T 



MONTANA 



he lakes and fish are big, the mountains are big, the valleys are big, 

 and even the sky is big — Montana is Big Sky Country. 



I 



N MONTANA, NATURE Country Byways, but there are scenic roads everywhere, 



is on display everywhere. The Beartooth Scenic Byway was named "the most 



The eastern part of the beautiful roadway in America" by Charles Kuralt. 



state has badlands, plains, and Completed in 1936, the highway climbs to almost 



the breaks of the Missouri 1 1,000 feet above sea level as it winds its way between 



River; the west has the tower- the northeastern entrance to the park and the town of 



ing Rocky Mountain range Red Lodge, traversing a range of ecosystems — from 



and the Continental Divide, lodgepole pine forests to alpine tundra. The highway's 



ancient forests, and valleys summit is a sky-high world of glacial cirques, clear alpine 



formed by once-giant glacial lakes, and snow. In late June and July, the alpine tundra 



lakes. The south has Yellowstone, blossoms with wildflowers, including shooting stars, 



columbine, and Indian paintbrush. In 



the country's first national park, and 

 the north has Glacier National Park, 

 with millions of acres of pristine back- 

 country that have made it a premier 

 destination for hikers. 



Both national parks are prime spots 

 to see wildlife. In Glacier, you may see elk, moose, and 



Montana has hundreds 

 of residents per square 

 mile — but only six of 

 them are people. 



this high country — there are twenty 

 mountains over 12,000 feet tall — 

 wildlife is easy to see. There are hun- 

 dreds of miles of trails along the route 

 and almost a thousand alpine lakes. 

 When you reach the old 



deer foraging; mountain goats and bighorn sheep; and mining town of Red Lodge, 

 black and grizzly bears. Yellowstone has trumpeter refuel at a downtown cafe, 

 swans, grizzly bears, elk, bison, wolves, and many oth- then head east on Highway 

 ers. But you don't have to be in a national park to 308, where you can enjoy an 

 see wildlife; this entire state is like a gigantic nature Old West landscape of 

 preserve. Animals outnumber people, and there are junipers, sagebrush, cowboys, 

 250 types of birds, world-class populations of wild and cattle. For a complete list- 

 trout, and the most diverse collection of mammals in ing of scenic drives and 

 the country. wildlife refuges in Montana, 

 Montana has five Scenic Byways and three Back log onto www://visitmt.com. 



Top from left to right: Springtime in Glacier National Park; exploring Montana on horseback; a large herd of 

 buffalo roams the National Bison Range, Moiese; badlands of Makoshika State Park, Glendive 



