Things to Do in Montana 3 guides

Summer, from June to August, is the classic window — it's the only time both Glacier and Yellowstone are fully open, the Going-to-the-Sun Road is clear of snow, and the alpine trails and rivers are at their best. September and early October are a quieter, golden alternative with excellent fishing, while winter is for skiing at Big Sky and Whitefish and for snowcoach tours into Yellowstone.

For a focused trip to one corner — Glacier in the north-west, or Yellowstone and Bozeman in the south-west — plan on four to five days. Linking both national parks with the towns in between is a classic week-to-ten-day road trip, and the distances are long enough that it's worth not trying to cram the whole state into one visit.

Yes. Montana is vast and the national parks, byways and small towns we cover are thinly served by public transit, so a rental car is essential. Most visitors fly into Bozeman for Yellowstone and Big Sky, or into Kalispell or Great Falls for Glacier, and drive from there — filling up often, because gas stops are sparse on the long stretches between towns.

Montana — nicknamed 'Big Sky Country' — is famous for its two great national parks, Glacier in the north and the northern gateway to Yellowstone along its southern edge, along with world-class fly-fishing on rivers like the Yellowstone, Madison and Missouri, the Beartooth and Going-to-the-Sun scenic drives, and wide-open ranch country under enormous skies.

If you can, do both — they sit at opposite ends of the state and each offers something different. Glacier National Park, in the north-west near Whitefish and Kalispell, is about alpine peaks, glacial lakes and the dramatic Going-to-the-Sun Road. Yellowstone, entered from the south-west near Bozeman via Gardiner or West Yellowstone, is about geysers, hot springs and wildlife. A full Montana road trip links the two with a week or more on the road.

The full length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass is only open for a few months in summer — plowing the deep alpine snow usually isn't finished until late June or early July, and the high section closes again with the autumn snows. The exact dates shift every year with the snowpack, and Glacier uses seasonal vehicle-reservation systems on its busiest corridors, so always check the National Park Service site before you go.

Yes — the Beartooth Highway, which climbs to nearly 11,000 feet between Red Lodge and Yellowstone's north-east gate, is one of the most spectacular drives in the United States, with switchbacks, alpine lakes and tundra above the treeline. It's a seasonal road, typically open only from late May to mid-October, and snow can close it even in summer, so check conditions before setting out from Billings or Red Lodge.

Montana is home to both black and grizzly bears, and in the Glacier and Yellowstone regions you're in grizzly country, so it's worth being prepared. The standard advice is to make noise on the trail, hike in groups, store food properly, and carry bear spray and know how to use it. Encounters are uncommon if you take basic precautions, and park visitor centers post current guidance and any trail closures.