Spring has arrived in Montana at last. And while you may not find us outside in t-shirts just yet, we’re all feeling ready to cure our cabin fever. Luckily, there are plenty of places in the Treasure State that are coming alive as we speak, like these must-see spots.
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
Serolynne / Flickr Located in both Montana and Wyoming, the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is one of our most underrated attractions. Bighorn Lake is ideal for boating, and The Bighorn River is also one of our best fly-fishing rivers.
- Billings
Downtown Billings Facebook Visit our biggest city this spring. Not only does Billings have an abundance of new eateries and breweries, but the spring art walks and the Strawberry Festival (held in early June, just before summer) are a blast.
- Fort Benton
Don Barrett / Flickr Some people might prefer to go somewhere tropical for Spring Break, but we firmly believe there’s no better place to be than Fort Benton – especially if you’re a history buff. The Birthplace of Montana is full of landmarks and well-preserved historic buildings that tell the story of our past.
- Waterworks Hill
Jessica Coombs Saldana / alltrails.com Located in Missoula’s Greenough Park, Waterworks Hill has an easy 3.5 mile hiking trail that shows off the beauty of the area. Mt. Sentinel and Mt. Jumbo look their greenest in the spring.
- Grotto Falls
Tierra Starr / alltrails.com Grotto Falls sits at the end of a popular 2.4-mile hiking trail near Bozeman. But if you go early in the season (and early in the morning), you just might have this beautiful spot all to yourself.
- Bigfork
Always Shooting / Flickr There’s never a bad time to visit Bigfork – it’s breathtaking in the summer and festive during the holiday season. But if you go in the spring, you can check out the Bigfork Whitewater Festival at the end of May. The whitewater kayaking competition draws competitors from around the world, and it’s an exciting event. And if you’re a foodie, go on April 28th for Taste of Bigfork.
- Whitefish
Kris McGuire / Flickr Whitefish stays perpetually packed with tourists all summer and skiers and snowboarders all winter. But if you visit in early spring, it’s often nice and mellow. Plus, the abundance of outdoor recreation in the area will keep you busy.
- Drinking Horse Mountain Trail
Brandi Cole / alltrails.com The views from this 2-mile loop near Bozeman are amazing in any season. But there’s truly something special about hiking this trail when the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom and everything is green again.
- Miles City
David Schott / Flickr Every Montanan should experience the Bucking Horse Sale (held the third weekend in May) once in their lives. Why not make this the year you go?
Have you been to all of these suggested spring spots? Here’s a list of hiking trails to enjoy this season.
Serolynne / Flickr
Located in both Montana and Wyoming, the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is one of our most underrated attractions. Bighorn Lake is ideal for boating, and The Bighorn River is also one of our best fly-fishing rivers.
Downtown Billings Facebook
Visit our biggest city this spring. Not only does Billings have an abundance of new eateries and breweries, but the spring art walks and the Strawberry Festival (held in early June, just before summer) are a blast.
Don Barrett / Flickr
Some people might prefer to go somewhere tropical for Spring Break, but we firmly believe there’s no better place to be than Fort Benton – especially if you’re a history buff. The Birthplace of Montana is full of landmarks and well-preserved historic buildings that tell the story of our past.
Jessica Coombs Saldana / alltrails.com
Located in Missoula’s Greenough Park, Waterworks Hill has an easy 3.5 mile hiking trail that shows off the beauty of the area. Mt. Sentinel and Mt. Jumbo look their greenest in the spring.
Tierra Starr / alltrails.com
Grotto Falls sits at the end of a popular 2.4-mile hiking trail near Bozeman. But if you go early in the season (and early in the morning), you just might have this beautiful spot all to yourself.
Always Shooting / Flickr
There’s never a bad time to visit Bigfork – it’s breathtaking in the summer and festive during the holiday season. But if you go in the spring, you can check out the Bigfork Whitewater Festival at the end of May. The whitewater kayaking competition draws competitors from around the world, and it’s an exciting event. And if you’re a foodie, go on April 28th for Taste of Bigfork.
Kris McGuire / Flickr
Whitefish stays perpetually packed with tourists all summer and skiers and snowboarders all winter. But if you visit in early spring, it’s often nice and mellow. Plus, the abundance of outdoor recreation in the area will keep you busy.
Brandi Cole / alltrails.com
The views from this 2-mile loop near Bozeman are amazing in any season. But there’s truly something special about hiking this trail when the wildflowers are just beginning to bloom and everything is green again.
David Schott / Flickr
Every Montanan should experience the Bucking Horse Sale (held the third weekend in May) once in their lives. Why not make this the year you go?
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