Montana provides a myriad of
outdoor activities. Whether you want to Hunt, fish, hike or just
drive around, absorbing the clean air and gorgeous scenery,
Montana is the place. We call it "The last best place".
On this site, I'll help you to plan your trip to the Last Best Place, no matter what you might want to do. So, just sit back and relax while we take a virtual trip through Montana on U.S. Highway 287.
First, I'll give you a peek at Yellowstone National
Park. Our first National Park and certainly the 
most
diverse. There isn't much I can tell you that the links I've
provided can't. But, my personal choice for the beginning of any
Yellowstone trip is through the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Montana.
I CAN tell you, though, that the trout fishing in theYellowstone area is the best in the world. Hundreds of miles of blue ribbon trout streams and the most experienced and friendly guides you will find anywhere. Definitely the primary stop for any fisherman.
So. You've headquartered in West Yellowstone
while you visited Yellowstone. Now, you're ready to keep on
headed 
north,
into the rest of Montana. So, start up U.S. 287, around Hebgen
Lake and on down the Madison river to Ennis, MT.
Along the way, you'll be following the lower Madison river. This is some of the best trout fishing in the world, so, if you're a fisherman; especially a fly fisherman....you'd better plan to stop! Ennis is the place to be on the Fourth of July, as they have one of the best rodeos around. Don't miss it!
Following 287 north, you stay alongside the
Madison river as you head for the town of Three Forks, MT. At
Three Forks, there is a great state park at the Headwaters of the
Missouri. You're
in the footsteps
of Lewis and Clark! The area hasn't appreciably changed since
they first set eyes on it. You can stand on a bluff, overlooking
the confluence of the Madison, Gallatin and Jefferson
rivers...just as did our most famous explorers! Close your eyes
for a minute and imagine what it was like 190 years ago!
That's part of the charm of Montana. Much of it is exactly the same as when the white men were few and far between in this area.
Remember; The Blackfoot Indians owned the area we're driving through on our little journey. Until Smallpox took such a heavy toll on the tribe, they were the fiercest and most dangerous inhabitants of the Missouri/Three Forks area.
Halfway between Three Forks and Helena, the state capital, is a
quiet little community called Townsend. "The first
city on the Missouri". This little town is nestled in the
heart of the best hunting
and fishing around. On the west
are the Elkhorn mountains and on the east are the Belt mountains.
The Missouri flows through this valley and into Canyon Ferry
reservoir. Elk, Deer, antelope, bear, moose....just about any
large or small game animal you can imagine is in this valley. The
Missouri is stuffed with trophy trout and Canyon Ferry has many
different varieties of finned fury.
Exploring the area from Townsend is worth a few days of your time. The accomodations are great and so are the people. From here, you can again walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, either in the Three Forks area or even right in Townsend. You can slip over the hill to White Sulphur Springs for more fishing variety or go to Helena to check out the museums and historical sites there. While still enjoying the small town atmosphere.
We should deviate from our course a bit on our way to Glacier National Park. We want to follow U.S. 12 from Helena to a little town called Avon. There, we'll find the junction with Montana Highway 141, towards Helmville, Ovando and, eventually, Kalispell. This little detour will take us through some of the most beautiful scenery in Montana. You'll travel through mountains and forest most of the way. Campgrounds and picnic areas abound here and rightly so. The Swan River is part of the route and you fishermen will again be delighted with the offering!
From Kalispell, your tour of Glacier can begin. Thus, we have travelled together across Montana. I've tried to show you some of the sights that you don't think of when checking out the tour guides and I hope you find my suggestions helpful.
This book might be of some further help to you in your Montana
vacation plans.
"100 Miles Around
Yellowstone Park"
By; Jim Zumbo, Charles Yeager and Madonna Zumbo.
Things to see and do in the area around Yellowstone
I have many other links on my links page. Please feel free to browse. I'd like it if you took special notice of the Missing Children pages to which I've linked.
If you have any questions or comments about our little trip, please feel free to E-mail me.
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