c544411 Ch01.qxd 4/9/04 8:45 AM Page 4 1 The Best of Montana & Wyoming A mix of the rugged Wild West, the even more rugged Rocky Mountains, and a few almost modern cities—or what we might call overgrown cow towns— make the states of Montana and Wyoming a delightful vacation spot. This is especially true for people who savor outdoor adventures, but it’s also the case for those looking to discover a part of the United States that many of us have seen only in the movies and on television (and that’s a rather distorted view). Here you’ll find some of the most breathtaking scenery in America; a vast array of wildlife that not only thinks it owns the place, but actually does; and even some first-class Western-style lodges, restaurants, and museums. Following are what we consider some of the best experiences in Montana and Wyoming, highlights to help you begin planning your trip. 1 The Best Vacation Experiences • Glacier National Park (MT): of wilderness, wildlife, and geo- The best vacation spot in Mon- thermal wonders. See chapter 10. tana is also the most obvious one. • Grand Teton National Park By the standard of other crowded (WY): The Grand Tetons are an national parks, this spectacular excellent short course in Rocky country is virtually undiscovered. Mountain parks for travelers with See chapter 4. less time: magnificent peaks rising • Yellowstone National Park (WY): from the Snake River plain, alpine It’s the crown jewel of American lakes, wildflowers, and wildlife, parks, and it remains the prime in a relatively small park that attraction in the Rocky Moun- can be seen in a few days. See tains. This unique park offers visi- “Grand Teton National Park,” in tors an extraordinary combination chapter 11. 2 The Best Outdoor Adventures • ExploringCOPYRIGHTED the Bob Marshall • Enjoying MATERIAL the Yellowstone Back- Wilderness (MT): The 1.5-mil- country (WY): Outfitters from lion-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness ranches around Yellowstone Complex in northwest Montana National Park will take you into is one of America’s most spectacu- the deep wilderness that sur- lar wild places. Lace up your hiking rounds the busy attractions at the boots, tie on your bandanna, and park’s center, and there you’ll get a take to the high country in Mon- flavor of the wild as rich as the tana’s northwest corner. See section Rockies can offer. If you have 7, “The Bob Marshall Wilderness experience, you can go on your Complex,” in chapter 5. own—paddling Yellowstone Lake, c544411 Ch01.qxd 4/9/04 8:45 AM Page 5 THE BEST HOTELS & RESORTS 5 backpacking into Bechtel Falls, Togwotee Pass. See chapter 10 for telemark skiing the powder on details. 3 The Best Wildlife Viewing • Glacier National Park (MT): The complement of Rocky Mountain experience of watching wildlife wildlife—although you have to amid the imposing terrain of wander into the backcountry to Glacier National Park is tough to find it. See section 7, “The Bob beat. With a little energy, you can Marshall Wilderness Complex,” see mountain goats, moose, elk, in chapter 5. and other native animals in their • The Lamar Valley (WY): You can natural habitat. Keep a good dis- see wildlife in many parts of Yel- tance, and be aware of any and all lowstone, including the meadows bear restrictions and regulations— across from the Old Faithful com- the grizzly is the park’s unofficial plex. But the richest trove of mascot. See chapter 4. wildlife is in the park’s northeast • The Bob Marshall Wilderness corner, a less-traveled corridor Complex (MT): Just south of that leads to the northeast Glacier, in the Bob Marshall entrance and Cooke City. See Wilderness Complex, roam a full chapter 10. 4 The Best Winter Vacations • Skiing at The Big Mountain take a snowcoach into the park, or Ski and Summer Resort (MT; cross-country ski or snowshoe to & 800/858-5439): With lots of the Lone Star Geyser and other powder, lots of skiing in the trees, attractions. See p. 303. and plenty of runs for every level of • Skiing at Jackson Hole Moun- skier, The Big Mountain is one of tain Resort (WY; & 307/733- the best resorts in the northwestern 2292): Jackson Hole offers a verti- United States. Better yet, it’s still cal drop that will take your breath relatively undiscovered. See p. 133. away, and a variety of ways to get • Wintering at Old Faithful (WY): to the bottom, from double black The chilly season in Yellowstone diamonds to intermediate slopes. is increasingly popular, and it’s Skiers who like a challenge should bound be even more so now that come here and mix the visit with the Old Faithful Snow Lodge has some ballooning, tours of the elk been transformed into a hand- refuge, and other adventures. See some, comfortable facility. You can p. 312. 5 The Best Hotels & Resorts • Many Glacier Hotel (Glacier • Gallatin Gateway Inn (Gallatin National Park, MT; & 406/892- Gateway, MT; & 800/676-3522): 2525): The best thing about Very old-world, the Gallatin Gate- Many Glacier, apart from its ele- way Inn is a model of historic ele- gant mien, its friendly service, and gance from the days of luxury its cozy rooms, is the setting, railroad travel. The Spanish-style along Swiftcurrent Lake and in building, with its vast interior the shadows of Mount Grinnell spaces, is large enough to be a rail- and Mount Wilbur. See p. 77. road station all its own. See p. 228. c544411 Ch01.qxd 4/9/04 8:45 AM Page 6 6 CHAPTER 1 . THE BEST OF MONTANA & WYOMING Montana CANADA F l KOOTENAIKOOTENAI r a MONTANA e EEurekaureka t 89 v h GLACIER BLACKFEET i e NATIONALNATIONAL a R FLATHEADFLATHEAD d i 37 NATIONAL INDIAN a FORESTFOREST a NATIONALNATIONAL R n n i v e e t t e PARK o o FORESTFOREST r RESERVATION o o 93 2 2 K WhitefishWhitefish West Glacier LLibbyibby East Glacier Bear Paw Battlefield Fort Union Elmo St. Pk. National 2 HungryHungry Lake Historic Site Kalispell 15 HorseHorse Conrad Elwell ReservoirReservoir 87 Bear Creek MONTANAM O 200 89 Fort Rec. Area N SSwanwan LLakeake Benton IIDAHO T LOLOLOLO FlatheadFlathead D A NNat’lat’l WWildlifeildlife RRef.ef. T A N LakeLake et Rock Creek H NATIONAL Choteau on A NATIONAL River r O e Rec. Area Riv FORESTFOREST uri 80 FFLATHEADLATHEAD PPolsonolson so LEWISLEWIS ANDAND CLARKCLARK s INDIANINDIAN i Nelson Creek NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST M LEWIS AND CLARK Rec. Area RESERVATIONRESERVATION NATIONAL FOREST NNinepipeinepipe GGreatreat 200 NNat’lat’l WWildlifeildlife RRef.ef. FFallsalls SSuperioruperior LLOLOOLO 200 15 200 83 NATIONALNATIONAL 200 A COEURCOEUR D’ALENED’ALENE 87 T FORESTFOREST O NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST 89 K Wolf Creek A D MMissoulaissoula B LEWISLEWIS ANDAND CLARKCLARK lackfoot River HELENAHELENA H LLoloolo HHotot SSpringsprings NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST LEWIS AND CLARK T NATIONALNATIONAL R 90 NATIONAL FOREST O FORESTFOREST N r HelenaHelena e v LOLOLOLO CanyonCanyon i MMartinsdaleartinsdale R NATIONALNATIONAL FerryFerry t o LakeLake WWhitehite o FORESTFOREST r r DEERLODGEDEERLODGE SSulphurulphur e t t SSpringsprings i NATIONALNATIONAL MMONTANA B GALLATINGALLATIN IIDAHO O FORESTFOREST MMissouriissouri D N A AAnacondanaconda HHeadwaterseadwaters SSt.t. PPk.k. NATIONALNATIONAL H T 89 A O BITTERROOTBITTERROOT FORESTFOREST N Butte A NATIONALNATIONAL 90 43 Little FORESTFOREST Three Bighorn Battlefield G 43 BigBig HoleHole BattlefieldBattlefield Forks G BBozemanozeman 90 National Monument a a Chief Plenty l 287 l l NatNNat’lat’l Mon.Mon. l a a Coups St. Pk. t t BEAVERHEADBEAVERHEAD i 15 n GGallatinallatin LivingstonLivingston CUSTER NATIONALNATIONAL GGatewayateway NATIONAL FORESTFOREST Ennis BIGHORN CANYON Bannack NATIONAL REC. AREA FOREST R St. Pk. BBigig SkySky R i Red Lodge CUSTER Dillon v e r GGardinerardiner Cooke City NATIONAL FOREST SALMONSALMON NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST Clark WWestest Canyon YYellowstoneellowstone Reservoir BEAVERHEADBEAVERHEAD YYELLOWSTONEELLOWSTONE NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST Buffalo Bill SALMONSALMON NNATIONALATIONAL State Park BIGHORN NATIONALNATIONAL MONTANA PPARKARK NATIONAL FORESTFOREST 0 30 mi CHALLISCHALLIS IDAHO FOREST NATIONALNATIONAL Yellowstone TARGHEETARGHEE NATIONALNATIONAL FORESTFOREST FORESTFOREST WYOMING Lake 0 30 km IDAHO IDAHO • The Pollard (Red Lodge, MT; • Old Faithful Inn (Yellowstone & 800/765-5273): You can join National Park, WY; & 307/344- Buffalo Bill Cody on the guest 7311): If you ever wonder whether register at The Pollard, a historic there is really art in architecture, spot that proves that a hotel doesn’t look at the way the rustic simplic- need to sprawl all over the place to ity and monumental structure of set the highest standard of comfort this inn make a perfect fit just and elegance. See p. 238. across the way from one of nature’s c544411 Ch01.qxd 4/9/04 8:45 AM Page 7 THE BEST HOTELS & RESORTS 7 CANADA 5 Scobey P KOOTENAI r Eureka MONTANA e o v NATIONAL i 24 p 16 l R FLATHEAD a i r FOREST a NATIONAL R n e iv t 13 e o FOREST 2 r Medicine o Fort Belknap 2 K FORT PECK Lake Whitefish Nelson Havre M FortFort UnionUnion Libby BearBear PawPaw BattlefieldBattlefield Reservoir ilk R INDIAN RESERVATION NationalNational iv Hungry ROCKY BOYS FORT BELKNAP er 2 HistoricHistoric SiteSite iver Horse INDIAN RES. INDIAN RES. Mi i R Reservoir Fort Peck ssour 66 BBearear CCreekreek 16 200 M 191 O U.L. Bend National Rec.Rec. AreaArea 13 N Swan Lake T Flathead ID LOLO Wildlife Refuge 200 A Nat’l Wildlife Ref. r A N Lake i Rive RockRock CreekCreek H A NATIONAL sour O Mis Rec.Rec. AreaArea FOREST Fort Peck FLATHEAD Polson LEWIS AND CLARK Charles M. Russell Devil’s Creek Lake NelsonNelson CreekCreek INDIAN NATIONAL FOREST Nat’l Wildlife 16 r Rec.