western art. If that wasn’t enough, the planetarium and outdoor living-history sections will leave you equally entertained and educated.
If you’re visiting Bozeman, supplement your trip with a gorgeous 90-minute drive through the heart of Paradise Valley to the North Entrance of Yellowstone – the only way into the national park during the winter months. With the Absaroka mountain range to its eastern flank and the Gallatin range to the west, Paradise Valley offers some amazing outdoor experiences, including cross-country skiing, dude ranches, dog-sledding, ziplining and river rafting. Head to Chico Hot Springs, a spa resort that’s been in operation for over a century, to toast yourself up.
With one foot in Wyoming and the other in Montana, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area boasts 17 miles (27km) of designated trails and spans over 120,000 acres in its entirety. The park has been touted as the state’s best-kept secret; pontoon boats can be rented and steered between the rugged canyon walls, while the visitor centre at Fort Smith overlooks Yellowtail Dam and tells its origin story. Named after Robert Yellowtail, leader of the Crow Nation, the dam syphoned the once-volatile Bighorn River into a serene lake that now forms the centrepiece of the park.
The largest undammed falls in Montana (and one of the largest free-flowing falls in the American northwest), Kootenai Falls is certainly impressive. The rushing cascade sits on the sacred lands of the Kootenai Tribe, to whom the falls represent the centre of the world. Community members come here for spiritual guidance and direction from their ancestors. For visitors, this is a place to feel grounded and close to nature. Follow the forest trail from the car park down to the Swinging Bridge, which promises a great perspective of the falls if you’ve got a head for heights (and aren’t put off by the wobble).
Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area is a 100-acre grove of giant red cedar trees. Many tower above Kootenai National Forest as they have for the past thousand years, their striped trunks sentinels of the past. Thriving in the shadows of the damp understory are mosses, mushrooms, hemlocks and lichens, delighting nature lovers with their earthy perfume. For a gentle day hike through a closed canopy of ancient western cedars, follow the Ross Creek Trail 142; a shorter circular trail, lined with information boards and picnic benches, is ideal for families.
Swan Lake might be small in size compared to its neighbour Flathead Lake, but don't let that fool you – it belongs to a big-hearted community, softened and shaped by their connection to nature. The lake lends its name to a nearby town, established in the early 20th century to accommodate lumberjacks felling timber to build the Great Northern Railroad. It has since grown around the lake, building a modest reputation for its sought-after fish stocks. Nestled among blue peaks and cosy forests, Swan Lake spawns a host of hiking trails and also holds its signature huckleberry festival annually, which has been going for over 40 years.
Also borne out of the railway, Whitefish (adjacent to Glacier National Park) in northwest Montana was incorporated in 1905 and frequented by loggers, miners and railroad workers in its early days. Now, there’s one main reason that people come in their droves to this compact city. Whitefish Mountain Resort is renowned as one of the biggest and best ski spots in North America, featuring over 3,000 skiable acres. But contrary to what you might expect, it’s something of an all-seasons destination – when the powder melts, zipline tours, downhill mountain biking and treetop walkways become the signs of summer.
Just north of Helena, Montana’s capital city, you’ll find the magical Gates of the Mountains. Split by the Missouri River, this bewildering limestone canyon has more than 28,000 acres of designated wilderness area named after it, where airy forests, high-altitude meadows and slender gorges give a different flavour in every season. It caught mainstream attention after Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed through on their 8,000-mile (12,874km) journey across what was (in the early 19th century) an uncharted corner of the United States; those following the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail today will find this landmark a highlight of the route.
The wilderness study area of Humbug Spires relates to a swathe of peculiar rock formations that form part of the Boulder Batholith, where quartz monzonite shards have pushed up from beneath the surface of the Earth and calved jagged, shark-tooth-like peaks. Pristine and car-free, you’ll seldom see another soul on the trail here, which runs for three miles (5km) along Moose Creek and meanders through an old-growth forest. A boon for rock climbers, the views of Big Sky Country from the spires are top tier.
Explore the most beautiful and remote piece of wilderness in every state
The town of Terry in Montana’s Prairie County is your gateway to the Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area and the stunning Big Sky Back Country Byway, which ends at Wolf Point on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Its stark badlands are a striking departure from the snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes that most would associate with the Treasure State, comprising weathered escarpments of neatly banded sedimentary rock, fairy chimneys and sandstone buttes. The Terry Badlands are remote, but definitely worth the adventure – follow the Natural Bridges Trail for a punchy introduction to the park’s unique geology.
Located on the shores of Flathead Lake, in the midst of Montana’s Glacier Country, Bigfork has been called one of the best small art towns in America. This idyllic enclave may seem sleepy to those just passing through, but stay a while and you’ll discover a thriving community with creativity and curiosity at its core. From outstanding art galleries to artisanal shops, coffee stops and markets, Bigfork has a lot to offer within its tiny footprint. Annual celebrations like Bigfork Whitewater Festival and Bigfork Brewfest give the town even more excuses to demonstrate its gregarious spirit.
With water so clear in summer that you can see 20 feet (6m) into its depths, Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River in the contiguous US and one of Montana’s best places for aquatic activities. Look out for the mysterious Flathead Lake Monster though, which has reportedly been sighted several times in the past 130 years. Note that the southern half of Flathead Lake rests on tribal land, so you’ll need to secure a recreation permit from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai peoples if you’re planning to spend time here.