Montana Travel Guide

GALLERY

Big Sky Country is more than just a nickname: Montana has huge expanses of rugged country. It's a place to discover how beautiful the night sky can be and what "dark" truly is with limited city lights. But in addition to the natural beauty—stunning glaciers and ski slopes, trout-filled streams and high plains—you'll also find a welcoming place full of locals who love to share their state's natural beauty, mining history, and thriving cultural communities with others.

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Montana & Wyoming: with Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks

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Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa

Buy Now See All Guideboks

Compass American Guides: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Scenic Drives
Best Hikes
Natural Wonders

Buy Now See All Guideboks

Find a Hotel

ROAD TRIPS

Big Sky Country: Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho

Shoshi Parks

Find a Hotel

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Montana & Wyoming: with Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks

Buy Now See All Guideboks

Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa

Buy Now See All Guideboks

Compass American Guides: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Scenic Drives
Best Hikes
Natural Wonders

Buy Now See All Guideboks

Top Destinations

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Flathead Lake

The 370-foot-deep Flathead Lake, with 180 miles of shoreline, is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. It’s a wonderful—and popular—place for...

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Space, lots of space, is the hallmark of eastern Montana’s gently rolling plains. If you’re looking to escape stifling crowds and urban sprawl, you’ll take...

Red Lodge

Nestled against the foot of the pine-draped Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, this little burg is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a...

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

With more than 6 million acres of public land, northwest Montana might be America’s largest outdoor destination. In the summer, travelers head to the many...

Bozeman

This recreation capital offers everything from trout fishing to white-water river rafting to backcountry mountain biking to skiing. The arts have also flowered in Bozeman...

Flathead Indian Reservation

Home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this 1.2-million-acre reservation is also a fascinating historical sight. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans were here...

Glacier National Park

...

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

Glistening, glaciated, and grand, the Absarokas, Crazies, Gallatins, and other mountains send cooling summer winds to roil among the grasslands and forests of southwest Montana...

West Yellowstone

This western gateway to the park is where the open plains of southwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho come together along the Madison River Valley. Affectionately...

Big Timber and the Boulder River

People come to Big Timber for its small-town (population 1,700) Western ambience, to fly-fish the blue-ribbon trout streams, float the Yellowstone River, or unwind in...

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Although millions of summer visitors swarm into Yellowstone National Park to the south, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness is blissfully unpeopled year-round, except for dedicated backcountry travelers...

Outside Glacier National Park

...

Billings

A bastion of civilization on an otherwise empty prairie, Billings is a classic Western city, full of the kind of history that shaped the frontier...

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

The stunning mountain backdrop to the town of Livingston was once Crow territory, and a chief called Arapooish said about it, "The Crow country is...

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Locals call it the CMR, and it's a stunning place to visit in the summer, when the weather is stable (and sometimes really hot). It's...

Lewistown

Started as a small trading post in the shadow of the low-lying Moccasin and Judith mountains, Lewistown has evolved into a pleasant town of nearly...

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

When the smoke cleared on June 25, 1876, neither Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839–76) nor the 200 soldiers, scouts, and civilians were alive to...

Havre

Mainly a place to stay when visiting Fort Assinniboine, the town of Havre (population 9,791) is the trading center for a wide area of extreme...

Hardin

Although its roots are firmly planted in cattle ranching, Hardin makes a significant portion of its living as a visitor gateway to the Little Bighorn...

Great Falls

One of Great Falls’ greatest assets is its sense of history. Here, along the banks of the Missouri where the plains meet the Rockies, explorers...

Fort Peck

Fort Peck itself is mostly a quiet retirement town, with 240 residents; at night the lights of ranch houses are few and far between. It...

Fort Benton

The gateway to the Upper Missouri River, this town of 1,464 people has a rich and rugged past that’s captured in a complex of excellent...

Makoshika State Park

...

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

An oxbow of the Missouri River before the last ice age, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a massive series of lakes and wetlands just off...

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Centered on a 60-mile-long lake, this park stretches between the Pryor and Bighorn mountains, well into Wyoming. Really just a wide spot on the Bighorn...

Miles City

History buffs enjoy the ranch town of Miles City (population 8,264) at the confluence of the cottonwood-lined Tongue and Yellowstone rivers. The federal Fort Laramie...

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Established in 1935, this refuge sandwiched between U.S. 2 and the Canadian border encompasses more than 30,000 acres of wetlands that provide habitat for dozens...

Big Snowy Mountains

South of Montana’s geographical center an island of rocky peaks rises more than 3,000 feet from the sea of windswept prairie, beckoning scenery lovers and...

Flathead Lake

The 370-foot-deep Flathead Lake, with 180 miles of shoreline, is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. It’s a wonderful—and popular—place for...

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Space, lots of space, is the hallmark of eastern Montana’s gently rolling plains. If you’re looking to escape stifling crowds and urban sprawl, you’ll take...

Red Lodge

Nestled against the foot of the pine-draped Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, this little burg is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a...

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

With more than 6 million acres of public land, northwest Montana might be America’s largest outdoor destination. In the summer, travelers head to the many...

Bozeman

This recreation capital offers everything from trout fishing to white-water river rafting to backcountry mountain biking to skiing. The arts have also flowered in Bozeman...

Flathead Indian Reservation

Home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this 1.2-million-acre reservation is also a fascinating historical sight. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans were here...

Glacier National Park

...

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

Glistening, glaciated, and grand, the Absarokas, Crazies, Gallatins, and other mountains send cooling summer winds to roil among the grasslands and forests of southwest Montana...

West Yellowstone

This western gateway to the park is where the open plains of southwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho come together along the Madison River Valley. Affectionately...

Big Timber and the Boulder River

People come to Big Timber for its small-town (population 1,700) Western ambience, to fly-fish the blue-ribbon trout streams, float the Yellowstone River, or unwind in...

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Outside Glacier National Park

...

Billings

A bastion of civilization on an otherwise empty prairie, Billings is a classic Western city, full of the kind of history that shaped the frontier...

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

The stunning mountain backdrop to the town of Livingston was once Crow territory, and a chief called Arapooish said about it, "The Crow country is...

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Locals call it the CMR, and it's a stunning place to visit in the summer, when the weather is stable (and sometimes really hot). It's...

Lewistown

Started as a small trading post in the shadow of the low-lying Moccasin and Judith mountains, Lewistown has evolved into a pleasant town of nearly...

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

When the smoke cleared on June 25, 1876, neither Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839–76) nor the 200 soldiers, scouts, and civilians were alive to...

Havre

Mainly a place to stay when visiting Fort Assinniboine, the town of Havre (population 9,791) is the trading center for a wide area of extreme...

Hardin

Although its roots are firmly planted in cattle ranching, Hardin makes a significant portion of its living as a visitor gateway to the Little Bighorn...

Great Falls

One of Great Falls’ greatest assets is its sense of history. Here, along the banks of the Missouri where the plains meet the Rockies, explorers...

Fort Peck

Fort Peck itself is mostly a quiet retirement town, with 240 residents; at night the lights of ranch houses are few and far between. It...

Fort Benton

The gateway to the Upper Missouri River, this town of 1,464 people has a rich and rugged past that’s captured in a complex of excellent...

Makoshika State Park

...

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

An oxbow of the Missouri River before the last ice age, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a massive series of lakes and wetlands just off...

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Centered on a 60-mile-long lake, this park stretches between the Pryor and Bighorn mountains, well into Wyoming. Really just a wide spot on the Bighorn...

Miles City

History buffs enjoy the ranch town of Miles City (population 8,264) at the confluence of the cottonwood-lined Tongue and Yellowstone rivers. The federal Fort Laramie...

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Established in 1935, this refuge sandwiched between U.S. 2 and the Canadian border encompasses more than 30,000 acres of wetlands that provide habitat for dozens...

Big Snowy Mountains

South of Montana’s geographical center an island of rocky peaks rises more than 3,000 feet from the sea of windswept prairie, beckoning scenery lovers and...

Flathead Lake

The 370-foot-deep Flathead Lake, with 180 miles of shoreline, is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. It’s a wonderful—and popular—place for...

Bozeman

This recreation capital offers everything from trout fishing to white-water river rafting to backcountry mountain biking to skiing. The arts have also flowered in Bozeman...

Flathead Indian Reservation

Home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this 1.2-million-acre reservation is also a fascinating historical sight. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans were here...

Red Lodge

Nestled against the foot of the pine-draped Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, this little burg is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a...

West Yellowstone

This western gateway to the park is where the open plains of southwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho come together along the Madison River Valley. Affectionately...

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

The stunning mountain backdrop to the town of Livingston was once Crow territory, and a chief called Arapooish said about it, "The Crow country is...

Big Timber and the Boulder River

People come to Big Timber for its small-town (population 1,700) Western ambience, to fly-fish the blue-ribbon trout streams, float the Yellowstone River, or unwind in...

Lewistown

Started as a small trading post in the shadow of the low-lying Moccasin and Judith mountains, Lewistown has evolved into a pleasant town of nearly...

Miles City

History buffs enjoy the ranch town of Miles City (population 8,264) at the confluence of the cottonwood-lined Tongue and Yellowstone rivers. The federal Fort Laramie...

Hardin

Although its roots are firmly planted in cattle ranching, Hardin makes a significant portion of its living as a visitor gateway to the Little Bighorn...

Havre

Mainly a place to stay when visiting Fort Assinniboine, the town of Havre (population 9,791) is the trading center for a wide area of extreme...

Great Falls

One of Great Falls’ greatest assets is its sense of history. Here, along the banks of the Missouri where the plains meet the Rockies, explorers...

Fort Peck

Fort Peck itself is mostly a quiet retirement town, with 240 residents; at night the lights of ranch houses are few and far between. It...

Fort Benton

The gateway to the Upper Missouri River, this town of 1,464 people has a rich and rugged past that’s captured in a complex of excellent...

Billings

A bastion of civilization on an otherwise empty prairie, Billings is a classic Western city, full of the kind of history that shaped the frontier...

Big Snowy Mountains

South of Montana’s geographical center an island of rocky peaks rises more than 3,000 feet from the sea of windswept prairie, beckoning scenery lovers and...

Flathead Lake

The 370-foot-deep Flathead Lake, with 180 miles of shoreline, is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. It’s a wonderful—and popular—place for...

Bozeman

This recreation capital offers everything from trout fishing to white-water river rafting to backcountry mountain biking to skiing. The arts have also flowered in Bozeman...

Flathead Indian Reservation

Home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this 1.2-million-acre reservation is also a fascinating historical sight. Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans were here...

Red Lodge

Nestled against the foot of the pine-draped Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, this little burg is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has become a...

West Yellowstone

This western gateway to the park is where the open plains of southwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho come together along the Madison River Valley. Affectionately...

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

The stunning mountain backdrop to the town of Livingston was once Crow territory, and a chief called Arapooish said about it, "The Crow country is...

Big Timber and the Boulder River

People come to Big Timber for its small-town (population 1,700) Western ambience, to fly-fish the blue-ribbon trout streams, float the Yellowstone River, or unwind in...

Lewistown

Started as a small trading post in the shadow of the low-lying Moccasin and Judith mountains, Lewistown has evolved into a pleasant town of nearly...

Miles City

History buffs enjoy the ranch town of Miles City (population 8,264) at the confluence of the cottonwood-lined Tongue and Yellowstone rivers. The federal Fort Laramie...

Hardin

Although its roots are firmly planted in cattle ranching, Hardin makes a significant portion of its living as a visitor gateway to the Little Bighorn...

Havre

Mainly a place to stay when visiting Fort Assinniboine, the town of Havre (population 9,791) is the trading center for a wide area of extreme...

Great Falls

One of Great Falls’ greatest assets is its sense of history. Here, along the banks of the Missouri where the plains meet the Rockies, explorers...

Fort Peck

Fort Peck itself is mostly a quiet retirement town, with 240 residents; at night the lights of ranch houses are few and far between. It...

Fort Benton

The gateway to the Upper Missouri River, this town of 1,464 people has a rich and rugged past that’s captured in a complex of excellent...

Billings

A bastion of civilization on an otherwise empty prairie, Billings is a classic Western city, full of the kind of history that shaped the frontier...

Big Snowy Mountains

South of Montana’s geographical center an island of rocky peaks rises more than 3,000 feet from the sea of windswept prairie, beckoning scenery lovers and...

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

With more than 6 million acres of public land, northwest Montana might be America’s largest outdoor destination. In the summer, travelers head to the many...

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

Glistening, glaciated, and grand, the Absarokas, Crazies, Gallatins, and other mountains send cooling summer winds to roil among the grasslands and forests of southwest Montana...

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Space, lots of space, is the hallmark of eastern Montana’s gently rolling plains. If you’re looking to escape stifling crowds and urban sprawl, you’ll take...

Outside Glacier National Park

...

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

With more than 6 million acres of public land, northwest Montana might be America’s largest outdoor destination. In the summer, travelers head to the many...

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

Glistening, glaciated, and grand, the Absarokas, Crazies, Gallatins, and other mountains send cooling summer winds to roil among the grasslands and forests of southwest Montana...

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Space, lots of space, is the hallmark of eastern Montana’s gently rolling plains. If you’re looking to escape stifling crowds and urban sprawl, you’ll take...

Outside Glacier National Park

...

Glacier National Park

...

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Established in 1935, this refuge sandwiched between U.S. 2 and the Canadian border encompasses more than 30,000 acres of wetlands that provide habitat for dozens...

Makoshika State Park

...

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

When the smoke cleared on June 25, 1876, neither Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839–76) nor the 200 soldiers, scouts, and civilians were alive to...

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Locals call it the CMR, and it's a stunning place to visit in the summer, when the weather is stable (and sometimes really hot). It's...

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

An oxbow of the Missouri River before the last ice age, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a massive series of lakes and wetlands just off...

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Centered on a 60-mile-long lake, this park stretches between the Pryor and Bighorn mountains, well into Wyoming. Really just a wide spot on the Bighorn...

Glacier National Park

...

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Established in 1935, this refuge sandwiched between U.S. 2 and the Canadian border encompasses more than 30,000 acres of wetlands that provide habitat for dozens...

Makoshika State Park

...

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

When the smoke cleared on June 25, 1876, neither Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer (1839–76) nor the 200 soldiers, scouts, and civilians were alive to...

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Locals call it the CMR, and it's a stunning place to visit in the summer, when the weather is stable (and sometimes really hot). It's...

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

An oxbow of the Missouri River before the last ice age, Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a massive series of lakes and wetlands just off...

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Centered on a 60-mile-long lake, this park stretches between the Pryor and Bighorn mountains, well into Wyoming. Really just a wide spot on the Bighorn...

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Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Glacier National Park

Outside Glacier National Park

Outside Glacier National Park

Outside Glacier National Park

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

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Guidebooks

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Shop Now

Fodor's Montana & Wyoming: with Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

View Details

Fodor's Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

View Details

Compass American Guides: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

View Details

Montana

Montana

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Find a Hotel

Find a Hotel

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Top Destinations

Top Destinations

Flathead Lake

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Red Lodge

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

Bozeman

Flathead Indian Reservation

Glacier National Park

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

West Yellowstone

Big Timber and the Boulder River

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Outside Glacier National Park

Billings

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Lewistown

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Havre

Hardin

Great Falls

Fort Peck

Fort Benton

Makoshika State Park

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Miles City

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Big Snowy Mountains

Flathead Lake

Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains

Red Lodge

Kalispell, Missoula, and Northwest Montana

Bozeman

Flathead Indian Reservation

Glacier National Park

Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana

West Yellowstone

Big Timber and the Boulder River

Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness

Outside Glacier National Park

Billings

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Lewistown

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Havre

Hardin

Great Falls

Fort Peck

Fort Benton

Makoshika State Park

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Miles City

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Big Snowy Mountains

Flathead Lake

Bozeman

Flathead Indian Reservation

Red Lodge

West Yellowstone

Livingston and the Yellowstone River

Big Timber and the Boulder River

Lewistown

Miles City

Hardin

Havre

Great Falls

Fort Peck

Fort Benton

Billings

Montana

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