Oh, Montana. Where do we begin? The Big Sky State (official nickname: The Treasure State) is one of our absolute favorites. From Glacier National Park to the picture-perfect mountain town of Whitefish and the hidden beauty of Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild, there is always more magic than we can take in during one visit.
If you live further south, the length of a July day in Montana may surprise you. The sun rises around 5:30am and doesn't really set until 10pm. That may only be an extra hour and change beyond New York City, but the days feel a full 50% longer, which means you can fit in a lot of adventuring.
Horses and Goats and Bears, Oh My!
Being more inclined to fear people than animals, and having about 15 hours of daylight to myself when Keith was working on a show in Montana our first two times there, I spent every day sightseeing solo in nature. One of many amazing thing about Montana is that the animals outnumber the people (yes, really) meaning you don't have to go far to get wonderfully lost in the great outdoors with only the sounds of the breeze, birds, and water to accompany your adventure.
Note that it's always a good idea to: (1) tell someone where you're going, what route you'll be taking, and when to expect your return; (2) check in with park rangers for any alerts or animal sightings in the immediate area as well as any advice for solo hiking; (3) review best practices for animal encounters; (4) carry bear spray if advised; (5) bring extra water, a flashlight, and layers, just in case. Because there had been recent bear sightings, I was advised to make noise, especially near game trails and streams, so as not to surprise any grizzlies or black bears.
While I didn't come across any bears or mountain lines in my solo hikes, we did spot black bears on an afternoon drive up toward the Canadian border. I had really hoped to see some bears while in bear country, so coming across them (from a safe distance) was a real treat.
Other highlights of our time in the wilds of Montana include: stumbling across wild horses on a long bike ride through the countryside; watching monarchs, bighorn sheep, and deer in their natural habitats; stand up paddle boarding (SUP) on Whitefish and Flathead Lakes; hiking Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park; horseback riding; visiting Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild; and eating all the huckleberry-flavored things we could find.
Glacier National Park
If you've not yet had the pleasure of a summer snow hike, you'll want to add Glacier to your travel bucket list. There's nothing quite like setting off on a gorgeous, green, summer's day in shorts or light pants and a tee shirt and coming across a snow filled valley midway through your trek. In addition to the magical juxtaposition of snow in summer, many of the 150+ named peaks in Glacier come in around 10,000 feet, which is truly a sight to behold. We were lucky to see bighorn sheep and mountain goats on one of our Glacier trips. The combination of the majestic goats and the hidden valley of July snow made it feel like we had wandered into Narnia. That magical sense of the extraordinary is basically what I'm looking for on any trip. If that's what you're after as well, you won't be disappointed with a visit to Glacier.
In addition to hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming, summer in Glacier is also lovely for horseback riding. The team at Swan Mountain Outfitters took us out on a great ride inside Glacier on our last visit (see above). If riding in the Park isn't on your agenda, Artemis Acres Paint Horse Ranch offers wonderful trail rides outside of Glacier.
Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild
We stopped at Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild, in Lincoln, on our July 2022 cross country trip. According to their website, the 26 acre woodland site is home to works of art that are meant to celebrate the area's economy and cultural traditions. It's a splendid place for a walk and has the added benefit of being far enough out that it's unlikely to be crowded. There's something quite surreal about walking among large scale sculptures nestled in the woods. The site is pet-friendly and (from our experience) interactive enough to delight a 7 year old. If you go in the summer, be sure to bring bug spray. We were surprised at how buggy pockets of our walk were but it wasn't bothersome since we were all well sprayed.
Huckleberry Everything
What cherries are to Michigan (check out our Michigan post here) huckleberries are to Montana. We tried every huckleberry thing we could get our hands on. It was a great deal of fun to make a scavenger hunt out of it. Favorites include: huckleberry honey, huckleberry gummy bears, huckleberry saltwater taffy, huckleberry syrup, huckleberry ice cream, and of course, the freshly picked berries themselves. Huckleberries are notoriously difficult to cultivate so if you're lucky enough to fine yourself in huckleberry country, enjoy!
Bigfork
Bigfork is a sweet little village on the shores of Flathead lake. It's an excellent base for all the nature activities you can think of: hiking, whitewater rafting, bike riding, camping, boating... The town is also home to numerous galleries and shops, making it a great place for an afternoon stroll. If you go, make sure to stop in to the landmark Echo Lake Cafe for pancakes the size of your head smothered in fresh huckleberry syrup.
Whitefish
We discovered Whitefish over a decade ago and absolutely fell in love. While we were in parts of Montana in 2022, we haven't been to Whitefish since before covid, so while we're writing this with fingers crossed that it hasn't changed much, take this tidbit with a grain of salt.
Whitefish is a quintessential ski town that also happens to be perfect in the summer. It's also conveniently located near Glacier National Park. When we were there, it was unspoiled in the way you'd imagine towns were before development got out of hand and all the green spaces were turned into big box stores. I know nothing about the politics of the area, so I say this purely from an experiential standpoint: when we were there, it felt like the untouched, apple pie, Wild West, open prairie fantasy of America that I believed, even as a child, must still exist somewhere.
If you go, please don't tell us if it's changed. That might just break our hearts.
Happy journeying!
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