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U.S. state
Photo: NPS Staff, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Montana, known as Big Sky Country, is a state of contrasts, from the eastern plains to the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains in the west. It is the fourth largest of the United States but one of the least populated, making for wide open spaces, lonesome highways and dramatic scenery, both to the east and west of the Continental Divide.
The far northwest portions of Montana, including Glacier National Park and the cities of Missoula, Whitefish, Kalispell, and Cut Bank.
Southwest Montana, including the cities of Butte and Helena.
The central and northern central of Montana, including the cities of Great Falls and Lewistown.
South central Montana, the gateway to Yellowstone National Park, including the cities of Bozeman and Red Lodge.
The far northeast Montana, including Glasgow.
The far southeast Montana, including the cities of Billings, Miles City, Glendive and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
By plane
The state is easily accessible by air.
By train
A popular and creative way to arrive is via the legendary Empire Builder.
By car
The easiest and most convenient way to get around is by car. Destinations are spread wide even within a single city, and within cities, parking is usually ample and cheap, if not free.
By bus
Information on transit can be found from APTA.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Great Falls · Regional · GTF
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Helena is the state capital of Montana, in the Western Central part of the state. Visitors come to see Helena’s historic Last Chance Gulch, and its mansion district once home to Helena’s gold mining millionaires.
Billings is the largest city in Montana, with an estimated 110,000 people (2019). As a destination, Billings does a significant amount of convention business and is also the host to various regional events such as music festivals, athletic contests, rodeos, and outdoor activities.
Bozeman is a picturesque city in Montana's Yellowstone Country. Set in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, this college town is a place for experiencing the great outdoors around the year, and for those days the weather makes you want to stay indoors there are a number of museums and galleries to explore.
Butte in southwest Montana, "The Richest Hill on Earth" from around 1880 to 1920, was the largest and most notorious copper boom town in the American West, home to hundreds of saloons and a famous red-light district. The city still flaunts its legacy of industry, wealth and squalor.
Great Falls is a city in Central Montana. It is the third most populous city in Montana with approximately 60,000 people.
Havre is a town in Montana. About 9,300 people lived there in 2020.
Kalispell is the largest city in the Flathead Valley of northwest Montana, near Glacier National Park. The name means "flat land above the lake" in Salish, referring to Flathead Lake just to the south, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
Livingston is a city in the Yellowstone Country of Montana. It is the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
Missoula is a medium-sized city in Western Montana with a population of about 73,000 (2020). The hub of five valleys in the northwest region of the state, or Glacier Country, the town boasts the University of Montana, the Rattlesnake Recreation Area, and a multitude of recreational opportunities, along with an active and colorful downtown.
For the park in British Columbia, see Glacier National Park (British Columbia) Glacier National Park is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site that is on the northern border of Montana.
Crow Agency is a town in Southeast Montana. The namesake agency is in the town.
The Lewis and Clark Trail is a United States National Historic Trail commemorating the journey of the 1804-1806 Corps of Discovery expedition that explored the U.S.A.'s newly acquired Louisiana Purchase and beyond. The 3,700 mi (6,000 km) trail extends from Illinois to the Oregon coast, following the outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, called "The Breaks" by locals, is a United States national monument protecting the Missouri Breaks of central Montana. This country was a model for many of the paintings done by painter Charles M. Russell.
Yellowstone National Park is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was the world's first national park, set aside in 1872 to preserve the vast number of geysers, hot springs, and other thermal areas, as well as to protect the incredible wildlife and rugged beauty of the area.
Gardiner is a small town located near the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. It is the only entrance to Yellowstone Park accessible by car year round and has served as a home base for thousands of tourists visiting the area.
Cooke City-Silver Gate is in Park County, Montana, at the north east entrance to Yellowstone National Park, and is a convenient stop when visiting the area. In 2020, 77 people lived there.
West Yellowstone, Montana, is a rustic mountain town nestled between National Forest lands and is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. It is only a mile from the park entrance, and the town's airport is the closest to the park, and to attractions like Old Faithful.
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