Montana

Montana is ‘Big Sky Country’ where nature still rules and the stars stretch on forever. It’s home to two of America’s premier national parks, Yellowstone and Glacier, and some of the best winter snow anywhere. People come to Montana to explore outside in nature’s playground and reconnect with her epic beauty.

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Language(s)

English

Currency

US Dollar

Exercise Increased Caution
Summer Winter
Whitefish 83 16
Missoula 87 16
Billings 90 20
Outlets
Type-A
Type-B

Best Time to Visit

Montana is at its best in the summers and winters. By mid June, the cool summer sun has opened all the high country trails so you can hike, bike, and play freely on summer days that last forever. There’s a brief period in the fall after school starts and before winter kicks up that’s stunning, but you always need to be careful with changing weather and plan to be flexible. Winter brings every winter sport imaginable, especially skiing. Montana’s unique positioning where the wet Pacific air meets the cold mountains creates extraordinary snow.

Fun Facts

  • Yellowstone, America’s first national park, is located in southern Montana
  • Flathead Lake is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River and carved by glaciers around 10,000 years ago
  • Montana is the only state containing a triple divide. This means that water flows into the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Hudson Bay
  • The largest snowflake ever recorded fell in Montana at a whopping 15 inches in diameter
  • Montana is full of wildlife. The elk, deer and antelope populations all outnumber the humans
  • There are more cattle than human beings in Montana
  • You can fit the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia into Montana.

Bucket-List Activities

Natural Wonders

  • Lewis and Clark Caverns (Whitehall)
  • Grinnell Glacier (Glacier County)
  • The Badlands of Makoshika State Park (Glendive)
  • Morrell Falls (Powell County)
  • Bighorn Canyon (Fort Smith)
  • Beartooth Mountains (Gardiner)
  • The Medicine Rocks (Ekalaka)

Major Attractions

  • Glacier National Park (West Glacier)
  • Yellowstone National Park (Gardiner)
  • Lewis and Clark Trail (Missoula)
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument (Crow Agency)
  • Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman)

Native Foods

  • Wheat Montana Cinnamon Rolls (cinnamon rolls as big as your head)
  • Pickle Barrel Sandwiches (Montana based sub chain)
  • Huckleberry Bear Claws (huckleberries in all forms really)
  • Flathead Cherries
  • Mackenzie River Pizza (Montana based pizza chain)
  • Elk and Bison Burgers

General Travel Tips

Common Phrases

  • Snow Ghosts – Trees that get completely covered with blowing snow
  • Be sure to apply your bear spray before you go hiking – Bad advice locals offer to particularly confused visitors
  • Huckleberry – A wild berry that’s a cross between a blueberry and raspberry
  • Big Sky Country – A nickname for the state, particularly in the plains around Bozeman and Billings
  • Always drink upstream from the herd / never squat with your spurs on – Cowboy wisdom you can’t argue with
  • Bozeman  / Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN ✈✈✈) – Gateway to Yellowstone
  • Billings / Billings Logan International Airport (BIL ✈✈) – Gateway to Little Bighorn and Bighorn Canyon
  • Missoula  / Missoula International Airport (MSO ✈✈) – Gateway to the Bitterroot Wilderness
  • Kalispell / Glacier Park International Airport (GPI ✈✈) – Gateway to Whitefish and Glacier
  • Great Falls / Great Falls International Airport (GTF ✈✈) – The dry side of the mountain
  • Helena / Helena Regional Airport (HLN ✈✈) – The state capital
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Here at Coleman Concierge, we encourage everyone to travel responsibly and believe there is potential for tremendous good for the world following that ethos. There is also the potential for horrific consequences from irresponsible travel.

Before you go, please check out the latest CDC recommendations for travelers.

Even if you can’t physically explore the world, we hope that you enjoy the escape our site provides. Keep your spirits up and your hands clean. There will be a time to travel soon enough.

Meet Ed & Jenn

Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman, and together we are Coleman Concierge. It is our goal to inspire you to get out, expand your world, and to seek adventure, even in your own backyard.

We deeply believe in the transformational power of travel. Our tagline is amazing adventures for ordinary people because we believe that you don’t have to be super rich, super fit or super anything to have an amazing adventure. Expanding your comfort zone and trying new things will pay huge dividends in both health and happiness.

We advocate for sustainable and ethical travel and truly believe in the power of travel to transform both ourselves as well as the world around us.

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