5 National & State Parks In Montana You Have To Visit
Montana's vast wilderness is where you’ll find some of North America's most dramatic scenery. From the rugged Continental Divide to ancient badlands shaped over millions of years by wind and water, the aptly-named “Big Sky State” is home to two of America's most celebrated national parks: Glacier and a chunk of Yellowstone. Add to this a sizable collection of 55 state parks, several of which feature the kind of geological wonders found nowhere else on the continent, and it’ll take a lifetime to explore all of Montana’s natural wonders. To whet your appetite, check out our selection of the five national and state parks in Montana that you simply have to visit.
Glacier National Park
Preserving a vast swath of the Rocky Mountains along Montana's border with Canada, Glacier National Park boasts extraordinary geological diversity. Home to 26 active glaciers, including the still-impressive Blackfoot Glacier, the park owes its unique character to the Continental Divide. The result? Two distinct ecosystems that, between them, support around 70 types of mammals, including grizzly bears and wolverines, along with hundreds of bird species.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is a great way to see some of the park's best features. Completed in 1932, this 50-mile route climbs 6,646 feet to Logan Pass, with viewpoints like Hidden Lake Overlook featuring stunning views along the way. If hiking’s your thing, the drive also provides access to the Highline Trail. This 11-mile trail follows the Continental Divide from Logan Pass to Granite Park Chalet, one of two historic backcountry lodges built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914.
The park's eastern valleys tell a very different story. Here, prairie grasslands meet mountain slopes in places like Two Medicine Valley and Many Glacier, where the Many Glacier Hotel, built in Swiss chalet style in 1915 and now an ideal base from which to explore Grinnell Glacier. Iceberg Lake is another popular destination that’s accessible from Many Glacier and boasts dramatic 3,000-foot high cliffs and, yes, icebergs.
When To Visit: July through September is the most accessible time in Glacier National Park as most roads are open to the public. Another great time is when alpine wildflowers are in bloom through to early August.
Yellowstone National Park (Montana Section)
While most of Yellowstone National Park lies in neighboring Wyoming, three of the park's five entrances access Montana territory, including the historic Roosevelt Arch at the North Entrance near Gardiner. This section encompasses Lamar Valley, also known as America's Serengeti for its dense wildlife concentrations. Here, the Lamar River flows through broad grasslands surrounded by the Absaroka Range, in the process supporting bison herds, pronghorn antelope, elk, and even wolf packs.
The Montana portion also includes significant thermal features around Mammoth Hot Springs. Here, travertine terraces grow at incredible rates that see up to two tons of limestone deposited daily, with Minerva Terrace and Canary Springcreating constantly changing formations as underground hot springs dissolve limestone. Fort Yellowstone, established in 1891 when the U.S. Army managed the park, is still intact and is worth seeing for its many historic buildings.
Paradise Valley is another must-visit area of the park. Carved out by the Yellowstone River, the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone Trail is accessible via the scenic Blacktail Plateau Drive and leads past columnar basalt formations shaped by lava that flowed here around 50 million years ago. You’ll also want to see Specimen Ridge, home to the world's largest petrified forest. This stunning natural wonder features fossilized trees from 27 different forest layers and represents 20,000 years of volcanic activity.
When To Visit: May through October is the best time for wildlife viewing, with elk bugling in September. Wolf activity is most visible during the winter months from December through March.
Makoshika State Park
Montana's largest such park, Makoshika State Park, encompasses 11,538 acres of dramatic badlands topography near Glendive. Exposed by the 100-mile-long Cedar Creek Anticline, the 65-million-year-old Hell Creek Formation has revealed more than 10 significant dinosaur discoveries, including a complete Triceratops skull that’s now displayed at the Visitor Center.
The Cap Rock Nature Trail is an ideal way to see the best of the park’s unique geology. Descending through four distinct geological layers representing different prehistoric environments from swamps to inland seas, the fossil finds here also include the remains of Tyrannosaurus rex and the bird-like Thescelosaurus. This semi-arid park also supports many modern-day creatures, too. Prairie rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and bird species, including golden eagles and falcons, are often sighted, while June’s Buzzard Day celebrates the return of nesting turkey vultures.
When To Visit: For the most comfortable temperatures, plan to visit between April and October. As summer heat can exceed 100°F, spring and fall provide ideal conditions for hiking the badlands.
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
Located 45 miles west of Bozeman, Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is where you’ll find Montana's most extensive limestone cave system. Formed as acidic groundwater dissolved limestone deposited 350 million years ago by a tropical sea, cave tours descend through passages filled with stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstone formations. The Paradise Room is the largest chamber and includes the Frozen Waterfall and the Pipe Organ, both formed by mineral deposits from water seeping through joints in the limestone.
Above ground, the park extends from the Jefferson River Valley to the summit of the 6,500-foot-tall Cave Mountain. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's influence supports black bears, mountain lions, and elk populations, as well as tall Douglas fir and limber pine forests. For canoeists, the Jefferson River Canoe Trail begins at the park and features 11 miles of Class I water. It passes through the very cottonwood galleries where Lewis and Clark camped on July 27, 1805, when they named the river after President Thomas Jefferson.
When To Visit: Cave tours are available May through September. If you plan on tackling the river, August boasts the kind of warm weather that’s ideal for combining cave tours with river activities.
Flathead Lake State Park
Protecting the lake after which it’s named, Flathead Lake State Park is as much fun to visit for its scenery as it is for its potential for outdoor activities. Formed 12,000 years ago when glacial moraines dammed the Flathead River Valley, this famously clear body of water lays claim to the title of the biggest natural freshwater lake this side of the mighty Mississippi River.
Up to 370 feet deep in places, water clarity extends to an impressive 20 feet in many areas. This remarkable trait is the result of the lake's 12-year water replacement cycle, which is fed by snowmelt from the Mission and Cabinet mountains.
Wild Horse Island, the lake's largest island, supports an abundance of wildlife. Most notable among them are bighorn sheep, mule deer, and the handful of wild horses after which the island is named. Although access is only possible via private boats from Big Arm or tours from Polson, the island is worth visiting for its trails and stunning scenery.
When To Visit: June through September are optimal for activities such as canoeing, boating, and fishing. Water temperatures reach their peak in July and August, ideal months for swimming.
The Final Word
However you slice it, the best of Montana's national and state parks show off Big Sky country’s remarkable geological and ecological diversity. Whether you’re visiting Glacier's alpine grandeur or Makoshika's prehistoric badlands (or maybe both), each park tells a different and entirely unique story. Indeed, these five national and state parks represent the full spectrum of Montana’s natural diversity, in the process offering an endless supply of enjoyable back-to-nature experiences for you to enjoy.
