Things to do in Montana
45 places worth stopping for and 23 places to stay on a road trip through Montana.
See and do
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Glacier National Park
Going-to-the-Sun Road at Logan Pass
50 miles of mountain road across the Continental Divide, with Logan Pass as the high point.
- History
History · DillonHidden gem
Bannack State Park
Montana's first territorial capital, now a ghost town with over 50 original buildings.
Viewpoint · Babb
Many Glacier
Remote valley in the park's northeast with grizzlies, glaciers and the Swiss-style Many Glacier Hotel.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Red Lodge
Beartooth Highway at Red Lodge
Start in Red Lodge for the big switchbacks of US 212 up to the Wyoming plateau.
- Lake
Lake · West Glacier
Lake McDonald and Apgar Village
Colourful pebbles under clear water at the west end of Glacier's biggest lake.
Lake · PolebridgeHidden gem
Bowman Lake
A long, quiet lake in the remote North Fork of Glacier, reached by 6 miles of rough road.
- Cave
Cave · WhitehallHidden gem
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
Guided tours through one of the largest limestone caverns in the northwest.
Lake · East Glacier ParkHidden gem
Two Medicine Lake
A quieter corner of Glacier, with a lake, a small boat tour and waterfalls close to the car park.
- History
History · MissoulaHidden gem
Garnet Ghost Town
One of Montana's best preserved ghost towns, with 30 buildings along a gravel road east of Missoula.
- History
History · Virginia CityHidden gem
Virginia City and Nevada City
Preserved gold rush towns with boardwalks, saloons, and a small narrow gauge railway.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · WallaceHidden gem
Route of the Hiawatha
Famous rail-trail through 10 tunnels and over 7 high trestles on the Idaho-Montana border.
Walk · West Glacier
Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake
Easy boardwalk through old cedar and hemlock trees, leading onward to a mountain lake.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · LibbyHidden gem
Kootenai Falls and the swinging bridge
A rushing, wide waterfall on the Kootenai River with a swinging suspension bridge across it.
History · PhilipsburgHidden gem
Granite Ghost Town State Park
Silver-boom ruins above Philipsburg, reached by a steep high-clearance road.
- Lake
Lake · Fort Smith
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Deep canyon reservoir on the Montana-Wyoming line with wild horses and campgrounds.
- Lake
Lake · Helena
Gates of the Mountains
Limestone cliffs on the Missouri that Lewis named in 1805, best seen by boat.
- Lake
Lake · Polson
Flathead Lake
Giant glacial lake with cherry orchards, islands and clear water.
- Natural wonder
Natural wonder · Great FallsHidden gem
Giant Springs State Park
One of the largest freshwater springs in the US, bubbling into a short river beside the Missouri.
- Natural wonder
Natural wonder · GlendiveHidden gem
Makoshika State Park
Montana's largest state park, with badlands and dinosaur fossils above Glendive.
- History
History · WisdomHidden gem
Big Hole National Battlefield
Quiet valley where the Nez Perce were attacked in 1877, with a trail through the camp site.
- History
History · Crow Agency
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
The site of the 1876 battle between Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and the US 7th Cavalry.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · Flathead LakeHidden gem
Wild Horse Island State Park
An island in Flathead Lake with bighorn sheep and wild horses, reached by private boat or shuttle.
Lake · West YellowstoneHidden gem
Earthquake Lake
A lake formed in seconds by a 1959 landslide, with drowned trees still standing.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Pray
Chico Hot Springs
Historic hot springs resort in Paradise Valley, with a big outdoor pool and a well-regarded dining room.
- History
History · St IgnatiusHidden gem
St Ignatius Mission
A small mission church whose walls and ceilings are covered in 58 murals painted by a Jesuit lay brother.
- Town
Town · Cooke CityHidden gem
Cooke City and Silver Gate
Two tiny mountain towns at Yellowstone's northeast entrance, with moose, mining ruins and fishing.
Town · Whitefish
Whitefish
Lake and ski town with great food, cheap-ish motels and a pretty downtown.
- Lake
Lake · BozemanHidden gem
Hyalite Reservoir
A mountain reservoir 12 miles from Bozeman, with waterfalls and swimming spots along the road in.
- Lake
Lake · CondonHidden gem
Holland Lake
A quiet lake with a lodge, a waterfall hike and canoes, tucked off Highway 83.
- History
History · UlmHidden gem
First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park
A mile-long cliff where Plains tribes drove bison, now a national historic landmark.
- Museum
Museum · PryorHidden gem
Chief Plenty Coups State Park
Home of the last traditional Crow chief, with the only Apsaalooke culture museum.
- History
History · Billings
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
William Clark's only surviving mark on the trail, carved in July 1806.
- History
History · Deer Lodge
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
Working cattle ranch run by the NPS with draft horses and ranch tours.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · LibbyHidden gem
Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway
Quiet reservoir road with a long bridge and views into Canada.
- Lake
Lake · Fort PeckHidden gem
Fort Peck Lake
134-mile lake and wildlife refuge on the Missouri, far from anywhere.
History · Three ForksHidden gem
Missouri Headwaters State Park
Where three rivers meet to form the Missouri, with a quiet campground and easy riverside walks.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Butte
Berkeley Pit viewing stand
A mile-wide open copper mine filled with acid water, viewable from a platform above.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Lolo
Lolo Hot Springs
A hot springs resort at the foot of Lolo Pass, with a pool, a campground and a lively bar.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Paradise
Quinn's Hot Springs Resort
Natural hot springs pools along the Clark Fork River, with a restaurant and lodge.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · BoulderHidden gem
Boulder Hot Springs
A 1880s hot springs hotel with day-use mineral pools between Butte and Helena.
- Lake
Lake · Bigfork
Wayfarers State Park
Rocky beach and swimming in Flathead Lake's clear, cold water just south of Bigfork.
- Lake
Lake · Whitefish
Whitefish Lake State Park
A swim beach, campsites and mountain views on Whitefish Lake.
- History
History · LoganHidden gem
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Day-use park at a canyon cliff where bison were driven for 2,000 years.
History · Hungry Horse
Hungry Horse Dam
A 564 ft concrete dam holding back a huge reservoir, with a visitor centre and a view from the crest.
- Hot pool
Hot pool · Anaconda
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
Four heated pools and a waterslide in a Montana resort, 15 miles west of Butte.
Food stops
- Bakery
Bakery · PolebridgeHidden gem
Polebridge Mercantile
Remote off-grid bakery in the North Fork, famous for huckleberry bear claws.
- Ice cream
Ice cream · PhilipsburgHidden gem
The Sweet Palace
A rainbow-fronted candy shop in a small mining town, with hundreds of kinds of sweets and fudge.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · ButteHidden gem
Pekin Noodle Parlor
America's oldest continuously running Chinese restaurant, set in a wood-panelled upstairs dining room.
- Pub
Pub · Great FallsHidden gem
Sip 'n Dip Lounge
A tiki bar with mermaids swimming in the window behind the bar.
- Restaurant
Restaurant · Three Forks
Sacajawea Hotel
Restored 1910 railway hotel with a restaurant in tiny Three Forks.
Places to stay
Campground · PolebridgeHidden gem
Kintla Lake Campground
Glacier's most remote road-accessible camp, at the end of the North Fork road.
Lodge · Babb
Many Glacier Hotel
1914 Swiss-style lodge on Swiftcurrent Lake in Glacier National Park.
- Lodge
Lodge · West Glacier
Lake McDonald Lodge
1913 Swiss chalet lodge on Lake McDonald in Glacier.
- Campground
Campground · EkalakaHidden gem
Medicine Rocks State Park
Free sandstone-pillar park with 12 primitive sites and dark-sky status.
Campground · Glacier National ParkHidden gem
Two Medicine Campground
Quieter east side camp beside a glacial lake.
Campground · Lake McDonaldHidden gem
Sprague Creek Campground
Small lakeside camp on Lake McDonald, no trailers allowed.
- Campground
Campground · BozemanHidden gem
Langohr Campground, Hyalite Canyon
Small canyon camp near Bozeman and Hyalite Reservoir.
- Campground
Campground · West Glacier
Apgar Campground
Big forest campground near the lake and village, with showers and a grocery store a short walk away.
- Campground
Campground · East GlacierHidden gem
Cut Bank Campground
Tiny first-come camp in the Cut Bank Valley, with Scan and Pay.
Campground · Lake McDonald Valley
Avalanche Campground
Camp in old cedars at the Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Gorge.
Campground · West Glacier
Fish Creek Campground
Glacier's largest campground, on the shore of Lake McDonald.
- Campground
Campground · St. Mary
St. Mary Campground
East-side camp near the start of Going-to-the-Sun Road, open in parts all year.
Campground · St. Mary Lake
Rising Sun Campground
Lakeside camp on St. Mary Lake with day-of reservations only.
- Campground
Campground · Seeley LakeHidden gem
Placid Lake State Park campground
Forty-site lake camp with a hike-bike site in the Swan Valley.
- Campground
Campground · Red LodgeHidden gem
Cascade Campground, Red Lodge
Creek camp 11 miles west of Red Lodge on a paved forest road.
- Campground
Campground · West Yellowstone
Beaver Creek Campground, Hebgen
Pine camp near the Madison River and Earthquake Lake.
- Campground
Campground · West Yellowstone
Rainbow Point Campground, Hebgen Lake
Big lakeside camp on Hebgen Lake, ten miles from West Yellowstone.
- Campground
Campground · Red Lodge
Parkside Campground
Beartooth Highway camp 12 miles south of Red Lodge.
- Campground
Campground · Seeley LakeHidden gem
Salmon Lake State Park
Lakeside state park camp with 24 sites, showers and a hike-bike site.
- Campground
Campground · DeckerHidden gem
Tongue River Reservoir State Park campgrounds
164 sites on a 12-mile reservoir in Montana's quiet southeast.
- Campground
Campground · RobertsHidden gem
Cooney State Park campgrounds
82 sites in five campgrounds on a reservoir near Red Lodge.
- Campground
Campground · Gallatin Gateway
Red Cliff Campground, Gallatin Canyon
River camp in Gallatin Canyon on the Big Sky road.
- Campground
Campground · Thompson FallsHidden gem
Thompson Falls State Park
Pine-shaded riverside camp with 18 sites two miles from town.
More regions
- California
- Texas
- Oregon
- Colorado
- Florida
- Washington
- Utah
- Arizona
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Wyoming
- Illinois
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Virginia
- Idaho
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- Maine
- South Carolina
- Nebraska
- New York
- Kentucky
- Pennsylvania
- North Dakota
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Ohio
- Indiana
- New Hampshire
- Mississippi
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
Rated 4.7 by drivers · 700,000 downloads
