8 Best Attractions To Visit In Montana

Montana has long been known as a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, and with stunning mountains, endless open skies, charismatic wildlife, and two of the most popular and beloved national parks in the United States, it’s not hard to see why. Naturally, it would be hard to list every possible highlight of a visit to Montana. But you’ve got to start somewhere, so if you’re not sure, try these eight top attractions in Montana on for size.

Yellowstone National Park

Okay, technically, America’s first national park isn’t entirely in the state of Montana: it shares that honor with Idaho and Wyoming. But with some of the park’s major gateway towns at Gardiner and West Yellowstone in western Montana, no list of Montana attractions could possibly be complete without it. From its world-famous wolf population to its geysers, Yellowstone National Park needs no introduction and is the reason for a huge number of visits to the state. If your trip to Montana only has room for one stop, this is the marquee not-to-be-missed Montana spot.

Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

If you, like many Montana visitors, end up in the Yellowstone area, here’s a pro tip: up your chances of spotting some of the state’s most sought-after wildlife at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. As the name suggests, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center takes in Yellowstone’s top predators after they’re removed from the wild and are unable to return. After several decades, it’s now an acclaimed conservation facility that participates in research (their bears have even been tapped to test bear-proof containers for the National Park Service!) and education efforts. It’s by far the easiest place in the area to spot a Yellowstone grizzly and provides context on local wildlife that will make your in-the-wild exploration far richer.

Bannack Days

For those of a more Wild West persuasion, Montana isn’t all outdoor adventure. There are also ghost towns aplenty, and one of the coolest ways to experience that sort of uniquely Western attraction is by scheduling a visit for the third weekend in July to hit the Bannack Days festival in the well-preserved ghost town (and state park) of Bannack. Think of it as an Old West-themed Renaissance Faire with a real historic backdrop, and you basically have the picture of this beloved local event. Reenactments, demonstrations, live music, and perhaps even a staged duel at high noon are all on the agenda for a uniquely immersive ghost town experience.

Berkeley Pit

Mining has long been one of Montana’s most lucrative industries, but that profit has come at an enormous environmental cost. The mission of the Berkeley Pit - a toxic lake in a former open-pit copper mine that’s so polluted with mining detritus it’s been known to kill migrating birds who came too close - is to remind the public of the dangers of careless extraction of natural resources. Located in the former mining town of Butte, it was once dubbed “the richest hill on earth” thanks to its mineral abundance, but it’s now a cautionary tale equipped with a viewing platform from which visitors can look out over the nearly 1800-foot-deep lake. It’s a chilling but incredibly unique way to engage with Montana’s rich mining history and learn about its present-day environmental challenges.

CSKT Bison Range

If you want to spot bison in Montana, you could head for Yellowstone and hedge your bets - but you could also be sure of a sighting at the CSKT Bison Range, a protected area home to a herd of about 350 bison. Owned and operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, it aims to preserve and strengthen the region’s bison population, and visitors are invited to observe the most iconic North American mammal on a nineteen-mile scenic drive through the park. This has the happy effect of virtually guaranteeing bison sightings out in the wild. Please note: the full drive is open only in summer.

Museum Of The Rockies

Montana is one of the world’s foremost centers of paleontological research, and it’s all thanks to its incredible richness in dinosaur fossils. Naturally, one of the great global dinosaur hotspots needs a place to show off - and that place is Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, which is beloved by locals and visitors alike for its immense collection of dinosaur fossils. While there are other permanent and rotating exhibits on the area’s history and ecology, the dinosaurs are the real draw. Case in point: one of the few fully reassembled T. Rex skeletons on display anywhere in the U.S. It’s an absolute must-visit for families but impressive for all ages.

Lewis & Clark Caverns

Caves? Yes, Montana really does have it all when it comes to outdoor attractions. The Lewis & Clark Caverns in southwestern Montana are some of the largest in the Northwest, notable for their unusually elaborate geological features, and are accessible only via guided tour. Several tour options will take you on an adventurous trek through various parts of the caverns, some requiring a bit more agility than others, to see the fantastical limestone formations for which they’ve become locally famous. Above-ground hiking and camping options are also available for further exploration.

Glacier National Park

The “Crown of the Continent,” as Glacier National Park is affectionately nicknamed, lives up to its epithet in every possible way. Clear blue lakes reflect craggy mountain peaks; hikers will hardly find a more stunning backdrop for a strenuous trek; and even without getting out of your car, and Going-to-the-Sun Road offers enough scenery to make you thankful for the storage capacity of the modern smartphone - otherwise, your photos could easily fill a whole memory card. To many, its combination of stunning scenery, varied outdoor activities, and wildlife makes for the quintessential national park experience, the one you’re imagining when you see the National Park Service logo on a sign. This is all to say: don’t miss it.

The Best of Big Sky Country

You could spend months in Montana without exhausting its supply of hiking, fishing, wildlife-viewing, camping, skiing, or outdoor sports opportunities, and that’s without even mentioning its myriad cultural and historical draws. But if you’re short on time and want to see the most unique-to-Montana spots the state has to offer, start with a handful of these eight to get a solid idea of the state’s breadth, diversity, and beauty. Whether they’re into outdoor adventure or quirky local history, we can all but guarantee that every member of your traveling party will find something here to appreciate.