Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Wifey has always wanted to visit Montana...taking her for retirement present. Suggestions?

Take her to Mule Deer's place. I hear he's married to a great cook!

Like most of the mountain states, you can't just say 'Montana'. There's a huge variation as you move around in it. You can have the western end of the great plains or you can have rugged mountains...and everything in between.

I'd go to Butte, get a Pork chop Sammich and look at the pit. Then go the 3 Forks and Dillon. BigHole if you got enough skeeter repellent. Huckleberry milkshake everywhere. Flathead lake, Hungry Horse and Glacier.

that ought to take week. Drink a beer every time you cross the continental divide or Chief Josephs or Lewis and Clarks path.you'll have fun.

I am jealous as hell....

Chico is great when the weather is cold. Great food.
I have stayed at Potosi and at Quinn's both have good hiking and great food.(although, I was at Potosi under different management)

This place looks swanky but I have never been- https://www.theranchatrockcreek.com near Phillipsburg which has become pretty quaint

If it is still there, tour the hatchery in Great Falls. Museum in Miles City. Find a rodeo somewhere.

God but you're spoilin that woman Sammo

Thoroughly enjoyed Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness many years ago with a pack rod & reel. Can't speak for how it is now.

It is still wilderness, unless Zinke has been screwing with it. Stunning.

Please explain to me WTF Zinke has done to screw with Wilderness Areas???

I think I know who Grouse Chaser is -- if I'm right, he's a Commie, or at least a BHAist. 38 posts since 2013?

Speaking of Commies, I wouldn't go to Chico because it's been used as a retreat many times by some of the highest-dollar Greens on Earth. Quinns is okay, actually a fun soak and there's a railroad across the Clark Fork. Fairmont is also politically neutral as far as I know, a long time place popular with Montana's business community.

Bottom line is, Montana just SCREAMS to be explored, not just the tourist magnets. Stay off the darned interstates, find the back roads (paved) to places you've never heard of. Most Montanans off the beaten paths are delighted to make new friends, will just bend themselves in two to be of help.

I really lucked out on my trip up into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. A friend an I had decided to visit a lake about 6 miles from our starting point. Not long after we began our hike, along comes a guy with a horse drawn wagon. (A flat bed wagon), packed with camping supplies. He was headed up further than we were going to meet a group of long term campers and re-supply them. He gave us a ride the entire way. The walk "downhill" was a piece of cake, and the wildlife was abundant. The fishing was outstanding!


DMc

Try visiting Havre, bring several cases of suds. More if you want some,

Then just watch the entertainment!😆

Probably my favorite part of Montana but has become excessively popular in the past few years.

Bring a tent too.

House for sale.

Uh oh.... Badass alert.
Demanding answers like a boss.

WTF


I dont know grouse but i hope he doesnt give you the satisfaction of answer.

Wherever you end up, give serious consideration to staying in Bed and Breakfasts rather than chain hotels. I've never had a disappointing stay and the owners have been consistently good at pointing out great "local secrets." Seems to go a long ways toward making me feel less like an outsider.
This includes the Glacier area, one of the great American treasures. Many breath taking views there.
Most of my trips were in pursuit of trout over the last 4 decades and I try to minimize the touristy stuff. Montana deserves the Big Sky moniker.

Fly into Rapid City SD. Take in all the sights in the area (spend at least 4 or 5 days) then drive to Montana. Stay in Red Lodge for at least 4 or 5 days (make sure you go to Yellowstone) then head to Glacier. Going to the sun road is a must see. Three weeks of heaven...........

If you end up going through Three forks plan on a night at the Sacajawea. Great historic hotel with an awesome 5 star restaurant and a kick ass cowboy bar in the basement. And then by all means go through Flathead and hit Glacier. You could spend all summer wondering around Montana and still not see everything. The Bitteroot valley is spectacular, Ennis and the Lewis and Clark caverns. Butte and the pit. North to Helena and the Missouri river which has the boat trip up river to the "Gates of the Rocky Mountains" . Good luck and have a blast.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Charles Russel museum in great falls!