Top Places to Visit in Montana

Montana rewards visitors who make the effort to reach it — the distances are vast, but so are the landscapes.

Glacier National Park is Montana's crown jewel and one of the most spectacular national parks in the US. Going-to-the-Sun Road — open only in summer — crosses the park on a route that was blasted into sheer cliff faces in the 1920s and 1930s. Grinnell Glacier, Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, and the Two Medicine area are highlights. The park shares Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, together designated the world's first International Peace Park.

Beartooth Highway (US-212) connects Red Lodge, Montana to Cooke City (the northeast entrance to Yellowstone) over the Beartooth Plateau — climbing to 10,947 feet. Charles Kuralt called it "the most beautiful road in America." The drive passes through alpine tundra with wildflowers in July; mountain goats and grizzly bears are common near the summit.

Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is one of the largest federally designated wilderness areas in the US — over a million acres of roadless mountain terrain. The Chinese Wall, a 1,000-foot-tall overthrust reef that runs 22 miles through the heart of the complex, is one of the most dramatic geological features in the Rockies.

Flathead Lake near Polson is 28 miles long and 15 miles wide — the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. It's exceptionally clear and cold. The Mission Mountains rise dramatically to the east of the lake; the Salish Kootenai Tribe's reservation occupies the southern half.

The Little Bighorn Battlefield near Crow Agency commemorates the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, where Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and 268 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were killed by Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. The battlefield is remarkably intact and the monument and museum provide excellent historical context.

Missoula is Montana's most culturally vibrant city — home of the University of Montana, an exceptional independent bookstore scene (Montana has more bookstores per capita than almost any state), and the Clark Fork River running through downtown.