During our time living in the Airstream, there were a lot of places we wanted to see, but one state we especially wanted to visit was Montana. After spending a week in Glacier National Park, we were in love.
We didn’t get to do everything we wanted in the park, let alone the rest of the state, so we put together a list of adventures for our next trip and to hopefully inspire your next visit too!
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Last Updated: January 18, 2021
101 Things to Do in Montana for Anyone Who Loves Adventure
Montana Regions
To help organize the list, we broke it into the 6 different regions.
Scenic Drives
We love a good road trip! It’s one of the best ways to see all the gems in each state, and Montana has so many beautiful scenic byways to see all its beautiful landscapes and wildlife.
- Absarokee Loop Scenic Drive (Yellowstone Country)
- Beartooth Highway (All-American Road) (Yellowstone Country)
- Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway (Southwest Montana)
- Big Sky Back Country Byway (Southeast Montana)
- Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour (Missouri River Country)
- C.M. Russell Auto Tour Route (Central Montana)
- Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier Country)
- Kings Hill Scenic Byway (Central Montana)
- Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway (Glacier Country)
- Lake Loop (Yellowstone Country)
- Lonesome Highway (Missouri River Country)
- Mill Creek Route (Southwest Montana)
- Seeley-Swan Scenic Drive (Glacier Country)
- Missouri Breaks Back Country Byway (Central Montana)
- Paradise Valley Scenic Loop (Yellowstone Country)
- Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway (Southwest Montana)
- US Highway 2 (Glacier Country, Central Montana, Missouri River Country)
- Virginia City Loop (Southwest Montana)
Check out this video they just released. I still remember driving through the state in constant awe. The entire state has so many beautiful landscapes that we had tons of moments where we had to pull over or make a U-turn.
Some of the best spots were the ones we discovered on the way to our main destination. We’re ready to go back to do another road trip through the state. Hey Montana, can we be in the next video? 😉
Glacier Country
This is a well-known area of the state and is where Glacier National Park lies, and probably what you’re thinking of when you picture Montana. It’s brimming with beautiful forests, alpine lakes, massive mountains, and an abundance of wildlife. This is where we’ve spent the majority of our time in Montana.
- Bob Marshall Wilderness
- Chief Mountain
- Fish Creek State Park
- Frenchtown Pond State Park
- Glacier National Park
- Holland Lake & Holland Falls
- Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge
- Lone Pine State Park
- Milltown State Park
- Mission Mountains Wilderness Complex
- Mount Sentinel M Trail
- National Bison Range
- Painted Rocks State Park
- Placid Lake State Park
- Polebridge
- Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area
- Thompson Falls State Park
- Whitefish Lake State Park
- Wayfarers State Park
Central Montana
Central Montana is full of history. You can explore a fur-trading outpost, follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, and see one of the largest buffalo jump sites in the country, all amongst breathtaking landscapes.
- Ackley Lake State Park
- Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
- Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area
- Giant Springs State Park
- Smith River State Park
- Sluice Boxes State Park
- The Montana Dinosaur Trail (some stops)
- Tower Rock State Park
- Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
Missouri River Country
- Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge
- Brush Lake State Park
- Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
- Fort Peck Dam & Reservoir
- Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
- Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station
- Hell Creek Formation
- Hell Creek State Park
- Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Outlaw Trail
- The Little Rocky Mountains
Southwest Montana
- Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park
- Bannack State Park
- Beaverhead Mountains
- Beaverhead Rock State Park
- Big Hole National Battlefield
- Big Hole River
- Black Sandy State Park
- Clark’s Lookout State Park
- Elkhorn State Park
- Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
- Gates of the Mountains
- Georgetown Lake
- Granite Ghost Town State Park
- Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
- Lost Creek State Park
- Mount Helena City Park
- Norris Hot Springs
- Red Rock Lakes National Refuge
- Spring Meadow Lake State Park
Yellowstone Country
Montana has the entrances to the north side of Yellowstone National Park, although the bulk of it is in Wyoming. You should take the time to explore the other valleys and rivers that make this area so beautiful, but if you need a break from the outdoors, check out the towns filled with art galleries or relax in a hot spring.
- Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area
- Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness
- Chico Hot Springs
- Cooney State Park
- Gallatin River
- Hyalite Canyon
- Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
- Missouri Headwaters State Park
- Paradise Valley
- Yellowstone National Park
Southeast Montana
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
- Chief Plenty Coups State Park
- Four Dances Recreation Area
- Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park
- Lake Elmo State Park
- Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- Makoshika State Park
- Medicine Rocks State Park
- Pictograph Cave State Park
- Pompeys Pillar National Monument
- The Rimrocks and Swords Park
- Rosebud Battlefield State Park
- Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area
- Tongue River Reservoir State Park
Map of Things to do in Montana
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Esther + Jacob
Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, which is one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found both near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.
Omg, this is one of the most comprehensive blog I have read on Montana. They way you have penned down each and everything stating the attractions that may catch anyone’s fancy is absolutely amazing. I have been planning a Montana vacation for the longest and now I can surely zero in on the places I am not going to miss exploring. Thanks a ton. Keep traveling and inspiring.
My family and I used to pass through Glacier County in our loop that would start in Seattle and take us to Lake Louise, Banff, Moraine Lake, basically the Canadian Rockies. We had a friend out in White Fish and the summers there were so peaceful and idyllic. I still order buffalo jerky from M&S Meats. If you didn’t get a chance to when you were in the area, I highly recommend it!
Definitely need to put that on our list for next time!