Category: Vacation

Road trips are often equated with summertime, or at least with the warmer months (and by warmer we mean no threat of snowy road conditions). But here’s the thing: we recreate outdoors all year here in Western Montana, so we’re always on the road driving from one ski hill, Nordic paradise or snowmobile trail to another, and we’re here to tell you this—the winter panoramas from the pavement here are pretty magical, and the stops along the way are, too. 

Winter is typically known as the season of hibernation and all things cozy, though cabin fever often finds a way of sneaking in. Here in Glacier Country, we’ve got just the cure for that: the little town of Libby, Montana boasts big adventures.

[caption id="attachment_6526" align="aligncenter" width="5064"] Biking on the Bitterroot Trail. PHOTO: Saara Snow[/caption]

Western Montana is gorgeous, and is undoubtedly a vacation all its own, but on the 150th anniversary of Canadian Parks we know you might want to scoot across the border for free park entry. The locals refer to Waterton Lakes National Park as “where the mountains meet the prairies” and Glacier National Park as “the backbone of the world.” These majestic lands have inspired many writers and world travelers, and will certainly inspire you too. From Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road to Waterton’s Red Rock Canyon, you’ll be glad you decided on a two-nation vacation.

Trout Creek—tucked in the northwest corner of Montana—is a charming community full of recreational opportunities like camping, hiking and fishing. Little did you know, however, that Trout Creek is home to one of the best festivals in Montana—their annual Huckleberry Festival, which attracts visitors from far and wide to celebrate the coveted purple berry.

Hiking in Glacier National Park offers an opportunity to experience some of the most iconic landscapes in Western Montana, and the Avalanche Lake Trail remains one of the park’s most popular routes. The trail leads hikers through a lush, old-growth forest and along clear, rushing water before arriving at a glacier-fed lake framed by steep […]

Part One of this series highlighted several favorite trails in the southern portion of Western Montana, including routes throughout the Seeley Swan Valley and the Bitterroot Valley. In this post, we continue the journey north, exploring trails near State Highway 200, the Jewel Basin, Tobacco Valley and Glacier National Park. Here are a few reminders […]

Western Montana’s Glacier Country stretches from the Canadian border to the Bitterroot Valley, offering an expansive landscape of forests, rivers, peaks and small communities. With so many miles of trail to explore, choosing where to begin can feel like a challenge. What started as a list of 10 favorite hikes quickly grew beyond a single […]

Adventure takes many forms in Western Montana. For some, it’s a quiet afternoon among the stacks of a small-town bookstore. For others, it’s a snowy trek to a historic mining town or a summer hike to a lakeside waterfall. No matter your style of exploration, Western Montana offers meaningful experiences that connect you to the […]

Some of Western Montana’s most significant places are those we may pass without realizing the depth of their history. The CSKT Bison Range—located off U.S. Highway 93 north of Ravalli—is one of them. Spanning 18,500 acres on the Flathead Reservation, the range is owned and managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, whose stewardship […]