101 Things to Do in Montana for Anyone Who Loves Adventure

Visiting Montana? Don’t miss these amazing things to do.

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: February 17, 2025

TLDR

📍 Location – Montana is located in the northwestern United States, bordering Canada, with stunning landscapes of mountains, plains, and rivers. It’s worth visiting for its vast outdoor adventures, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, where you can see wildlife, glaciers, and geysers. Whether you love hiking, fishing, skiing, or stargazing, Montana’s wide-open spaces and breathtaking scenery make it a paradise for nature lovers.

🏛️ Attractions (Our Faves) – Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Montana Regions

To help organize the list, we broke it into the 6 different regions.

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101 Things to Do in Montana for Anyone Who Love Adventures

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.

1. Absarokee Loop Scenic Drive (Yellowstone Country)
2. Beartooth Highway (All-American Road) (Yellowstone Country)
3. Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway (Southwest Montana)
4. Big Sky Back Country Byway (Southeast Montana)
5.  Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour (Missouri River Country)
6. C.M. Russell Auto Tour Route (Central Montana)
7. Going-to-the-Sun Road (Glacier Country)
8. Kings Hill Scenic Byway (Central Montana)
9. Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway (Glacier Country)
10. Lake Loop (Yellowstone Country)
11. Lonesome Highway (Missouri River Country)
12. Mill Creek Route (Southwest Montana)
13. Seeley-Swan Scenic Drive (Glacier Country)
14. Missouri Breaks Back Country Byway (Central Montana)
15. Paradise Valley Scenic Loop (Yellowstone Country)
16. Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway (Southwest Montana)
17. US Highway 2 (Glacier Country, Central Montana, Missouri River Country)
18. Virginia City Loop (Southwest Montana)

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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.

19. Bob Marshall Wilderness
20. Chief Mountain
21. Fish Creek State Park
22. Frenchtown Pond State Park
23. Glacier National Park
24. Holland Lake & Holland Falls
25.  Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge
26.  Lone Pine State Park
27.  Milltown State Park
28.  Mission Mountains Wilderness Complex
29.  Mount Sentinel M Trail
30.  National Bison Range
31.  Painted Rocks State Park
32.  Placid Lake State Park
33. Polebridge
34.  Ross Creek Cedar Grove Scenic Area
35.  Thompson Falls State Park
36.  Whitefish Lake State Park
37.  Wayfarers State Park

See More: What You Need to Know Before Visiting Glacier National Park

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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.

38. Ackley Lake State Park
39.  Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
40.  First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
41.  Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area
42.  Giant Springs State Park
43.  Smith River State Park
44.  Sluice Boxes State Park
45.  The Montana Dinosaur Trail (some stops)
46.  Tower Rock State Park
47.  Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument

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Missouri River Country

If you’re looking to get away from busyness and noise of the city, then you need to visit the Missouri River Country. There are endless miles of untouched landscape. Keep an eye out for elk, deer, and pronghorn antelope grazing and roaming in the wild.

48. Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge
49.  Brush Lake State Park
50.  Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
51.  Fort Peck Dam & Reservoir
52.  Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
53.  Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station
54.  Hell Creek Formation
55.  Hell Creek State Park
56.  Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
57.  Outlaw Trail
58.  The Little Rocky Mountains

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Southwest Montana

Southwest Montana is where you can soak in hot springs, wander through ghost towns, and see the remnants of prospectors who made it rich in this region. If you visit in the winter, you can explore the landscape on skis or visit in the summer to hike and kayak.

59. Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park
60.  Bannack State Park
61.  Beaverhead Mountains
62.  Beaverhead Rock State Park
63.  Big Hole National Battlefield
64.  Big Hole River
65.  Black Sandy State Park
66.  Clark’s Lookout State Park
67.  Elkhorn State Park
68.  Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
69.  Gates of the Mountains
70.  Georgetown Lake
71.  Granite Ghost Town State Park
72.  Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
73.  Lost Creek State Park
74.  Mount Helena City Park
75.  Norris Hot Springs
76.  Red Rock Lakes National Refuge
77.  Spring Meadow Lake State Park

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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.

78. Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area
79.  Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness
80.  Chico Hot Springs
81.  Cooney State Park
82.  Gallatin River
83.  Hyalite Canyon
84.  Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
85.  Missouri Headwaters State Park
86.  Paradise Valley
87. Yellowstone National Park

See More: Your Ultimate Guide to Yellowstone National Park

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Southeast Montana

See the beautiful colors of the badlands, and experience the modern day wild west. Cattle drives, rodeos, and wild horses are still prevalent, and you can still see the cowboy and Native American culture all over the region.

88. Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
89.  Chief Plenty Coups State Park
90.  Four Dances Recreation Area
91.  Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park
92.  Lake Elmo State Park
93.  Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
94.  Makoshika State Park
95.  Medicine Rocks State Park
96.  Pictograph Cave State Park
97.  Pompeys Pillar National Monument
98.  The Rimrocks and Swords Park
99.  Rosebud Battlefield State Park
100.  Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area
101.  Tongue River Reservoir State Park

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Map of Things to Do in Montana

Have you visited Montana? Are there any other things to do in Montana that we missed? Visit Montana has lots of resources to get you started and don’t forget to bring this list to check off adventures as you go!

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