Although Montana is the fourth largest US state by area, its population is only around 1.1 million. That doesn’t count the visitors, though—and Montana is renowned around the world as a top tourist spot, thanks in part to hot spots like Yellowstone National Park.
If you like nature and beauty, outdoor adventure, and important historical markers, the Big Sky Country should be on your list (and probably is!).
Montana is famous for its plethora of natural resources, from gems to wildlife, gaining it the nickname “Treasure State.” Montana is known for its big skies, Native American heritage and cowboy culture, plus world-class recreation opportunities, such as hunting, fishing, and skiing.
But that’s just the start! The wonders of this Northwestern state are many and varied, as wide as the renowned sky (hence the nickname, Big Sky Country). Keep reading for a deep dive into the recreation, history, culture, and food of this fascinating state.
Table of Contents
1. Fly fishing
Montana may just be the best place to go fly fishing in the union. With multiple blue-ribbon rivers, such as the Madison, the Yellowstone, and of course, the mighty Missouri, Montana is known for fishing that’s truly world-class.
2. Yogo sapphires
Montana is known for many precious gems, especially sapphires. Montana Yogo sapphires are the most especially famous amongst the many precious stones and metals you can find in Montana (Can you say “Treasure State?”).
The Yogo sapphire is rare enough that it is the only gem from North America to be part of Great Britain’s Crown Jewels. Fancy!
3. Big Sky Resort
If you want some excellent skiing, you gotta head to the Rocky Mountains. From there, Montana is your best bet, and within Montana? You can’t go wrong with the stunning terrain at the Big Sky Resort.
The famously cold and dry snow Montana is known for will give you a powder day like nowhere else, followed by some truly cozy après ski in a charming mountain town.
Also read: 15 Stunning Mountain Towns in Montana for Your Next Getaway
4. Yellowstone National Park
Who hasn’t heard of Yellowstone National Park? If there’s anything Montana is famous for, it’s Yellowstone! It’s the first and most famous national park in the United States, after all, known the world over. (Whenever I travel, I tell people I live by Yellowstone, and they know exactly where I live!).
Go there to see otherworldly hot springs and geysers (hello, Old Faithful!), a plethora of wildlife, from wolves to grizzlies to elk and bison, and more gorgeous vistas than you’ll know what to do with.
5. Going-to-the-Sun Road
Speaking of national parks in Montana, Glacier National Park is also absolutely breathtaking. The best way to get your breath, well taken away in Glacier, is to drive the famous Going to the Sun Road (or bike it, if your calves and lungs are up for it!).
The drive winds through the park, along the spectacular mountain passes, with views of glaciers, rivers, lakes, and the occasional wildlife sightings.
6. Native American heritage
You can’t discuss Montana without discussing its in turns rich and harrowing Native American history.
Currently, around 6% of Montana’s population is Native American, many dispersed amongst the seven designated reservations. Twelve tribes call Montana home, such as the Blackfeet Confederacy, Bitterroot Salish, the Crow Nation, and Assiniboine.
7. Crow Fair
Thanks to the large population of Native Americans in Montana, traditional cultural events still abound all over the state. The biggest and most well-known is the Crow Fair, which takes place annually in August at Crow Agency, Montana. Crow Fair is a cultural celebration that includes pow-wows, parades, rodeos, and markets for traditional crafts.
8. Little Bighorn Battlefield
Montana is famous for being the site of one of the most infamous battles of the American Indian Wars: the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Also known as Custer’s Last Stand (or Battle of the Greasy Grass), the site is now a national monument honoring deaths on both sides.
9. Bison & elk burgers
Montana’s got game! Literally. As in… game meat.
If you have a hankering to try a bison or elk burger, Montana is the place to go! Better yet, try both and see which one you prefer: bison, which is softer and sweeter than beef, or elk, which is distinctly gamier in flavor and texture.
10. Huckleberries
Take a trip through Montana and every stop on the road will have, like, a lot of huckleberry items, from candy to jam to chocolate. Montana is known for these purple, tasty mountain berries!
To really embrace huckleberry culture, pick some on a hike, or try a huckleberry shake at a smaller, local diner. You can also sample the huckleberry turnovers at the Polebridge Mercantile, or visit a u-pick farm to fill those pockets!
11. Wheat Montana cinnamon rolls
Wheat Montana started out as a small little place outside of Three Forks and now ships wheat all over the world. Their eponymous bakery, right outside the town of Three Forks, also ships its cinnamon rolls all over the world.
If you’re in the area, you must stop. You also can’t go wrong with a sticky bun, a cookie, a sandwich, or even a bag of flour to take home!
12. Rocky Mountain oysters
Rocky-mountain-oysters-cooking-outside-grill-ranch
Unlike the jackalope, Rocky mountain oysters aren’t just mythical animals used to lead tourists on a wild goose chase.
Of course, you won’t find these “oysters” in a river or another body of water. Rocky Mountain oysters are best found at a Testicle Festival and if you don’t see where I’m going…yes, (baby) bull testicles. Deep fried, usually!
13. Flathead cherries
Near the famously clear (and cold!) Flathead Lake, you can find the famously delicious Flathead cherries. Thanks to particular weather patterns found nowhere else in the state, cherries grow well on the shores of the lake, and are at their peak in mid-to-late summer.
14. Museum of the Rockies & Montana Dinosaur Trail
Did you know that Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park was actually based on a real person? (Although the rest of the story was still fiction, sorry to burst your bubble). That paleontologist was Jack Horner, a renowned scientist who found most of his specimens in eastern Montana.
Tied in with the nearby Montana State University, the Museum of the Rockies has one of the best collections of dinosaur fossils in the world, not to mention quite a few other intriguing exhibits of local history.
15. Virginia City
Founded in 1863 near the famously rich gold prospecting site of Alder Creek, Virginia City grew to thousands of people overnight. However, as the gold disappeared, so did the people.
It was slowly bought up and restored in the 1940s, and now is considered one of the best-preserved mining towns in the United States.
16. Berkeley Pit
In addition to the many precious gems you can find in Montana, Montana is famous for its lucrative mining history. The town of Butte (sounds like “beaut”) is known as the “Richest Hill in the World” thanks to its extensive mineral deposits, especially copper.
Due to the harmful mining practices of said copper, however, the leftover pollution is also extensive. Berkeley Pit, right outside of Butte, is a former open-pit copper mine that is now a Superfund site. It’s so toxic that hundreds of birds have died on impact with the poisonous water.
17. Montana Folk Festival
The annual Montana Folk Festival in Butte, Montana, is one of the largest free outdoor festivals in the Northwest! It takes place every July and attracts visitors from all over.
There is plenty of folk music, to be sure, as well as markets full of craftspeople and local specialties from Montana and elsewhere.
18. Miles City Bucking Horse Sale
The “World Famous” Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, in Eastern Montana, is so much more than a sale. It’s a rodeo with a capital “R,” with other events such as a parade and horse racing.
Held annually in May (since 1951), some of the finest rodeo stock debuts here, and many rodeos have their roots in the corner of Montana. For a true taste of the Montana Western spirit, check it out!
19. Cowboy culture
Speaking of that Western spirit, cowboy culture is still alive and well in Montana. Although the population centers of Montana are some of the fastest growing in the country, much of Montana is still full of ranches and farmland.
Cowboys embody the values of the “Old West:” self-sufficient, masculine, happiest under the stars near a campfire. Nowadays there are still cowboys on ranches, as well as cowboys that ride in rodeos, or those who are “all hat and no cattle,” which means they dress and act like a cowboy, but don’t actually have any experience as a “true” cowboy.
20. More cows than people
As any local Montanan will probably tell you, Montana is known for the fact that there are more cows than people. This is cattle ranching country, folks!
Of course, Montana barely has 1 million people and a LOT of space, so it’s not SO hard to out-cattle the people. But still.
21. Wildlife
Along with the cattle, Montana is a wildlife lover’s dream. Montana has the largest variety of wild mammals found in North America, including the largest population of Grizzly bears in the lower 48 (the state animal).
Other animals you can spot are wolves, bison, elk, antelope, and a variety of bird species, including the highest number of golden eagles in the country. Basically, if you get outside any of the cities (and you should!), make sure to bring a camera and some binoculars, so you don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime animal sighting.
22. Pelican migration
Pelicans… and Montana? Say what now?
Yep, every year, hundreds of giant white pelicans migrate to Montana from the Gulf of Mexico for the mating season at Medicine Lake in eastern Montana. If you’re lucky, you’ll see them scattered throughout the state, as well.
23. The Crown of the Continent
The Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the United States, encompasses thousands of acres in northern Montana, including Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Within the Crown of the Continent, you can find Triple Divide Peak, which is the hydrological apex of North America. This means that water from this summit can flow into three separate oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Arctic (via Hudson Bay).
24. First woman in Congress
It’s surprising that this model of the Old West was the first state to elect a woman to US Congress, but it’s true! In 1916, Jeannette Rankin was elected into the U.S. House of Representatives.
She was the only woman in the country to have the right to vote, as women’s suffrage would not pass federally until 1920. She was again elected in 1940, where she was the only person in Congress to vote against declaring war on Japan after Pearl Harbor.
25. Hot springs
Sure, Montana is famous for geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone (which you should absolutely not swim in or even touch!), but did you know that there are swimmable hot springs scattered throughout the state?
You can find wild ones, like the Boiling River in Gardiner, or man-made pools, like at Chico Hot Springs in Pray.
26. Right to Hunt and Fish
Montana is one of several states in the union that has a constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish. This means that the opportunity to harvest wild fish and game will be preserved for the individual Montanan, for future generations.
Montana’s heritage as a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and survivalists embodies the spirit of the state!
Montana is a gem of the West, full of adventure and culture, complex history, and beautiful nature. Have you been? If so, do you have any favorite places or activities? Share the love in the comments below!
Interested about other Northwestern states in the US? Check out what Wyoming and Washington State are known for!
