Category: Missoula

Savor the flavor of finely crafted Glacier Country wine by stopping at a Western Montana winery during your next trip here. Our local wines feature regional flavors like Flathead cherries, wild huckleberries and local honey. Montana wineries are friendly and laid back, and, with spring right around the corner, you won’t want to miss sipping […]

The holiday season in Glacier Country is pure magic. Our charming small towns are chock-full of all things merry and bright, and our snow-covered landscape makes for a peaceful escape.

It’s one of the most wonderful times of the year in Glacier Country. Our landscapes have transformed into winter wonderlands ready for play, and our quaint small towns are decked in holiday merriment. With the holidays just around the corner, our thoughts turn to gift giving. Whether you’re planning a trip here soon, or just left, these Montana made gifts are the perfect remembrance of a trip and a special present for that special person. From American Indian made goods, to leather bags, local artwork and fly-fishing trips, we’ve rounded up our top gifts made in Western Montana that’ll help you cross off all the names on your gift list.

From Norman Maclean’s novella “A River Runs Through It” to the poetry of Richard Hugo and the writings of authors like Rick Bass, James Welch, Judy Blunt and Ivan Doig, Montana’s literary landscape is vast. If there’s a place as inspiring to the creative mind as Montana, we don’t know it. Our lit game is strong with support for Montana authors, local book shops, and literary events and festivals throughout the region where the written word reigns.

Fall in Western Montana brings brisk mornings, cozy sweaters and jaw-dropping golden hues. While the colors lure leaf peepers from across the country, our outdoor recreation, art and music scenes, museums, and authentically Montana adventures keep them here. Between the hustle and bustle of activities and sightseeing, stop by one of our many local bakeries and treat yourself to a warm pastry while reflecting on the day. From award-winning bakeries serving up the classic pastries you crave, to innovative bake shops creating treats “outside the breadbox,” our culinary contributions are unexpectedly phenomenal. The foodie in you will thank us later.

Halloween means it’s time for pumpkin picking and mixing up the fun with a few frights and some seasonal flavors. Quintessential fall family activities abound this time of year, and haunted happenings are scattered throughout the region as well. Here’s where and how to get spooked, have fun, and savor the season in Western Montana’s Glacier Country.

Summertime and outdoor music go hand in hand in Western Montana. With multiple outdoor venues and one of the most vibrant live music scenes in the West—in Glacier Country’s arts and culture hub of Missoula—it’s no surprise that we get our groove on under the big blue sky late into the season. Here’s where you can catch late-summer 2019 live tunes and local vibes in our corner of Montana.

The mention of Western Montana often conjures up visions of the Old West, like cowboys and horses, and with good reason—they’re a part of both our past and our present. One way we recognize that is through rodeos, which are an authentic western tradition, paying homage to our heritage with events based on the duties of actual working cowboys. Next time you’re in Glacier Country, pull on your boots, grab your cowboy hat and head to a local rodeo.

There are 154 national forests in the United States, and Montana is home to 12 of them. Five of those cover ground in Glacier Country—Lolo, Bitterroot, Flathead, Kootenai and part of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests—and claim more than 8 million acres of national forestland comprised of some of the most pristine terrain in America. Dramatic mountain peaks and soft rolling foothills; lush and diverse woodlands; sparkling lakes and rivers; and remote wilderness areas make up these beloved forestlands, all a vital part of Montana’s prized landscape. And thanks to the help of the U.S. Forest Service, and their efforts and partnerships with local organizations to conserve the land, we plan to keep it that way.

Explore the rich heritage of American Indians and time-honored traditions like pow wows in Western Montana’s Glacier Country, where you’ll find two of the seven Indian reservations that fall within Montana’s borders—the Blackfeet Nation of the Blackfeet Reservation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. In addition to multiple year-round tribal events, you’ll find museums, galleries, shops and organizations dedicated to preserving the American Indian history and way of life with compelling exhibits and artifacts, and authentic arts and crafts.