The places, most named first
From the 7 guides that rank for "best places to visit in montana"
Named by 5 of 71. Glacier National ParkGoing-to-the-Sun Road runs just over 50 miles; it is busiest from late June to early October.Traffic on the road can be intense between late June and early October.Best time to visit Glacier National Park
Named by 5 of 72. WhitefishWhitefish Mountain Resort has skiing in winter and scenic lift rides, hiking and biking in summer.The area includes Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park.
Named by 4 of 73. Yellowstone National ParkThe west entrance is 91 miles from Bozeman and about an hour from Big Sky.Rooms inside the park, such as Old Faithful Inn, sell out well in advance.Named by 4 of 74. BozemanA mountain town with breweries, shops, hot springs and rafting nearby.Summer highs reach the mid-80s, with big swings between day and night.
Named by 3 of 75. MissoulaKnown for its beer scene and nightlife alongside Bozeman.Western Montana has Lewis and Clark history and the Bitterroot Valley.
Named by 3 of 76. LivingstonAn artsy, railroad-rooted town with historic brick storefronts, founded in 1882.
Named by 2 of 77. Beartooth HighwayA 68-mile drive between Red Lodge and Cooke City, topping out near 11,000 feet.Switchbacks and alpine scenery; the drive follows an exit from Yellowstone's northeast entrance.
Named by 2 of 78. Big SkyA family adventure town with two resorts, just a few miles from West Yellowstone.Ski resorts such as Big Sky are snow-covered from early December through mid-April.
Named by 2 of 79. Flathead LakeThe largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.Bigfork, Kalispell and Columbia Falls are charming towns nearby.Named by 2 of 710. Great FallsStarting and ending in Great Falls makes a loop through central Montana.North-central Montana has plains, the Rocky Mountain Front and small towns like Choteau and Fort Benton.
Named by 2 of 711. Lewis and Clark CavernsOne of the biggest limestone caves in the Northwest, an hour west of Bozeman.
Named by 2 of 712. Virginia CityVirginia City and Nevada City are a mile and a half apart, with history from before 1889 statehood.Named by 2 of 713. BillingsEastern Montana's city, near Little Bighorn Battlefield and Missouri River Breaks terrain.
Named by 2 of 714. HelenaSouthwest Montana's mining-town history area includes Butte, Helena and Bannack.
Named by 2 of 715. ButteGrouped with Helena as part of southwest Montana's mining-history corner.Named by 2 of 716. KalispellA quaint town in the northeast area, near Whitefish.
17. Bob Marshall WildernessMore than 1 million acres of wilderness across the Continental Divide.
18. LewistownA central Montana stop with a historic Main Street and a community trail system.
19. West YellowstoneCalled the snowmobile capital of the lower 48 from December through March.
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When to go
Travel guides most often name July to September as the best time to visit Montana.
Questions people ask
- What is the best time of year to visit Montana?
- It depends on the activity: skiing runs early December to mid-April, hiking and hot springs June through September, and late summer and early autumn are quieter in the national parks.
