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TRAVELER SERVICES TRAVELER 88 VISITMT.COM TRAVELER SERVICES www.visitmt.com/travelerservices · 800.847.4868 You’re ready to come to Montana, but you’re wondering—is there really a train there? Will the national parks be open? Are there buses to the ski hills? Use these Traveler Services to show up prepared, informed and practically passing for a local. GETTING HERE It’s easiest to explore Montana by car, so if you aren’t already driving here, make plans to rent a vehicle once you arrive. Fly into larger towns or roll in aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder (traversing the northern half of the state), then drive a rental from wherever you land. If you plan on hitting backroads and gravel, or even just iffy weather, upgrade to four-wheel-drive for more traction. A high-clearance vehicle is necessary only for a few limited remote destinations like well-off-the-beaten-path trailheads. You can also tour the state via commercial bus lines, which travel to major cities and some smaller towns, or join private bus tours. AIR TRAVEL Direct flights (some seasonal) are available from Seattle, San Francisco, SERVICES TRAVELER Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, Chicago, Portland and Atlanta. Go to visitmt.com/transportation/air_service for a list of IMPORTANT NUMBERS airports and carriers. Weather Reports Western Montana 406.721.3939 RAIL TRAVEL Amtrak’s Empire Builder runs across northern Montana from Wolf Point Central Montana 406.453.5469 through Havre, Glacier National Park and on to Libby. Bonus: there’s a glass-topped Northeast Montana 406.228.9625 viewing car. www.amtrak.com Southeast Montana 406.652.1916 24-hour Road Conditions PASSPORT REQUIREMENT All persons traveling into the U.S. are required to present Available Statewide 511 a passport or other valid travel document to enter or reenter the country. Visit cbp.gov . www.mdt511.com for updated requirements. Emergency Phone Service Available Statewide 911 GLACIER MISSOURI RIVER NATIONAL PARK CENTRAL CANADA MONTANA CANADA COUNTRY Immigration/Customs . 406.335.9559 West Cut Bank Glacier Libby Browning Havre or 406.895.2664 Shelby Malta NORTH DAKOTA Whitefish East Glacier Wolf Culbertson National Parks Kalispell Essex Park Point Glasgow Glacier National Park 406.888.7800 Sidney Yellowstone National Park 307.344.7381 St. Regis Great Falls IDAHO Glendive Visit visitmt.com/travelerservices for Missoula Lewistown GLACIER Wibaux additional travel information COUNTRY Helena Miles City Butte SOUTH DAKOTA Bozeman Hardin Billings Broadus Dillon SOUTHWEST MONTANA West Yellowstone WYOMING SOUTHEAST Major Airport YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY MONTANA Secondary Airport IDAHO YELLOWSTONE Amtrak Line NATIONAL Amtrak Stop PARK Interstate Left: Biking the Going-to-the-Sun Road in the spring VISITMT.COM 89 MEDICINE REGINA CRANBROOK SWIFT 1:40 CALGARY ALBERTA 100 FERNIE 134 HAT CURRENT BRITISH 64 2:42 162 1:04 2:14 LETHBRIDGE 1:21 81 SASKATCHEWAN WATERTON 94 COLUMBIA 65 1:34 PORT OF 36 PORT OF PORT OF PORT OF PORT OF 0:36 PARK 88 1:05 PORT OF PORT OF RAYMOND TRAVELING 1:28 PIEGAN SWEET GRASS MORGAN SCOBEY ROOSVILLE 50 WILD HORSE EUREKA 0:50 0:35 52 35 43 GLACIER 1:04 0:52 0:43 64 LIBBY NATIONAL WHITEFISH BROWNING 54 SHELBY 69 0:54 97 25 PARK 34 24 43 CHESTER 60 HAVRE 1:09 83 11 67 88 MALTA WILLISTON 1:37 0:34 0:24 0:43 1:00 GLASGOW WOLF WITHIN 1:23 0:53 53 1:28 69 CULBERTSON 31 1:07 72 42/0:42 SANDPOINT 1:12 CUTBANK 49 POINT 54 0:31 WEST 73 1:09 37 1:21 81 0:37 DAKOTA KALISPELL GLACIER 1:13 0:49 0:54 NORTH 0:53 116 53 1.56 37 FORT BENTON 0:37 THOMPSON 103 SIDNEY FALLS CHOTEAU 50 42 121 1:43 POLSON196 134 106 MONTANA 1:46 2:01 91 0:50 99 3:16 0:42 101 2:14 1:39 1:31 150 GREAT FALLS 1:41 JORDAN 53 84 102 0:53 1:06 2:30 116 COEUR 66 LINCOLN 172 1:24 129 Montana’s D'ALENE 1:38 98 1:42 1:56 197 2:52 80 56 2:09 DRIVING IN MONTANA 0:56 GLENDIVE 3:17 LEWISTOWN 83 1:20 1:23 BISMARCK highways are maintained year-round, 41 MISSOULA 88 WHITE 76 57 171 115 1:28 205 SULPHUR 3:25 MILES 1:16 LOLO 0:41 0:57 2:51 105 1:55 HELENA73 SPRINGS CITY and travel on the main roads shouldn’t LEWISTON PASS 50 1:45 58 BAKER 0:50 1:13 HARLOWTON 214 83 0:58 124 64 2:04 3:34 FORSYTH 44 1:23 1:12 72 HAMILTON 1:041:03 63 94 be a problem in good weather. However, 35 0:47 0:44 47 27 1:34 1:19 79 45 101 0:35 IDAHO ANACONDA0:27 BUTTE 0:45 49 1:41 EKALAKA DAKOTA SOUTH be prepared for long distances, sparsely LOST TRAIL 0:49 BOZEMAN LIVINGSTON 33 35 81 BILLINGS 48 HARDIN PASS 0:33 26 118 THREE 0:48 94 0:56 1:21 65 56 112 BIG 91 1:52 0:26 0:35 70 1:34 populated areas, variable road conditions, 1:05 FORKS 1:58 1:31 TIMBER 57 1:10 1:23 83 BROADUS 91 0:57 1:31 DILLON 107 RED SALMON 1:47 59 a few steep mountain passes, storms, 107 1:03 1:47 63 LODGE YELLOWSTONE COOKE CITY ALZADA 97 SHERIDAN 86 1:37 occasional two-way traffic and the MONIDA NAT'L PARK 1:26 WYOMING 0:35 35 Times have been calculated based PASS 86 WEST 30 0:30 1:26 CODY RAPID possibility of wildlife, livestock and farm on an average speed of 60 mph. 1:17 77 YELLOW- GILLETTE CITY Miles between points are in BLACK. STONE OLD FAITHFUL BUFFALO equipment on the road. IDAHO Times between points are in BLUE. FALLS Montana lives up to its huge reputation— the most direct route from east to Visitor information centers around the state unpredictably. Be alert, especially near west takes more than ten hours to provide road and weather information. deer crossing signs and around dawn drive. The trip from Glacier National Most Montanans keep a spare coat and dusk, when deer are most active. If Park’s southernmost entrance to the stashed in the car for weather surprises— you see any deer or elk at all, slow down northernmost entrance of Yellowstone even in the summer—just in case. and remember that others of the herd are takes a little over seven. To be a prepared likely nearby. Use your high beams when traveler, always keep your gas tank more Speed limits are posted, but occasionally driving in darkness, unless oncoming cars than half full and bring along water and it’s necessary to drive at reduced speed prevent it. some extra snacks, since distances when road conditions such as snow, ice, between towns can be significant and heavy rain, fog or high winds require VEHICLE RENTALS The majority of services aren’t always open. extra caution. Montana travelers opt for the flexibility and freedom of driving. Various rental vehicles Montana’s dramatic topography, elevation Beware the downside to Montana’s are available depending on your travel extremes and northern climates can frequent wildlife sightings—deer, plans and companions. make for swift, unexpected changes in antelope, moose, bison and other Find a listing of cities with car rentals at the weather, no matter what time of year. animals sometimes leap into the road visitmt.com/carrentals. TRAVELER SERVICES TRAVELER Spring flowers on the Rocky Mountain Front 90 VISITMT.COM CONNECT WITH MONTANA #MontanaMoment TRAVELER SERVICES TRAVELER Moose near Fishercap Lake in Glacier National Park Start dreaming up your Montana trip (or planning it on the fly). Grab on and discover more online with your mobile phone or tablet. FACEBOOK TUMBLR There’s no love button, so you’ll have to Share your favorite #MontanaMoment to inspire settle for “liking” Montana. others or browse the photo gallery to kick off your www.facebook.com/visitmontana next adventure. www.montanamoment.tumblr.com TWITTER While we’re usually distracted by another kind VISITMT.COM of twitter (bird watching, anyone?) we keep our VisitMT.com is an encyclopedic, user-friendly virtual tidbits updated, too. resource for trip ideas and general wanderlust. www.twitter.com/visitmontana Here, you’ll find a wealth of varied information— motorcycle route ideas, a compilation of powwows, INSTAGRAM craft breweries and wineries, ghost town rundowns Follow us on Instagram for a constant stream and just about anything else you can think of. of photos guaranteed to make you pine for your www.visitmt.com next Montana trip. www.instagram.com/visitmontana VISITMT.COM 91 AROUND TOWN Most larger towns have + Skyline Bus – Big Sky, Bozeman at least basic bus services, and a few taxi 406.995.6287 MADE IN MONTANA and shuttle services are available near the www.skylinebus.com In Montana we think it is okay to be label major airports. For in-town, fair-weather conscious While indulging in retail therapy, commuting, consider renting a bike from a + Snow Bus – Whitefish look for Made in Montana logos on product local outdoor store. 406.253.9192 labels signifying them as authentic local wares www.bigmtncommercial.org BUSES AND BUS TOURS If you’d rather view the scenery than watch the SNOWPLOW SAFETY When you road, a variety of private operators offer encounter a snowplow, know what to do: bus tours, and Greyhound serves major cities and some small towns.