YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY 56 YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY - VISITMT.COM YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY www.visityellowstonecountry.com · 800.736.5276 Billed as “America’s First Playground,” Yellowstone Country is a study in appealing contrasts. One minute, you’re sampling Montana’s legendary “cold smoke” powder, the next, soaking toastily, neck deep in a mineral hot spring. Breakfast might be home cooked and served in a stockyard shack; dinner, gourmet sushi. Here, rugged peaks open to prairies, ski bums and ranchers rub shoulders with creative professionals and college kids, and you’re just as likely to spot a grizzly or a wolf as a progressive art gallery. As for the region’s namesake, Yellowstone National Park proves no exception to the rule of extremes. Claiming nearly half of the world’s geysers, America’s first national park showcases tumbling waterfalls, calm forest valleys, roaring earth and intricate geothermal formations. This corner of Montana opens the door to Yellowstone in winter—a rare, otherworldly experience when bison wear frosted fur and geysers steam through a fresh blanket of white. True to its contradictory charms, Yellowstone Country can be a plush safari or a dirt bagger’s paradise, all while living up to its “America’s First Playground” moniker. With luxurious mountain lodges and bare-bones Forest Service cabins, dude ranches and day spas, world- YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY class skiing and self-guided hikes, Yellowstone Country offers an exhilarating taste of nearly every extreme. Left: Camping under starry skies at Baker’s Hole Campground in the Gallatin National Forest Above: Snowmobiling at Two Top Mountain near West Yellowstone AT A GLANCE + It’s perfectly legal to zoom around the streets of West Yellowstone on your snowmobile. + Enjoy the “Biggest Skiing in America” at Big Sky Resort with 5,800 acres of snow, 4,350 vertical feet and over 300 named ski runs to explore. + Calamity Jane—legendary army scout, prospector, prostitute, frontierswoman and star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show—lived in a cabin at 213 W. Main Street in Livingston for a spell, as well as in Big Timber. + At Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park, near Big Timber, prairie dogs frolic, socialize and bark (to the delight of visitors) on a 98-acre protected habitat. YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY - VISITMT.COM 57 HOW TO GET HERE FOOD to Cranbrook, BC KNOW BEFORE to Regina, SK to Cardston, AB Drivers will generally arrive via East or West Yellowstone Country pleasantly surprises to Assiniboia, SK to Lethbridge, AB to Kildeer, SK CANADA to Swift Current, SK Rexford I-90, while the jet set usually arrive at the most foodies.CANADA In Red Lodge, Livingston, Yaak Eureka YOU GO Westby GLACIER Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport Big Sky and Bozeman, you’ll find Whitetail Babb Sweetgrass Port of Four Flaxville NATIONAL Sweetgrass at Gallatin Field, a few miles outside stores and eateries catering to gluten- Opheim Buttes Fortine Polebridge BESTBLACKFEET TIME TO VISITSunburst Turner Trego St. Mary INDIAN Peerless Scobey Plentywood Bozeman. West Yellowstone has flights free, organic, vegetarianLoring and veganWhitewater ND to Fortuna, PARK RESERVATION Lake Yellowstone CountryCut Bank has four distinct in the summer. Car rentals are strongly diners, as well as the expected chain Troy Apgar McDonald seasons,Browning sometimes all in the same day. recommended. Chinookrestaurants and small-town diner fare. Medicine Lake Libby West Glacier FORT PECK Columbia K INDIAN RESERVATION Still, Montana’s unpredictable weatherShelby is AMTRA A little local questioning will lead you to Falls Coram Rudyard A Martin City what often affords pleasant surprises, like Chester Froid MT Havre Latin Fort cuisine, sushi, ThaiAMT Rfood,AK farm-to- Hinsdale RAK Whitefish Hungry Horse East Glacier Galata WHAT TO PACK Saco Saint weatheringPark a summer showerValier in one of Box tableBelknap establishments, fresh bakeries and Marie Lustre Elder Dodson Vandalia Kalispell Essex Agency Malta Culbertson Red Lodge’sHeart Butte microbreweries or getting Layers, and lots of them. Yellowstone chocolatiers.FORT BELKNAP Outside of these metros, Kila Dupuyer ROCKY BOY’S INDIAN Glasgow Nashua Wolf Poplar Marion Bigfork Flathead Riverdiscounted turns when the ski resorts Country is characterized by cold mornings expect to be pleasantly surprised by the AMTRAK Heron Big Sandy INDIAN RESERVATION Point Bainville Somers to Williston, ND to Sandpoint, ID Noxon open a week early. Conrad on even warm days, and snow-meltingRESERVATION occasional gourmet offering, and ready Lakeside FLATHEAD Rollins Bynum Brady moments on chilly ones. No matter what to savor local fare in one-restaurant small Proctor VALLEY Swan Lake Fort Fairview Trout Dayton In general, though, summertime hosts Virgelle towns. Montana restaurants sometimes Peck season, a weatherproof jacket, sunglasses C. M. RUSSELL Creek Elmo Fort Benton Loma Big Arm warm, not-too-hotChoteau weather and with it, and a bathing suit will all come in handy. In serve upLandusky unexpectedZortman treats like elk,NATIONAL bison WILDLIFE Thompson REFUGE Sidney Falls Hot Springs Polson the full gamut of outdoor recreation. This winter, bring snow boots or high-topped and wild game—if you haven’t tried it, Lambert NORTH DAKOTA Crane Condon is a dreamy season of farmersFairfield markets,Great hiking boots and an extra pair of dry shoes now’s your chance. Haugan Ronan outdoor concerts, and sidewalkVaughn dining. Falls Plains too. Fancy duds are hardly ever needed in Savage De Borgia Charlo Augusta Winifred Bloomfield St. Regis Paradise FLATHEAD INDIAN Spring and fall are often the best deal— Yellowstone Country. Moiese RESERVATION Fort Shaw LOCAL HAPPENINGS Brusett Circle to Coeur d’Alene, ID to Coeur d’Alene, IDAHO cheaper prices and recreational treats like Belt Dixon St. Ignatius Ulm Roy sunny spring skiing or fall color hikes. In theStockett Raynesford Denton To socialize like a local, check Jordan Brockway Superior Cascade BEAR SPRAYGeyser Arlee Seeley winter, Yellowstone Country transforms into RedLodge.com, the Bozone.com, 253 Lake a snowy playground of ski resorts, sleigh When traveling off the Stanfordbeaten path in LivelyTimes.com and flyers at the Glendive Ovando Craig Monarch Lewistown Alberton rides, backcountry yurt trips and steaming Yellowstone, recreating in some national Bozeman Community Food Co-op for Sand Springs Wibaux Missoula Lincoln Hobson Winnett Cohagen hot springs. Don’t be afraid Wolfto visit Creek 253 Greenough forest areasNeihart and venturing off the concerts,Grass operas, festivals andMosby special Bonner Range HelmvilleYellowstone in winter—snowcoaches keep Utica Lolo Beartooth All-American Road, travelers are events. Terry ND to Dickinson, Clinton Canyon Creek Fallon travelers toasty while whisking them into a advised to pack bear spray. Pick this up at quiet white worldMarysville seen by few tourists. BITTERROOT East outdoor stores in town and make sure to Florence Drummond Helena Judith Gap to Kooskia, ID VALLEY Helena read the directions. (Hint: don’t spray it on Melstone Ingomar PINTLER White Sulphur Ismay Victor Stevensville SCENIC Elliston Plevna ROUTE Garrison Montana Springslike bug spray.) Two Clancy Winston City Dot Harlowton Miles City Deer Baker Corvallis Philipsburg Jefferson Martinsdale Roundup Lodge Basin Hysham Forsyth Hamilton City Townsend Ringling ND to Bowman, Georgetown Lake Boulder Bighorn Rosebud Darby AnacondaYELLOWSTONE COUNTRY 569 Custer Conner Butte Worden Ekalaka Wise Wilsall Logan Big Colstrip Sula River Manhattan Pompeys Pillar Dewey Three Clyde Park Timber Whitehall Belgrade Greycliff Silver Forks Divide Livingston Reed Point Laurel Lame SOUTH DAKOTA Star Harrison Billings Wisdom Columbus Hardin Crow Deer to Melrose Pony A Ashland Olive Twin Gallatin McLeod W RRIOR Salmon, ID Agency PIONEER Bridges Gateway CROW INDIAN TRAIL MTNS Bozeman Park H 278 Sheridan Norris Absarokee City RESERVATION Garryowen Busby IGH SCENIC PARADISE Rockvale NORTHERN CHEYENNE WAY Broadus BYWAY VALLEY Fishtail Saint Xavier Jackson Nevada Joliet Pryor INDIAN RESERVATION Polaris City Ennis Pray Nye Roberts Lodge Fort Smith Birney Alder Emigrant Roscoe Grass 278 Bridger Virginia Big Bannack Dillon City Sky Otter Cameron Red Lodge Wyola Biddle Alzada BIGHORN CANYON Cooke Belfry Grant Gardiner Silver NATIONAL REC. AREA Decker 324 Gate City WYOMING to Belle Fourche, SD 324 Quake Tower Junction WYOMING to Gillette, WY Mammoth to Sheridan, WY Lake BEARTOOTH to Cody, WY to Lovell, WY Hot Springs ALLAMERICAN ROAD YELLOWSTONE Dell Canyon Norris Lima NATIONAL Madison Monida Lakeview West Junction PARK Yellowstone Lake West IDAHO to Idaho Falls, ID Thumb to Rexburg, ID Old Faithful Grant Village This map is for reference only; see the to Grand Teton Natl Park Official Montana Highway Map for more detail. and Jackson, WY 58 YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY - VISITMT.COM Downtown Bozeman Downtown Livingston YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY 406.995.3000 Ranch with a 30 km scenic trail system PLACES TO GO www.visitbigskymt.com professionally groomed for both classic and skate skiing. Bohart also offers COMMUNITIES BIG TIMBER is the gateway to the snowshoeing. Or find your own trail— Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and has you can showshoe anywhere you can ABSAROKEE is 14 miles south of some of the best blue-ribbon trout fishing hike or bike in the summer. Snowmobilers Columbus, on a scenic drive along MT 78. in the state. Granite Peak, located in the shouldn’t miss the ever-popular 120- The banks of the Stillwater and Rosebud nearby Beartooth Range, is the highest mile Big Sky Snowmobile Trail between Rivers are nearby; the warm and friendly mountain in Montana at 12,799 feet. Bozeman and West Yellowstone. The people you’ll meet will fill you in on the Activities and guided services for this area ride goes through the Gallatin Canyon best places to wet a line. include ranch vacations, hiking, river floats, and a small portion of Yellowstone Park, www.absarokeearea.com hunting, fishing, golf and the historic Big featuring some of the best scenery around. Timber Rodeo, held in June. South of Big If ice climbing is your thing, head south of BIG SKY The scenic community of Big Timber you can snowmobile the Boulder town to Hyalite Canyon.