Western Montana

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West Glacier: A Day Off the Beaten Path

View from the Old Bridge, upstream over the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, in West Glacier, Montana. In the busy summer months, the little village of West Glacier—the western entrance to Glacier National Park—resembles Grand Central Station. It’s easy to spend the day hitting all the “must-see” tourist attractions in the area, but there are equally enjoyable options for fun off the beaten path. Since I spend nearly every summer weekend in West Glacier, I have come up with my ultimate Saturday routine. Read the rest of West Glacier: A Day Off the Beaten Path »

Museum of the Rockies - Bozeman Montana

Museum of the Rockies - Bozeman Montana On a recent trip to Bozeman my friend told me she had a surprise for me when we got there. As we got closer to Bozeman I saw a sign for the Museum of the Rockies and asked if that was my surprise. Turns out I ruined my surprise and had guessed correctly! We pulled into the parking lot of the museum and walked over to the building where we were greeted by a large metal T-Rex skeleton. I was instantly excited about what I was going to find inside as I am fascinated by dinosaurs and I knew that Montana was a great location to find dinosaur bones. Read the rest of Museum of the Rockies - Bozeman Montana »

Lewis and Clark Caverns - Whitehall Montana

Lewis and Clark Caverns - Whitehall MontanaAlthough Lewis and Clark did not discover the caverns, they did cross near the location of the caves on their expedition. It was David Morrison along with a hunting group who discovered them in the early 20th century. Morrison gave tours of the caves he discovered, however a disagreement with the Northern Pacific railroad emerged over who was the rightful owner of the land. Read the rest of Lewis and Clark Caverns - Whitehall Montana »

Hiking Mount Helena

Mount Helena hiking trailLike Bozeman’s M trail, Helena has a similar brief hike up nearby Mount Helena. While the M trail has two options for hiking up the mountain, Mount Helena features several options of varying degrees of difficulty and length. Also unlike the M trail, Mount Helena borders the city limits, offering spectacular views of the city below (rather than the countryside).

Having never hiked up Mt Helena, I decided that I finally wanted to give it a shot before I left Helena last weekend. Access is easy - take Park Avenue down to the Reeders Village subdivision. Drive up a hill into some beautiful newly-constructed mansions, and the trailhead will be at the opposite end of the subdivision. Here you’ll find a parking lot and an extremely useful map. Considering all the various routes you can take up the mountain, looking at the map before hiking is suggested! Looking at the map, you should find a trail labeled the Prairie Trail - this is the route I opted to take. Read the rest of Hiking Mount Helena »

All aboard the Last Chance Tour Train!

Helena Last Chance tour trainIf you live in the Helena area, chances are you’ve heard about the Last Chance Tour Train during commercial breaks on television. You’ve probably seen it driving through town, twisting and turning through the streets of downtown Helena. But I’m always surprised at how few locals have actually ridden on the train, and trust me, it’s an enjoyable ride for locals and tourists alike.

With the extended family from both in-state and out-of-state descending upon Helena, we decided to check out the tour train. Firstly, it’s important to know that tours only depart on the hour, so schedule yourself appropriately, or you’ll be waiting with nothing to do for a long while. You’ll be buying tickets in a stand outside the Montana Historical Society at the corner of 6th and Roberts - near the Capitol building. Prices are $7.50 for adults and slightly less for children and seniors. Read the rest of All aboard the Last Chance Tour Train! »

Old Montana Prison - Deer Lodge Montana

Old Montana Prison - Deer Lodge Montana Creepy, yes. Scary, slightly. Worth the stop, you bet! I had been to the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge about 20 years ago and I still have vivid memories about it. My mom and I were totally spooked as we walked down the cellblock and would not even step foot into the “hole”. On my recent trip to the prison I found things a little bit different. First of all I was not clinging to my mom this time and second I found the entire site fascinating, so my fear had diminshed. Read the rest of Old Montana Prison - Deer Lodge Montana »

Grant-Kohrs Ranch - Deer Lodge Montana

Grant Kohrs Ranch Deer Lodge Montana Have you every wanted to step back in history and see what it might be like to live or work on a old western ranch? Well your opportunity is located on the edge of town in Deer Lodge at the Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Johnny Grant homesteaded in the Deer Lodge valley in 1862, only to 4 years later sell the home and ranch for $19,200 to Conrad Kohrs. Read the rest of Grant-Kohrs Ranch - Deer Lodge Montana »

Burke Park - Bozeman

Bozeman Montana trail Burke ParkOne of the key advantages to living in Bozeman is the number of parks scattered throughout town - and the quality and beauty of those parks! My favorite park is Burke Park. Located in the southeast portion of Bozeman at the top of Highland Ridge, Burke Park runs south from Peet’s Hill down to near Kagy Blvd, paralleling both Highland Ridge and Church Street. Burke Park is probably most notable for its trail system, used by walkers, joggers, bikers, skiiers, and many more. Last Saturday, I tried walking Burke Park’s Chris Boyd trail - this particular trail offers scenic views from the top of the ridge. Read the rest of Burke Park - Bozeman »

Touring Lewis and Clark County’s Gates of the Mountains

Gates of the Mountains boat river cliffsLast weekend I found myself spending time with my mother in Helena. Wondering what to do, the two of us decided to try the boat tour up the Missouri River at Gates of the Mountains. The tour takes you down the Missouri River from Holter Lake through the “Gates of the Mountains” - first explored by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and named as such due to the fact that the mountains and cliffs that rise above the edges of the Missouri look like gates from afar. As you ride down the Missouri, your tour guide on the boat fills the experience with various tidbits and stories that we both found incredibly interesting. For example, our tour guide told us about various forest fires that have plagued the area over the years and the firefighters who have perished fighting them. We also heard about the various Native American etchings into the cliffs along the river. As somewhat of a history buff myself, I really enjoyed this. Read the rest of Touring Lewis and Clark County’s Gates of the Mountains »