visit southeast montana photos

7-Day Southeast Montana Road Trip Itinerary

Hike Montana’s badlands, fly fishing on the Bighorn River, drive the Beartooth Highway & more in this 7-day Southeast Montana road trip itinerary.

When it comes to spending time outdoors in Montana, most outdoor enthusiasts are familiar with Montana’s two popular National Parks: Glacier and Yellowstone, both of which are located in the western regions of the state. But as the 4th largest state in the US, surely there is more to see in Montana than these two National Parks.

Curious about what else Montana has to offer, a few years ago I partnered with Visit Montana to show off a lesser-known side of the state. On this trip, we planned out an epic week-long Southeast Montana itinerary that included some awesome adventures like hiking in Montana’s badlands, fly fishing in the rivers outside of Billings, driving the unparalleled Beartooth Highway, mountain biking, and much more. We fell in love with this beautiful area and we’re excited to share this Southeast Montana itinerary with you!

Ready to explore Montana? Here are day-by-day suggestions for the ultimate Southeast Montana road trip itinerary.

Southeast Montana Video

See what this Southeast Montana itinerary is like in this YouTube video.

#1 campsite finder app

Try the dyrt pro free for 30 days.

Get a FREE 30-Day membership to The Dyrt PRO, one of our favorite apps for finding campsites.

Perks include: • 5,000+ free camping locations • 1,000+ campground discount network • $0 extra booking fees • Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds, and more

Use the code BEARFOOT to get 30 days free!

[separator style_type=”single” /]

Getting to Southeast Montana

For this 7-day Southeast Montana itinerary, the Billings Logan International Airport is the closest airport to fly into. There are numerous major airlines that serve this airport including Alaska Air, American, Delta, and United. You can also rent a car at one of the on-site car rentals located at the airport.

Best Time to Visit Southeast Montana

I visited Montana in late May / early June. Temperatures averaged 75-90 degrees during the day with nights dipping down into the 50’s. These are average temperatures for most of June, July, August & September. October-May temperatures are significantly colder. It can also snow, rain and sleet any time of year so you should be prepared for all types of weather.

Note that the Beartooth Highway is only open seasonally. On our late May trip, the road was open to the top of Beartooth Pass, but not down the other side.

A 7-Day Southeast Montana Itinerary for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Day 1: explore billings, montana.

When planning your Southeast Montana itinerary, try to get a morning flight into Billings so you have time to explore this vibrant little town. First, you’ll want to fuel up. Stop by the Fieldhouse , a farm-to-table restaurant near downtown with a tasty lunch menu. Then run next door to the sister coffee shop, The Annex , for some cold brew if you are running on low steam or you’re craving a sweet treat.

Next, head over to The Spoke Shop and rent a bike for the afternoon. I’d suggest choosing a small SUV for your rental car so you can fit a bike or two in the back.

Billings has an awesome network of bike paths called the Heritage Trail System  that offers widespread views of the city and diverse riding. If you prefer dirt, head to Zimmerman Park , which is where we went. There were a few tricky spots I had to walk, but overall, the trail along the rim was friendly to beginners, like myself.

If you prefer paved trails, Swords Rimrock Park will be your better bet, offering similar views to Zimmerman along with a few historical and sacred Native American sites. These two parks are also great places to view the sunset.

In the evening, take a stroll through Billing’s Walkable Brewery District . This part of downtown has 6 breweries, 2 distilleries, and a cider house – all within a few blocks of each other! Download the self-guided brewery tour map here .

We hit up Last Chance Pub & Cider Mill for drinks and dinner. They had over 8 ciders on draft (all made in-house) ranging from very dry to super sweet.  The “Flathead Cherry “and the “Full Montana” were my favorites. We also heard great things about a local’s two favorite breweries called Angry Hank’s and Uberbrew , which won Small Brewing Company of the Year at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival.

Read next: Have a few more days to check out Billings? Head over to our post on the Best Things to do in Billings, Montana for more ideas

Lodging Options in Billings, Montana

When it’s time to hit the hay, Billings, Montana has lots of great inexpensive lodging options. We stayed at the DoubleTree , which is conveniently located in downtown right near the Brewery District. It was clean, quiet, and comfortable, and it’s the tallest building in downtown.

Day 2: Red Lodge & Beartooth Highway

On your second day in Eastern Montana, wake up early and grab some homemade comfort grub at the Sassy Biscuit . From a refined spin on biscuits and gravy to a southern-style shrimp and grits, the food here will leave you ready to take on the day’s adventure!

After fueling up, it’s time to hit the road for the hour and a half drive to Red Lodge, a small town at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains, one of Montana’s highest peaks. This town is known for its friendly laid-back locals, beautiful scenery, and endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.

On your first day in Red Lodge, grab some lunch to-go from Honey’s Cafe and take a drive up the Beartooth Highway which first opened in 1936. It’s quite literally one of the prettiest roads I’ve ever been on. It snakes its way up the side of massive cliffs and offers grand views the entire way until you top out at nearly 11,000 feet. Once you hit the top of the pass, the road drops down into Wyoming, eventually leading straight into Yellowstone National Park .

Beartooth Highway generally opens on Memorial Day weekend in May but because of large snowfall the previous winter, the road was closed for another week when we visited. We parked at the top of the pass and walked around for a bit before heading back to Red Lodge.

If you’re lucky enough to visit when the entire highway is open, keep driving! The road on the other side of the pass is dotted with alpine lakes and a ton of hiking trails. You could easily spend an entire day gawking at the views and exploring the area.

For you skiers, the Beartooth Highway is also home to the only summer-only ski area in the country – Beartooth Basin .

Lodging Options in Red Lodge

Back in Red Lodge, check into the Two Bears Inn Bed and Breakfast, which is located in a quiet spot off of the Beartooth Highway. Alternatively, if you’re into live music, stay at The Pollard in the heart of town, which has local bands playing more often than not.

If you prefer to camp, Red Lodge has several Forest Service campgrounds south of town.

Day 3: Spend another day exploring Red Lodge

For hiking, there are dozens of trails within a 20-minute drive of Red Lodge. However, we found that a lot of the trails in this area weren’t well described on my favorite hiking apps . If you want more details or trail suggestions, the Sylvan Peak Mountain Shoppe in Red Lodge has tons of books, maps, and bear spray, which you should carry if you plan on doing any hiking or camping in Southeast Montana.

Speaking of shops, Red Lodge has its fair share. In addition to the Sylvan Peak Mountain Shoppe, we loved Lewis and Bark Outpost (a pet store) and the Kinzley Photo Gallery . For vintage folks, there are also a lot of cool antique shops worth poking around in.

Dining options near Red Lodge

For dining in Red Lodge, if you want a taco fix, hit up Mas Taco . For fine dining, seasonal fare, go to Ox Pasture .

Day 4: Float in Bighorn Canyon

On day 4 of your Southeast Montana itinerary, rise early again and make the 2.5-hour drive to the northern end of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area . Spanning 71 miles across the Montana-Wyoming border, Bighorn Canyon was filled in 1966 after the construction of the Yellowtail Dam in Fort Smith, Montana. A third of the canyon lies on the Crow Indian Reservation and peregrine falcons, wild horses, bighorn sheep, and black bears call the canyon walls their home.

Your launching point for the day is the Northern Fort Smith Ok-a-beh Marina where you can find pontoon boat rentals and even free guided kayak tours through the National Park Service. There’s also a southern Bighorn Canyon district outside of Lovell, but it’s several hours away.

If you’re feeling rather adventurous, Bighorn Canyon has an extensive water trail system for overnight kayakers . In this case, you might want to bring your own kayak or rent some solid ones from Billings since the kayaks they had available in the marina weren’t gear haulers. If we come back again, we would love to do an overnight trip in the canyon at one of the boat-in campgrounds.

We opted for a pontoon boat rental for the afternoon since we were limited on time and we threw a kayak on the back in case we wanted to explore any of the narrow side canyons.

We found the canyon to be incredibly beautiful – sheer, colorful rock cliffs soaring thousands of feet above the lake covered in lush vegetation. The water was still quite cold in late May, but we were told later in summer it’s perfect for swimming.

We went 20 miles down the lake before turning around to return the boat by the 6 pm deadline and we only encountered a few other boats all afternoon. It was one of our favorite days of our trip!

If you don’t want to rent a boat or a kayak, Bighorn Canyon may or may not be worth checking out depending on your interests. The northern end of the lake doesn’t have any scenic viewpoints (except one at the dam) and the road only leads to the Marina. The more dramatic viewpoints of Bighorn Canyon are at the southern end of the lake near Lowell, which is a several hour drive away.

Lodging & Food Options Near Cottonwood Camp

For lodging, we recommend staying at the Cottonwood Camp , a fly fishing lodge in nearby Fort Smith. They have both cabins and reasonably priced campsites available. We stayed in the Drake Cabin, which had a full kitchen, a deck with a grill, and a pretty view. The furniture needed some updating, but overall we enjoyed our stay and found the staff to be extremely friendly.

Also an important tip! There are very limited services in Fort Smith . The closest restaurant is at the Garrison Stoker Resort about 12 miles north of Fort Smith. There is a market in town, but when we went, the shelves were completely empty. You also can’t buy alcohol anywhere in Fort Smith because it’s on the Crow Indian Reservation. I suggest stopping in Pryor on the way in to stock up on groceries and provisions and cook your own meals during your stay at the Cottonwood Camp.

Day 5: Go Fly Fishing on the Bighorn River

If you’ve ever wanted to try fly fishing, the Bighorn River offers one of the largest concentrations of wild brown and rainbow trout in the entire west . Cottonwood Camp offers fully outfitted and guided fishing trips right out their back door.

We were lucky to go out with Phil, the owner of the Cottonwood Camp, for an exciting day on the water. Ryan and I both have very limited fly fishing experience, so we got a quick crash course at the Camp before driving 5 minutes to our launch point. Where you go and how you fish depends on conditions. Our day was split between fishing from a drift boat and standing along the shoreline.

Throughout the day, we learned about the equipment, how cast, mending the line, and how to land a big one. Ryan ended up catching 5 fish! I wasn’t quite as lucky, but the introduction to the sport left me curious for more.

If you are serious about learning how to fly fish, spending a few days with a guide at the Cottonwood Camp would be a great way to do it.

Day 6: Explore Little Bighorn Battlefield & Makoshika State Park

You’ve got a bit of a drive this morning – about 4 hours total to your final destination of Makoshika State Park . Early on in the drive, you’ll pass right by Little Bighorn Battlefield where the most significant battle took place during the Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as Custer’s Last Stand. Unfortunately, we were on a tight schedule and didn’t have time to visit on this trip, but you’ll essentially drive right past it and I assume it would be a very worthwhile stop.

Back on the road, continue on to Glendive, the home of Makoshika State Park. First, stop and grab some breakfast/lunch at Bloom Coffeehouse & Eatery , an awesome cafe that doubles as a greenhouse and nursery. All the food is extremely fresh. Even my oatmeal was delicious!

Makoshika State Park is Montana’s largest state park where you’ll find badlands covered in pine and juniper forests, dinosaur fossil remains, isolated camping, and abundant hiking trails. Here is a great  hiking map for the park .

The Diane Gabriel Trail is one of the most popular hikes in the park that takes you to the top of the bluff. Further up the road, the Cap Rock Trail offers a natural bridge which you are allowed to walk on and the Kinney Coulee Trail takes you down into a maze of interesting geological formations. I also highly suggest checking out the amphitheater. Most of the trails right off the main road are short, less than a mile in length. If you want a longer hike, check out Gunners Ridge or Hungry Joe Trail which leads out to a scenic overlook.

We got unusually rainy weather on our visit, but we heard that sunsets and sunrises in the park are absolutely epic with the badlands lighting up in all kinds of colors. So make sure you catch at least one!

Lodging & food options near Makoshika State Park

Towards the top of the scenic drive in Makoshika State Park, there are a number of isolated campsites that were spread out from each other. When we visited, we only saw a handful of people in the entire park and most of the campsites were empty. You can make campsite reservations here .

If you didn’t bring a tent, another option is Site #15 which has a large tipi to serve as your shelter. You’ll still need a sleeping bag and pad, but if you have a large group, this would be a fun way to camp. Alternatively, Site #21 has a large yurt that can sleep 6. All of the campsites have fire pits and picnic tables and the town of Glendive has a large Albertson’s grocery store where you can grab provisions before you head to the park.

If you’d rather sleep in a hotel, there is a highly reviewed La Quinta Inn is just a couple of miles from the park entrance, and Monte Carlo Pizza offers decent delivery.

A couple of important things about Makoshika State Park:

• If it’s been raining, the trails are extremely slick. They call it “gumbo.” It doesn’t matter how good your shoes are or how good of a hiker you are, you will slip around and it can be very dangerous especially on steeper slopes. Stop in the Visitors Center and get some advice from them on where to go if it’s been raining.
• If you find fossils when you are hiking along a trail, don’t touch or move them. Take a picture, mark the GPS coordinates on your phone if you can, and then go to the Visitors Center (or call them) and let them know you found something. Leaving the fossils exactly where you found them allows the scientists to come in and do their job to determine the species and era of origin.

Day 7: Finish Exploring Makoshika & Drive Back to Billings

I’ll start by saying I wish we had more time in Makoshika. The camping looked awesome and I would love to return in my Sprinter Van. So if you have the time, continuing crossing off some of the trails in the park. The Visitors Center is also worth a look, as they have a replica of a large Triceratops skull that was once found in the park along with a bunch of smaller fossils on display that you can touch.

Once you are done in Makoshika, hit the road back to Billings, Montana to catch an evening flight home to end your southeast Montana itinerary. It’s a 225-mile drive and should take about 3-3.5 hours.

What are your favorite places to explore in Southeast Montana? Would you do this itinerary? Leave a comment below! 

With two decades of hiking and seven years of van life under her belt, Kristen has dedicated her life to helping people experience the positive effects of nature. As a pioneer in the outdoor blogging space, she founded Bearfoot Theory in 2014 and has since authored more than 350 blog posts about outdoor travel, hiking, camping, and van life. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, Outside Magazine, and Backpacker, and when she’s not on the road, she lives in Park City, Utah with her partner Ryan, their son, and two adventure pups.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Loved this .. and thank you for sharing. I grew up in Gkendive, and Makoshika was our backyard! Brought a smile to my heart.. and am hoping many others enjoy!!

They don’t call Montana “Big Sky Country” for nothing. The state is one of America’s last frontiers, bursting with breathtaking scenery, an abundance of wildlife and unobstructed views of pure blue sky as far as the eye can see.

Dubai Dune Buggy

Hello, Loved reading this and the stops suggestions. Is there anyway to get this printed form?? Wife and I are coming in August (from Minnesota) and would love to mimic this trip.

Thanks, Dave

hi looking to do this trip in Augus what airport is best to land in

Hi Olga, Billings Montana is the closest airport & where we recommend you fly into. Enjoy your trip!

Things to Do in Southeast Montana Without the Crowds

This post is sponsored by Visit Southeast Montana

In recent years, I have discovered that there are so many things to do in Southeast Montana without the crowds of some of the more popular parts of the state. There may be fewer amenities, but in my mind, it’s worth it for the solitude, wide open spaces, and fascinating cultural and natural history.

EDIT: I wrote this post in 2020, during the pandemic. While we aren’t wearing masks or social distancing anymore, this road trip is just as relevant now. This is how we like to spend our time in Southeast Montana no matter what!

We took this road trip in the fall of 2020. You know what that means. We wanted to travel responsibly, for our own health, the health of local people, and the health of the outdoors. We mostly visited places where we could be outside by ourselves or social distance. When we did go indoors we wore masks.

Southeast Montana Road Trip Itinerary

This is a quick look at our itinerary around Southeast Montana. Keep reading for all the details on each stop.

Day 1 – Backroads, Dinosaurs, and Geology

• Drive the backroads

Makoshika State Park

Historic bell street bridge, day 2 – stone church, steer montana, and walks.

• Bloom Coffeehouse and Eatery

Historic Wibaux

O’fallon historical museum, baker.

• Matthews Recreation Area
• Tiltwürks Brewhouse

Day 3 – Antiques, Boutiques, and Battlefields

Downtown Miles City

• Little Bighorn Battlefield

Things To Do in Southeast Montana

Drive the Backroads to Glendive

We left Billings after breakfast and decided to take the backroads part of the way to Glendive. It’s easy to get off the highway and see a little more Montana. There were only a few other cars throughout our drive.

We went northeast from Billings on I-90 and quickly turned onto I-94.

There are several sections where you can leave the highway and then return, so you aren’t committed to an all-backroads or an all-highway drive. Three routes we recommend:

• From I-94, take the Pompey’s Pillar exit and go east on Custer Frontage Road. If you have time, a stop at Pompey’s Pillar National Monument is well worth it. You can read about it in my post on Lewis and Clark sites in Montana. We had too many other things we wanted to fit in, so we enjoyed the drive parallel to the Yellowstone River and the Interstate to Custer.
• From Custer, we went north on Musselshell Trail Road across the Yellowstone River and turned right on Peace Bottom Road, which turns into Myers Road (State Hwy 311) to Forsyth. This was the prettiest section, to me, and gets you away from the Interstate.
• From Forsyth, take Old Highway 10 as it parallels the Interstate to Rosebud. From there, return to the I-94 to Glendive.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at Myers Fishing Access  (in the second recommended section) and had the place to ourselves. It’s in a beautiful grove of cottonwoods and right on the river. The Lewis and Clark Historic Trail goes through the area and looked great for a little walk, but we were focused on throwing rocks in the river and eating lunch.

Makoshika is Montana’s largest State Park and it’s filled with hoodoos, capstones, sinkholes, and dinosaur fossils. The badlands are a fascinating landscape and we always enjoy hiking there.

The visitor center houses triceratops and tyrannosaurus rex fossils along with other badlands interpretive displays. Dinosaur fossils have been found in the park and you can hike the 1.0-mile   round trip Diane Gabriel Trail to see hadrosaur vertebrae that have been partially excavated.

The Capstone Trail (0.5-mile loop) passes a natural bridge, along with other wacky landscape features. The Twin Sisters are probably the most photographed features in the park and can be reached in 0.1 miles.

There are other trails in Makoshika that lead you deeper into the badlands and I definitely recommend using them to get out there, just be ready for hot, dry weather in the summer and cold the rest of the year. If it’s wet, skip it altogether because the landscape turns to gumbo and is almost impossible to walk on.

Check the Makoshika website before you go as the visitor center has reduced hours in the off-season. The park itself is open daily from 7 am – 10 pm.

Makoshika State Park , 1301 Snyder Avenue, Glendive

After an afternoon in Maksohika, we ordered a pizza from The Gust Hauf and walked over to the Bell Street Bridge while we waited. The bridge was built in 1926 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s currently a bike and pedestrian trail, crossing the Yellowstone River. Since the bridge is so long, it actually spans more than the river and is a great place for wildlife watching in the cottonwoods below.

The Gust Hauf , 300 West Bell Street, Glendive; Bell Street Bridge , 598 West Bell Street, Glendive

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Glendive where masks were requested in the public parts of the hotel.

Stargazing in Makoshika

That evening we went back to Makoshika to see the stars. Unfortunately for us, it was a full moon, which was gorgeous but not starry. If the night sky is dark when you are there, be sure to stargaze.

Bloom & Vine, Glendive

Henry and I left the kids asleep at the hotel and had a breakfast date at Bloom & Vine — Coffeehouse, Eatery, and Evening Wine Bar. The café is in a greenhouse and has a lovely courtyard in the back. They have live music and other events, but the morning we visited was all about breakfast and caffeine.

We sat inside at the distanced tables and watched a stream of locals come through getting their morning coffee, breakfast, and/or pastries.

Bloom & Vine , 209 Gibson Street, Glendive

Fueled up–both our bodies and our car–we continued east on I-94 to the little town of Wibaux (pronounced We – bō). We parked at the Pierre Wibaux House Museum. The museum was closed for the season, but we peeked over the chain link fence into the courtyard. From there we walked toward the river to read interpretive signs about Wibaux the cattle baron and the eponymous town.

Then we circled around through the historic downtown and wandered up Orgain Avenue to Old St. Peter’s Catholic Church (make sure you go to the old St. Peter’s; we stood in front of the new one for five minutes wondering why we were looking at it.) The church is covered in lava rock and is very interesting. If you are into roadside attractions, like me, then you’ll want to see this.

From the church, we continued west on Orgain Avenue to Carol Park and the statue of Pierre Wibaux. In his will, he commissioned the statue of himself to look over the rolling landscape and badlands.

An interesting part of Wibaux history from Wikipedia : “Theodore Roosevelt had a famous encounter with a bully at Nolan’s Hotel in Wibaux (Mingusville, at the time) shortly after moving to the North Dakota Badlands in 1884. Arriving at the hotel late at night, Roosevelt was accosted by a drunk sheep herder carrying cocked revolvers in both hands, and ordered to buy drinks for the crowd. Roosevelt pretended to move towards the bar, then punched the man three times in quick succession, causing the drunk to fire his revolvers as he fell. The future president then took away the man’s guns before several other occupants of the hotel dragged him out into a shed.”

The whole walk took about an hour, stopping to read interpretive signs and picture the past.

Wibaux is one of those places you don’t know you are interested in until you get there and look around. Then, you want to know more.

Pierre Wibaux House Museum , 112 Orgain Avenue, Wibaux

The drive from Wibaux to Baker feels very remote and there isn’t any cell coverage. It is the quintessential southeastern Montana prairie.

Our first stop in Baker was at the O’Fallon Historical Museum. We learned about the homesteaders in the area and looked into the one-room schoolhouse. There’s a jail in a house, and most famously, Steer Montana. You can take your picture with the taxidermied steer — the largest in the world. Steer Montana used to travel the country and people would pay to see him. It’s free for you!

There is so much in the multi-building museum complex — dinosaur fossils, vintage clothing, a frightening doll collection, a large jar of grasshoppers that all came from one stalk of corn during a particularly bad grasshopper year, and so much more.

We got a Montana Trivia book in the gift shop and the boys ceaselessly asked us questions for the rest of the trip. Thanks to our visit to the O’Fallon Historical Museum, we could answer several of the questions, including one about the grasshoppers.

O’Fallon Historical Museum , 723 South Main Street

We made a quick stop at Baker Lake with the intent of going for a walk, but it was so windy that we decided to enjoy the view from the car and move on to lunch. It’s an unexpected and lovely spot with a play park, walking trails, beaches, docks, and of course the lake. If the weather is at all decent, stop and wander. I’ve heard the fishing is good.

Compass Coffee

We grabbed bagel sandwiches and wraps for lunch in Baker. Compass Coffee has a charming atmosphere, good food, and caffeine! It’s a big space with socially distanced seating. We were ready to drive to Miles City.

Compass Coffee , 21 South Main Street

Matthews Recreation Area, Miles City

Our first stop in Miles City was meant to be the Waterworks Art Museum. I wrote about a previous visit in this post , but the museum was closed for a week when we arrived this time.

Instead, we drove to the northeast end of town and Matthews Recreation Area. This BLM area is great for bird watching, picnicking, wildlife watching, throwing rocks in the river, and enjoying some time outside.

There are vault toilets, grills, and campsites.

Matthews Recreation Area , 249 Tusler Rd, Miles City

Tilt Würks Brewhouse

This jukebox-themed brewery is a fun place for dinner. It’s a sports bar, so there are a lot of T.V.s, which we don’t love, but the food and beer make up for it. I had the sesame ginger salad and a Hit and Run Sour beer. Yum!

Tilt Würks Brewhouse , 420 Pacific Avenue

We spent the night at the Miles City Hotel and Suites . They are making extra efforts to sanitize, the staff wore masks, and they request guests wear masks in public areas. They are still serving a continental-plus breakfast and have a staff member making waffles etc, instead of having guests do it themselves.

Day 3 – Antiques. Boutiques, and Battlefields

Miles City is known for being the home of the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, held the first weekend of May, but the sale isn’t the only reason to visit Miles City.

We started our day at Vintage and Rustics in Montana , an antique mall and soda fountain/café that is full of nostalgia.

We grabbed tea and hot cocoa and sat down among the locals. I can highly recommend the cinnamon rolls. Vintage and Rustics is home to the original Woolworth lunch counter/soda fountain that was put in during the 1940s, and several folks were bellied up to the bar.

The antique and vintage mall spans most of the block and could hold your browsing attention for hours. In addition to vintage and antique items, they sell candy and gifts.

There are a bunch of other cute shops in Miles City ( Buy MT and Miles City Saddlery to name a couple). We wandered through downtown poking our heads into shops that caught our fancy.

Before leaving Miles City, we grabbed lunch to-go at Main Street Grind .

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Little Bighorn Battlefield is always a moving experience. I’ve visited recently, but it has been at least eight years since Henry and the kids have been there. Anders and Finn don’t really remember their first experience, so it was nice to revisit the place and history.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield “memorializes the US Army’s 7th Cavalry and the Lakotas and Cheyennes in one of the Indian’s last armed efforts to preserve their way of life. Here on June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer and attached personnel of the US Army, died fighting several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors.”  NPS

You might know it as “Custer’s Last Stand.”

The visitor center was closed, but we used the map-brochure handed to us at the entrance kiosk to plan our trip and get an overview of the battlefield’s history.

We started at the main parking area and walked up to Last Stand Hill and the 7th Cavalry Monument. From there we crossed over to the Indian Memorial and then back to our car.

We then drove the 4.5-mile tour road to the Reno-Benteen Battlefield and walked the short-loop trails there.

There are interpretive signs along the way to help you picture what took place here. Many of them have a phone number that connects to audio narration.

In addition to being a sacred and historic place, it’s also quite scenic. We spent about two hours here, but you could see it in less time, though I don’t recommend it, or take more time to soak it in.

Little Bighorn National Battlefield ,  756 Battlefield Tour Road, Crow Agency

From Little Bighorn, we drove back to Billings and spent a couple of days exploring the city. You can read about our Billings adventures here or here .

If you are thinking about a road trip to Southeast Montana, let me know in the comments. I’ll try to answer any questions!

Things To Do In Montana

Whether you are planning a once in a lifetime trip to Montana or a weekend getaway, this article share the unique, wonderful, popular, and only-in-Montana things to do.

Guide to the Best Montana State Parks

Whether you want to recreate, learn about Montana history, better understand the cultural landscape, or take in the scenery, Montana has a State Park for you.

Subscribe for updates of our blog.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe for updates!

Updates on Our Adventures

Receive the latest from our blog and be the first to know when we publish new articles!

TravelingMel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

• Meet the Board of Directors (Effective July 1, 2023)
• Our Mission
• Board Member Application
• Board Guidelines
• Board of Directors Calendar
• Meeting Agendas & Minutes
• Board Policies
• News You Can Use
• Order Bulk Guides
• Advertise in Travel Guide
• Photo Request Form

Marketing Toolbox

• Advertising Opportunities
• Order a Thematic Map
• Request a Presentation for Your Community
• Request a Letter of Support
• Become a Film Ambassador
• Agri-tourism
• Website Listing
• Current Marketing Plan
• Archived Plans
• Marketing Workshops
• Industry Stats
• Submit an Event
• Visitmt.com
• MarketMT.com/
• Montana Press
• 1.800.346.1876

Partner News Stay up to date

Visit Southeast Montana Mission Statement:

To increase visitors to Southeast Montana by increasing awareness of our region, showcasing our cultural heritage, developing memorable experiences and educating our residents about the economic benefits of tourism

Stay Up To Date

Montana Road Trip — Amazing Southeast Montana

By: Author Ginny Vail

Posted on Published: 4 Mar 2021  - Last updated: 3 Jan 2024

An amazing Montana road trip visiting scenic parks, monuments, and small towns and discovering the history of the wild west in Southeast Montana.

Disclaimer: this Montana Road Trip was hosted by the friendly folks at Visit Southeast Montana. Thanks go out to them for all of their support!

Amazing Southeast Montana is a great place for a road trip. It has wide-open spaces, beautiful prairies, amazing rock formations, and small towns with incredible museums chronicling the history of the wild west. Add the badlands, dinosaurs, hiking trails, wildlife, good food, craft beer, and the nicest people you’ll find anywhere, and you have the perfect ingredients for a great Montana Road Trip.

We spent 5 days visiting all of the places in this post, and we still didn’t see it all. More time would have been even better, especially in Medicine Rocks State Park and the Terry Badlands. We also stayed in Billings and Bighorn Canyon and covered them in separate posts: Fun Things to Do in Billings , Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area , Sapphire Hunting in Montana , and Pictograph Cave State Park .

Southeastern Montana Road Trip Map

In This Article

This article has the following information to help you plan a great road trip to Southeastern Montana:

• An interactive map of our route (above)
• Details about the scenic parks and monuments, museums, and interesting towns we visited
• Places where we stayed and ate
• Best time to go information

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

The National Parks Service’s website for  Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument  is titled “Little Bighorn, a Place for Reflection.”  And reflection is what this monument is and should be about because it didn’t end well for anyone.

The U.S. Army went to Montana to push the plains tribes from their native lands, where their people had lived or hunted for thousands of years. The army did so because hoards of gold-seekers and settlers wanted to move in. The northern plains Indians were fighting for their lives and way of life, and while they decisively won this battle, they largely lost the war.

On our visit, we were fortunate to have  Rose Williamson , a member of the Crow Nation, give us a tour. She’s a pro, her voice, her descriptions, and her expressive gestures really bring the events leading up to the battle to life.

Diamond Butte Lookout Tower in Custer Gallatin National Forest

Are you looking for a place to truly get away from it all or a very unique or inexpensive place to stay in an area with lots of recreational opportunities? If so, Diamond Butte Lookout Tower could be perfect for you.

The lookout tower sits atop 4,245-foot Diamond Butte in the Custer Gallatin National Forest. It’s remote, but there are lots of things to do including hiking, horseback riding, hunting, elk shed hunting, fishing, camping, birding, wildlife viewing, photography, stargazing, astrophotography, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.

In the summer the tower is an active fire lookout for the Ashland Ranger District, but from September 15 th to May 15 th it can be rented. It’s 20 miles from anywhere, it’s rustic, and it’s sparsely furnished, but the 360-degree views and recreational opportunities are great.

If interested, the U.S. Forest Service page for Diamond Butte Lookout Cabin provides details and reservation instructions.

Broadus Montana

Broadus is in southeastern Montana, but it’s as western as you can get and proudly so. Many of the locals are ranchers or cattlemen and the stores in town sell western clothing, gear, and gifts. On our visit, we stayed at the Sagebrush Inn and had steak for dinner at the Stockman’s Club. It’s western.

Powder River Historical Museum

The Powder River Historical Museum is the top place to visit in Broadus. Operated by a dedicated group of volunteers, it’s a labor of love and it shows.

The Museum is housed in a cluster of buildings that include a Pioneer Cabin, School House, Auto Barn, and Jail. The main building is packed with collections of firearms, spurs, all kinds of household goods and appliances, vintage clothing, uniforms, and a lot more. You could spend a day here and not see it all.

One of the larger buildings is Mac’s Museum. It’s a private collection amassed by Mac McCurdy, and it’s remarkable. Mac’s collections include over 1,700 arrowheads and about 22,000 seashells. The seashell collection is the largest west of the Mississippi and Mac identified, labeled, and carefully stored the shells in display drawers.

Broadus Walking Trails

With help from the Montana State University Broadus Extension, the town also has eight walking trails, which are intended to help improve health and fitness. I got up early and walked the 2.5-mile (round trip) Powder River Trail. The weather was perfect and it was a great walk.

The trail is mostly paved and parallels Highway 212. It ended near the bridge over the Powder River with a fence and tricky gate system that, I assume, was there to keep deer and other animals from getting from the river to the highway. I got through the gate and under the bridge and close enough to the river to get the photo above.

Locals say the river is:

A mile wide, an inch deep, too thin to plow and too thick to drink.

Where We Ate and Stayed in Broadus

• Powder River Stockman’s Club
• Sagebrush Inn and Suites

Ekalaka Montana

This small town was such a delightful surprise. First we toured the Carter County Museum , which was the first museum to display dinosaurs in Montana and is one of 14 sites on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. The museum also has an impressive collection of early settler and Native American artifacts, but this post is about dinosaurs.

Carter County Museum

Montana’s rich connection to paleontology comes into full focus in Ekalaka. The star at the museum is a nearly complete and totally real Hadrosaur (duck-bill) skeleton that was found about 30 miles from Ekalaka. It’s the fourth largest in the world, and it’s not a casting; it’s the real bones of a real dinosaur that lived in the area around 75-million years ago.

There’s also an impressive T-Rex, but unlike the Hadrosaur, it’s cast from a skeleton discovered in Fallon County in 2004. The T-Rex (named Wyrex after its founder) lived and was excavated in Montana, but the skeleton is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural History.

Montana Dinosaur Trail

Montana is a paleontology treasure trove, and many of the dinosaur fossils on display in museums around the country came from here. Geology and weather conspired here in Montana to create and then erode mountains, which include layers from the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. As rain and melting snow wash away soil and rock from the exposed formations, they slowly and steadily give up the fossils.

The Dinosaur Trail has 14 locations scattered across Montana, and their beautiful and informative Montana Dinosaur Trail website has a map and a page for each of the 14 locations with descriptions of their displays. You can even order a Montana Dinosaur Trail Prehistoric Passport and have it stamped as you visit the locations.

Dino Shindig

The town of Ekalaka holds an annual two-day Dino Shindig on the last weekend in July:

• Day 1 — visitors hear lectures from leading paleontologists, take part in fun activities, and end the day with food, music, and dancing in the street.
• Day 2 — those who signup go to and take part in an active dig site at the Hell Creek or Pierre Shale formations.

Wouldn’t it be an awesome trip to visit all 14 stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail and also attend the Dino Shindig? I’d certainly be up for it.

Where We Ate in Ekalaka

• Wagon Wheel Restaurant

Medicine Rocks State Park

Medicine Rocks is a 320-acre State Park with about 100 strange and beautiful rock formations. Some stand alone like towers and some are clustered or chained. For millions of years, wind and water eroded the sandstone to create these formations — some are as high at 80-feet. Theodore Roosevelt visited Medicine Rocks in 1883 and wrote:

As fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen

Medicine Rocks are sacred to the plains Indian tribes, whose ancestors have lived or visited here since the last ice age. It’s called Medicine Rocks because they gathered medicinal plants here.

The location was also used as a lookout for bison and for vision quests. There are lots of native artifacts in the area and thousands of tribal petroglyphs carved into the rocks.

This is also a great place for stargazing and astrophotography because there is little light pollution. On a clear-moonless night, you can actually see the Milky Way.

We were briefly able to see it between sunset and moonrise on our visit. Professor-Stargazer-Astrophysicist Corinne Brevik, from Dickinson State University in North Dakota, was there with a huge telescope. She programed it to find and lock in on a series of stars, and we took turns viewing them.

It was amazing; we could actually see the rings of Saturn. The Medicine Rocks State Parks website has information about the park and both a park map and trail map. Camping is on a first come, first serve basis. For details, visit the official Montana State Parks fee chart .

Baker Montana

Baker, on the far eastern edge of Montana, was started by the railroad in 1908 to provide water for its steam engines. This high prairie location had natural springs, and the railroad built a dam to create a small lake. The steam engines are long gone, but the lake is there in the center of Baker. The lake has a boat dock and is stocked with fish.

It and the adjacent park and ball fields provide recreation and entertainment for the community. It’s the community-gathering place for events like the Fourth of July. Baker also has two really visit-worthy museums: The O’Fallon Historical Museum and Prairie Rose Classics:

O’Fallon Historical Museum

The O’Fallon Historical Museum occupies a cluster of six buildings just behind the county courthouse. The main building is the former Fallon County Jail, which explains the bars on the windows.

Collectively, the six buildings have antique carriages and tractors, classic cars, a schoolhouse, a homestead house, dinosaur fossils, and a variety of displays including the Boy Scouts and both World Wars. Their featured attraction is the world’s largest steer.

Prairie Rose Classics

The  Prairie Rose Classics  showroom has a collection of beautifully restored cars and a stunning mural on the wall outside. It’s like being on Route 66 in the 1960’s. Most of the two-dozen or so cars are from the 1950s or 60s, but there are a few from the 20s and 30s.

After visiting both museums, we stopped by Old Skool Brewery and sampled the goods (and they were very good).

Where We Ate and Stayed in Baker

• Heiser’s Bar & Casino
• Red River Inn & Suites

Terry Montana

No road trip in southeastern Montana would be complete without visiting the small town of Terry because it’s home to the Evelyn Cameron Gallery, and it’s the gateway to the Terry Badlands. Add a stay at the historic Kempton Hotel, a visit to the Prairie County Museum, an agate hunt along the banks of the Yellowstone River, and the nicest, friendliest people you’ll find anywhere, and you’ll be so happy you came here.

Evelyn Cameron Gallery

Evelyn Cameron is an extraordinary woman who lived a difficult, but very interesting, pioneer life. Born into a wealthy English family in 1868, she was well educated and destined to lead a life of privilege and leisure. But she and her husband, Ewen Cameron, decided they wanted to move to Montana, and they did so in 1891.

In Montana, she was both a farmer and rancher, but she’s most known for her frontier photography and the details she wrote about daily life in her diary. From 1894–1928 she took thousands of photos of everyday life in Montana. There are photos of cowboys working, chuck wagons, women on horses, children, animals, scenery, and much more. The Evelyn Cameron Gallery has a collection of her original photos on display.

In 2005, Montana PBS released the documentary: Evelyn Cameron: Pictures from a Worthy Life . The words “worthy life” in the film’s title come from a line Evelyn wrote in her diary about her move to Montana. During dinner at the Evelyn Cameron Gallery , Glenda Ueland, Chairman, Evelyn Cameron Heritage, Inc. shared the full quote:

I wish to live a life worthy enough to look back upon, but I am far out of that path now.

Evelyn Cameron would likely be amazed at just how worthy her life looks 90-years after her death. In the PBS Documentary, Karen Stevenson plays the role of Evelyn Cameron. The photo collage above includes a photo of Karen, which I took at an event in Billings.

Prairie County Museum

The Prairie County Museum is next door to the Evelyn Cameron Gallery. It’s packed with displays and a collection of artifacts from every aspect of frontier life from the mid 1800s into the early 1900s.

The museum even has a steam-heated brick outhouse. They also have a transcript of Evelyn Cameron’s dairy detailing each day’s work and events. Each day, the museum staff opens the journal to the entry from 100-years earlier.

Terry Badlands

These otherworldly lands are no doubt bad for farming and ranching, but for us sightseers and photographers, they’re not bad at all. The  Bureau of Land Management Terry Badlands  website provides detailed directions to get to the Badlands from Terry MT. There are two routes; neither are paved and both routes are impassible when wet:

• Scenic View Overlook is where I took the photo below. The overlook is 8.5 miles from downtown Terry.
• Calypso Trail is an 8.5-mile primitive road through the heart of the Badlands. Vehicles with high clearance and all-wheel drive are recommended. It’s about 5.5 miles from downtown Terry to the start of the Calypso Trail.

Where We Ate and Stayed in Terry

• The Terry Chamber of Commerce hosted a wonderful dinner at the Evelyn Cameron Gallery.
• Kempton Hotel

Interesting detail: The Kempton is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Montana and is decorated accordingly. There are hints that the hotel may be haunted but only by the friendliest ghosts.

Miles City Montana

Miles City is the largest town on our Montana road trip. Founded after the Battle of Little Bighorn, Miles City’s been a frontier town, a railroad town, and a horse-trading and livestock center. It’s ideally located where the Tongue River flows into the Yellowstone, giving locals and visitors lots of recreational opportunities. There are hiking trails along the rivers as well as fishing, hunting, bird watching, and rock collecting.

Range Riders Museum

The Range Riders Museum celebrates the rich history of eastern Montana. The huge collections are housed in a cluster of buildings, including some that are also historical. There are old photos, dioramas of Fort Keogh and Chief Lame Deer’s Camp, antique cars and farm equipment, a hallway with recreations of Old Milestown storefronts, and huge collections of guns, arrowheads, saddles, barbed-wire, and more. You could easily spend and entire day at the museum.

Waterworks Art Museum

It must have taken great vision and a lot of hard work, persistence, and money, but the people in Miles City transformed an old, retired waterworks facility, on the banks of the Yellowstone River, into the amazing Waterworks Art Museum . The dilapidated underground water tanks are now a huge, beautiful exhibit hall.

Their permanent collection includes LA Huffman photographs from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and contemporary works by several well-known Montana artists like J.K. Ralston’s paintings of the old west, and Kevin Star’s gorgeous depictions of Native Americans .

Staff members at the Waterworks offer art classes onsite, and they also travel around Southeastern Montana in their Van-Go to bring art to rural schools, homeschooled children, and children on reservations. The children learn drawing, pottery making, raku firing, and more.

Tongue River Winery

Bob and Marilyn Thaden and their son Josh own and operate the Tongue River Winery. Bob gave us a tour, let us help harvest grapes, and served a selection of their wines. He explained that his motivation as a wine maker is to prove that it’s possible to grow good grapes and produce really good wines in Montana.

The biggest obstacle to wine making in Montana is that grape vines can’t usually survive minus 40-degree weather, but North Dakota State University has created a breed that is surviving the cold, and Bob and family are making good wine. I’m not qualified to judge wine, but I really like their Perfect Kiss — a white wine with a kiss of sweetness. And, yes you can order wines on the Tongue River Winery website.

Where We Ate and Stayed in Miles City

• Tilt Würks Brewhouse
• Black Iron Grill
• Montana Bar
• Sleep Inn & Suites

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Pompeys Pillar is a giant section of rim rock that’s separated from the rest of the rims along the Yellowstone River. The park ranger speculated that the Yellowstone changed course at some point stranding a section of rim on the opposite side of the river. In any case it’s pretty awesome having this two-acre, 200-foot high pillar standing alone on an otherwise flat prairie.

Captain William Clark stopped here and climbed the pillar on the return leg of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Witnessing the many pictographs on the rocks, Clark added his own name and the date on July 25, 1806. It’s the only site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail with visible evidence of their expedition.

The views looking out over the Yellowstone River and rim rocks from the top of the tower are well worth the hike up. And the really solid boardwalk makes the trek easier — even though it includes 200 stair steps. From the walkway, you can see William Clark’s signature and date scratched into the stone next to Native American pictographs. Captain Clark wrote in his journal:

This rock I ascended and from it’s top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall Call Pompy’s Tower…

Clark named the tower after Sacagawea’s 18-month-old son — Jean Baptiste ‘Pomp’ Charbonneau. Pompy’s Tower later became Pompeys Pillar. For a deeper dive with more photos, bits of history, and things to do and see, checkout our Visit to Pompey’s Pillar article.

The monument is open from the last Saturday in April to October 31st and there is a per vehicle fee. It’s managed by the Bureau of Land Management , so check their website for details. After visiting Pompeys Pillar , we returned to Billings, where our Montana road trip ended.

Best Time for a Montana Road Trip

Summer is best because the weather is nice, the wildflowers are in bloom, the roads are passable, and everything is open. Some of the parks, monuments, and museums are open seasonally.

I had high expectations for this Montana Road Trip, and it did not disappoint. The small, remote towns in Southeastern Montana  are such great places to visit. They all have wonderful museums, interesting histories, scenic areas, good food, and the nicest, kindest people on the planet. Go there! You’ll be happy you did.  

About the Author

Ginny Vail is a travel writer who loves travel planning, sightseeing, photography, and videography. She’s visited all 50 states and traveled around the world. Her articles focus on discovering places to go, sights to see, and details about when and how to visit them.

Love Montana Road Trip? Here are some other articles you might like!

Cascade Loop - Washington's Premiere Road Trip

A Rainy Yellowstone in September - Worth it!

Tombstone, Arizona from Gunfights to Gas Stations - It's A Real Blast!

The Best Road Trip Grand Canyon Viewpoints

Montana Bale Trail

Best Camping Destinations in the U.S.A.

A Fantastic Road Trip Visiting Interstate 40 Attractions - 1 Week Itinerary

One Epic Day in Albuquerque (Itinerary)

Best Things to do Coeur d'Alene for One Exhilarating Weekend

Edith Marty

Tuesday 4th of May 2021

Sorry Makoshika State Park in Glendive was not mentioned, especially the Lion's Club A-Frame with killer panoramic views and lower accomodations for rent at a reasonable price, and our two remarkable museums...for starters.

Sunday 9th of May 2021

Edith, I’m sorry I missed Makoshika State Park and Glendive too. The images on the website look amazing. My Southeastern Montana road trip was organized as part of a Travel Writers Conference in Billings, and I went where the organizers sent us. I hope to get back to Montana and would love to visit Makoshika State Park.

• Meetings and Conventions
• Tour Operators
• Glaciers to Geysers
• Partner Center

Welcome to Glacier Country.

• Interactive Travel Guide
• Maps & Resources
• Montana Regions
• Newsletter Signup

Adventure unfolds in every direction.

• CSKT Bison Range
• Communities
• Continental Divide Trail
• Flathead Lake
• Ghost Towns
• Glacier National Park
• Historical Sites
• Hot Springs
• Lewis & Clark
• Nez Perce Trail
• Pacific Northwest Trail
• Public Land
• Scenic Byways
• Travel Corridors
• Tribal Nations
• Visitor Centers
• 102 Things to Do
• Itineraries
• Arts and Culture
• Education & Classes
• Conservation
• Things to Do in the Fall
• Things to Do in the Spring
• Things to Do in the Summer
• Things to Do in the Winter
• Things to Do in the Water
• Things to Do Outdoors
• Things to Do Indoors
• Agritourism
• Arts & Culture
• Education & Classes
• Explore Fall in Glacier Park
• Fall Events
• Fall Road Trips
• Farmers Markets
• Health & Wellness
• Llama Trekking
• Wildlife Watching
• ATV Trails + Rentals
• Camping & RV
• Guided Tours
• Guides & Outfitters
• Hiking & Backpacking Trips
• Horseback Riding
• Outdoor Gear Rental
• Photography
• Rock Climbing
• Skateboarding
• Wagon Rides
• River Surfing
• Stand-Up Paddleboarding
• Backcountry Skiing
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Dog Sledding
• Downhill Skiing
• Explore Winter in Glacier Park
• Ice Climbing
• Ice Fishing
• Ice Skating
• Skijoring Competitions
• Sleigh Rides
• Snowmobiling
• Snowshoeing
• Winter Itineraries
• Explore Spring in Glacier Park
• Food + Drink
• Performing Arts

Western hospitality at its finest.

• All Lodging
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Camping & RV
• Health & Wellness
• Hotels & Motels
• Unique Lodging
• Vacation Homes

A Noteworthy Culinary Landscape

• Bars & Nightlife
• Coffee & Tea
• Distilleries
• Restaurants

Start planning your Montana vacation.

• Accessible Adventures
• Airports and Direct Flights
• Bicycle Rental
• Electric Travel
• International Border Crossings
• Recreate Responsibly
• Recreational Marijuana
• Service Businesses
• Ski Area Snow Report
• Stream Report
• Travel Updates
• Travel on Tribal Lands
• Traveling With Pets

Western Montana’s Natural Treasure

• Facts & FAQ
• Glacier to Yellowstone
• Near the Park
• Stay in the Park
• Wildlife & Bear Safety

Visit Southeast Montana

There's This Place Where Every Trail Is Worth the Trek

Three rivers and seven wilderness areas meet in Missoula, Montana, a small town with enormous personality. Visit Missoula and experience it for yourself.

Hours + Season of Operation

Reservation information, payment methods, services offered.

• I-90 Corridor
• Bitterroot Valley
• Blackfoot Corridor
• East Glacier Corridor
• Flathead Corridor
• Northwest Corridor
• Clark Fork Corridor
• Glacier National Park Surrounding Area
• Seeley Swan Corridor
• Columbia Falls
• East Glacier Park
• Hungry Horse
• Martin City
• Philipsburg
• Seeley Lake
• St. Ignatius
• Stevensville
• Thompson Falls
• Trout Creek
• West Glacier

From the blog

This spring, Western Montana’s Glacier Country is the perfect place for a fresh perspective and a breath of fresh air....

While we believe that every day is Earth Day around here, this special day is the time to show our...

Spring has sprung in the heart of Western Montana's Glacier Country, and the trails are calling us out for hiking...

Spring is in the air—the fresh mountain air—here in Western Montana’s Glacier Country. Each year spring is full of activities and...

• Maps & Resources
• Lewis & Clark
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Hotels & Motels
• Bars & Nightlife
• Coffee & Tea
• Facts & FAQ
• Wildlife & Bear Safety

Search form

• History Buffs
• Local Flavor
• Outdoor Enthusiasts
• Uncategorized

recent posts

• February 2024
• January 2024
• October 2023
• September 2023
• January 2023
• February 2022
• January 2022
• September 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• November 2018
• January 2018
• December 2017
• November 2017
• August 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016

The #1 Thing You Should Do When Visiting Southeast Montana Brenda Maas | July 17, 2019

PLAN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

Upcoming Events

#visitbillings.

Visit our instagram page

2-FOR-1 GA TICKETS WITH OUTSIDE+

Don’t miss Thundercat, Fleet Foxes, and more at the Outside Festival.

GET TICKETS

BEST WEEK EVER

Try out unlimited access with 7 days of Outside+ for free.

Start Your Free Trial

Powered by Outside

5 Trails to Explore in Southeast Montana

From traditional hiking trails to brewery tours and the best burgers around, these five experiences will give you a taste of the unique offerings in southeast montana near towns like billings, glendive and terry..

Home to big skies, beautiful badlands and small towns known for their western hospitality, Southeast Montana invites you to slow down and enjoy some of Montana’s less crowded corners. The region offers a variety of attractions, whether you’re an outdoor lover, history buff, fossil aficionado or dedicated foodie.

1. Trails for Hiking, Biking and History

Whether you love lacing up your hiking boots or you’re looking for pedal-powered adventures, Southeast Montana is home to some truly remarkable trails that range from well-kept urban pathways to remote backcountry routes. Wherever your travels take you, you’ll find a beautiful landscape with badlands, buttes and prairies to explore.

Four Dances Natural Area just outside of Billings gives you an outstanding view of the Yellowstone River from a vantage point atop the Rimrocks, a sandstone formation that forms scenic bluffs and cliffs along the river. It’s also a great spot to catch a sunrise or sunset as well as do some birdwatching. There are many miles of trails that extend along the Rimrocks such as those at Swords and Zimmerman parks, treating you to views of Billings and the surrounding mountain ranges.

Spots like Makoshika State Park just outside of Glendive and Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area near the town of Terry offer the chance to spot geologic wonders like natural bridges and hoodoos. Makoshika is Montana’s largest state park and offers great biking and hiking trails that wind through the distinctive landscape. Terry Badlands is located in a more remote wilderness area, best reserved for experienced hikers with high-clearance vehicles. Though more of an adventure, if you’re seeking solitude and otherworldly landscapes, the wilderness area will deliver on both.

Located about an hour outside of Billings, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is home to an extensive museum collection that commemorates the complex history of the 1876 battle fought between the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry and the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho.

NOTE: The site is undergoing an extensive multiyear renovation but will still have open days, so check their website ( nps.gov/libi ) or call ahead for construction updates.

2. Southeast Montana Burger Trail

Bring your appetite for this regional burger trail that will take you on a mouth-watering adventure around Southeast Montana. With more than 20 unique burgers on the list, you’ll need more than a few days to sample the best bites. From patties covered in homemade mango salsa to cheese-stuffed burgers with all the fixings, no two burgers are the same. Start your tour at the Burger Dive in Billings to sample the World Food Champion award-winning I’m Your Huckleberry Burger, topped with homemade huckleberry-hatch chile barbeque sauce, bacon, creamy goat cheese, roasted red pepper mayo and fresh arugula. Feeling up for a culinary adventure? The American Legion Post 28 in Glendive serves up a burger known as the Legionnaire that comes with the works plus a fried egg and is slathered with peanut butter.

Another great part of the Burger Trail is that wherever you go, you’ll be supporting locally owned restaurants and eating with Montanans. Make sure to utilize the Burger Trail passport program to win prizes—check into eight different locations to claim an “I’m a Burger Boss” t-shirt. Get started by downloading the digital passport and maps from SoutheastMontana.com/burgertrail .

3. Montana Trail to the Stars

Montana is well known for its big skies, but until you’ve seen them at night, you might not appreciate how absolutely immense they are. Southeast Montana’s vast prairies offer the chance to see the night sky like you’ve never seen it before.

“Nothing is more amazing than lying out on your back and being able to see the whole Milky Way,” says Brenda Maas, director of marketing for Visit Southeast Montana.

While Montana’s Trail to the Stars encompasses nearly the entire state, if you had to pick one spot to go stargaze, Medicine Rocks State Park is the place. Officially designated as one of only two International Dark-Sky Sanctuaries in Montana, you’ll find the park is the darkest of the dark. Bring your tent to set up at one of the park’s 12 primitive campsites and spend a jaw-dropping evening looking up at the heavens.

If you’re up for more DIY dark sky adventures along the Trail to the Stars, you can plan a trip to spots like Afterbay Campground in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area or pick one of the other off-the-beaten-path spots where you’ll be far from light pollution of any kind. Just come prepared as many of the sites are primitive and remote.

4. Montana’s Dinosaur Trail

Though not exclusive to the southeast region, the Montana Dinosaur Trail has several great locations that you’ll want to check out if you have prehistoric or paleontological interests. Pick up a Prehistoric Passport, available at any Dino Trail location, to chronicle your progress. Each passport includes Fun Fossil Facts, a section for field notes and space for the official “Dino Icon” stamps from each location.

Of the 14 Dinosaur Trail sites across Montana, three can be found in the southeast region, and one of the best spots is the Carter County Museum in Ekalaka. The town has been at the epicenter of dinosaur discoveries for the past century and the museum chronicles this fascinating history. In addition to the outstanding displays like a complete mounted skeleton of the duckbill dinosaur Anatotitan copei and a complete skull of a Triceratops, you’ll find the staff is extremely knowledgeable and happy to answer your questions.

In Glendive, the Frontier Gateway Museum features many amazing dinosaur fossils as well as aquatic and plant fossils found in the area. Displays range from prehistoric times to the 20th century, so you’ll find something of interest for everyone. After you’re done at the museum, head to nearby Makoshika State Park—more than 10 different dinosaur species have been discovered in these amazing badlands, including a complete Triceratops skull and a nearly complete skeleton of the rare Thescelosaur.

5. Billings Brew Trail and Trailhead Treats

Craft beer connoisseurs and dessert focused foodies can each find a tasty trail to follow in downtown Billings. Both trails have digital passports to help you find the can’t miss spots.

The Billings Brew Trail  invites you to sample locally made libations from nine breweries, three distilleries, a cider mill and a winery. Many of the stops are along a 1.5-mile loop through the historic downtown region, so you can easily walk between the spots. Offerings range from Angry Hank’s eight different ales to Montana Brewing Company’s Custer’s Last Stout, a great dessert to end your downtown tour. Undammed Distilling makes vodka, gin, bourbon and single-malt whiskey, and a portion of every sale goes to conserving the Yellowstone River. If wine is more your style, Yellowstone Cellars and Winery offers complimentary tastings.

For those with a sweet tooth, Billings Trailhead Treats  promises to be delicious. Choose from bakeries, artisanal pastry shops and classic diners to sample gigantic cinnamon rolls, fresh doughnuts and the best bread in town. Brockel’s Chocolates makes handcrafted chocolate-covered confections as well as double-dipped caramel apples and fudge. Stop by Black Dog Coffee House x Harper Madison for your caffeine fix and a slice of coconut cake which is a local favorite. Use the digital passport to check in at the featured locations and collect a unique sticker at each stop.

Learn more at SoutheastMontana.com .

For more information: 1-800-346-1876 SoutheastMontana.com

Popular on Yellowstone National Park

Get a free Yellowstone trip planner with inspiring itineraries and essential information.

Healthy Living

• Clean Eating
• Vegetarian Times
• Yoga Journal
• Fly Fishing Film Tour
• National Park Trips
• Warren Miller
• Fastest Known Time
• Trail Runner
• Women's Running
• Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• FinisherPix
• Outside Events Cycling Series
• Outside Shop

© 2024 Outside Interactive, Inc

• Breweries & Distilleries
• Coffee Shops
• Bed & Breakfasts
• Hotels & Motels
• Vacation Homes
• Hiking & Biking
• Hunting & Fishing
• Signature Events

Watersports

• Communities
• Historical Sites
• Indian Nations
• State Parks
• Western Experiences
• Car Rentals
• Free Travel Guide
• Get E-News Here!
• Interactive Travel Guide
• Itineraries
• NEW! ITINERARY BUILDER
• Regional Maps
• Scenic Drives
• 1.800.346.1876

Top Ten Things to do

Gaze at the Stars

Dig Our Dinos

Walk Through History

Ride the Trails

Explore Battlefields

Climb Aboard & Float Away

Outdoor Art

Honor Our Military

Fall Drives

OUT HERE , big sky meets big adventure. It’s the kind of place to slow down and fall in love with Montana. It’s the kind of place where cowboys still ride horses across the open plains. It’s the kind of place where traces of dinosaur fossils are just waiting to be discovered because history is ever-present. Out here, you will be welcomed with an abundance of western hospitality. Visit Southeast Montana and take a moment or two to view the horizon from all directions.

Use our itinerary builder to start building your Montana vacation

Inspiration is a play button away

Montana. It is a name that is synonymous with spectacular, unspoiled nature. The very mention of Montana brings to mind scenes of wide open spaces and an endless horizon, where the brilliant hues of a summer sunset swirl together over buttes, breaks and badlands. Nature truly is what Montana does best. Write your story Out Here .

Big Open Roads

Montana. It is a name that is synonymous with spectacular, unspoiled nature. The very mention of Montana brings to mind scenes of wide open spaces and an endless horizon, where the brilliant hues of a summer sunset swirl together over buttes, breaks and badlands. Nature truly is what Montana does best, and it is waiting to be explored.

The hot wind in your face and the rumble under your seat – that’s what you live for. Out here we have plenty of space for your free-spirited adventures. This is cruising at its finest. From small towns, to picturesque landscapes, to horizons that seemingly never end, these wide-open roads were made for bikes.

Red Lodge Visitors Center

Nestled in Montana’s magnificent Beartooth Mountains, Red Lodge delivers world-class outdoor recreation and access to Yellowstone National Park via the Beartooth Highway. A historic downtown features locally owned shops, restaurants and entertainment. Make Red Lodge your Base Camp to the Beartooths.

Miles City Chamber

Founded in 1876, at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Tongue rivers, Miles City is rich in history. Discover why we are truly a legendary Western town!

Montana's Yellowstone Country

The raw splendor of Yellowstone National Park doesn’t stop at the park boundary—it spills on for miles, encompassing an extraordinary region. Discover the peak of adventure in Montana's Yellowstone Country.

Baker Chamber

Stop at this friendly town on Montana’s border for a glimpse of vintage treasures and the world’s largest steer at the O’Fallon Museum. Or cool off in Baker Lake—the lake offers fishing, boating, swimming, water skiing, picnic areas and softball complex. Baker offers year-round activities for all.

Made in Montana

Made in Montana, including Grown in Montana and Native American Made in Montana, builds recognition for products that are "authentically Montana." The logo identifies products grown, created, made, or manufactured in Montana. Look for it when shopping local.

Miles City Bucking Horse Sale

Since 1951, The World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale has been uniting bucking horses, bronc riders and horse racing. We look forward to welcoming you to our event, the 3rd weekend in May, where the spirit of the West comes alive.

Billings Logan International Airport

The Billings Airport serves a large geographical area covering all of eastern Montana and northern Wyoming, providing direct year-round commercial air service to multiple airline hubs and communities in eastern Montana. Come and enjoy our newly remodeled facilities and new services.

Destination Missoula

There’s this place where adventure finds you.

Montana Invasive Species Council

Montana’s diverse landscapes and waterways are threatened by nonnative plants, animals, and pathogens. MISC fosters partnerships to help protect Montana’s economic, natural, and cultural resources from invasive species.

Visit Billings

Forge your own path to Montana’s trailhead. Born in the shadows of the Rimrocks, fed on the waters of the Yellowstone River, Billings is where your Montana adventures begin.

Glendive Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture

The Glendive Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture fosters growth & development and promotes cultural and educational activities benefiting local businesses and citizens. Join today!

Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Café

The Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Café is across from the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Enjoy our world-famous Indian taco or try a delicious buffalo burger or steak. Featuring American Indian jewelry, souvenirs, collectibles and art. Buses welcome!

Visit Southwest Montana

Between Yellowstone and Glacier national parks lies the best of Montana. Take time to enjoy this vast region of mountains, waterways, wildlife, hot springs and ghost towns. Our cities and towns offer locally owned restaurants, breweries, shopping and lodging experiences.

Prairie Unique

Prairie Unique is scenically located along the Yellowstone River in Terry, below the Terry Badlands and Calypso Trail—we stock hundreds of Montana products created from wood, berry, stone and more. Montana goods since 1995.

Western Montana’s Glacier Country

Western Montana’s Glacier Country is a region steeped in natural treasures, cultural richness and unforgettable experiences. Come for the Montana you had in mind—hiking, fishing, skiing and horseback riding—and gear up for the unexpected: a diverse tapestry of arts, cultures, culinary experiences, local vibes, unique lodging and vibrant small towns.

Follow us on Instagram

Stay Up To Date

• 1.800.346.1876

Partner News Stay up to date

Event Calendar

Photo + Video Library

Stay Up to Date

Visit Southeast Montana Mission Statement:

To increase visitors to Southeast Montana by increasing awareness of our region, showcasing our cultural heritage, developing memorable experiences and educating our residents about the economic benefits of tourism

Stay Up To Date

Southeast Montana

Southeast montana.

On land considered sacred by the Indian Nations that reside here, roam responsibly and receive a warm welcome to this legendary realm of pristine waters and natural wonders. 

For canyon grandness without the crowds, explore the expanses of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area . The views get especially dramatic from the water. Opt for pontoon rentals from Ok-A-Beh Marina near Fort Smith or free guided kayak tours available through the National Park Service.

SPLASH ZONE

If you’re looking for a catch you can really brag about, haul your tackle box to Tongue River Reservoir State Park , a rec-filled oasis on the prairie known for its record-breaking fish. Cast for crappie, walleye, bass and northern pike. The park also features 81 campsites, a small swimming beach, picnic areas and a marina store stocked with essentials.

PARK RANGER

Rugged badlands holding dinosaur fossils make Glendive’s Makoshika State Park a monstrous hit for families. Trails of varying difficulty beckon hikers and cyclists, and paleo experiences on summer Saturdays reveal the remains of T. rex, Triceratops and other once-roaring relics. Don’t miss the park’s visitors center filled with 74 million years’ worth of eastern Montana history

NATIVE CULTURE

Every June, the Northern Cheyenne tribe commemorates the Battle of the Little Bighorn during Cheyenne Victory Days. Experience a powwow highlighting cultural heritage through elaborate regalia, steady drumbeats and an abundance of dancing.

Great Things to Do in Southeast Montana

Last updated on February 15th, 2024 at 03:56 pm

Wild, wacky and wonderful are three words that encapsulate the experience of visiting Southeast Montana. A pontoon boat ride through Bighorn Canyon is wonderfully picturesque, and perhaps one of the most underrated experiences in the United States. The Terry Badlands offer another dramatically beautiful landscape.

Southeast Montana is also rich in Native American culture and history. Little Bighorn Battlefield was home to “Custer’s Last Stand,” a major Native American victory in the fight to preserve their way of life. Pompeys Pillar is where Captain Clark engr aved his name during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, helping to pave the way for American expansion.

Then there’s the wacky, like the world’s largest steer at the O’Fallon Historic Museum. And oddities like the Church of Hank Williams, whose congregation consumes around 5,000 beers per month. Yes – almost anything can be a church in the United States, and southeast Montana offers a wild variety of surprises. Here are some of the best things to experience in Southeast Montana!

Bighorn Canyon Pontoon Boat Ride

Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area is an incredibly scenic area to explore by pontoon boat and kayak. When I posted photos of Bighorn Canyon on social media, a couple people replied with ‘I thought that was the Grand Canyon at first.’ The area features more than 10,000 years of human history and diverse wildlife. The day I visited we saw a black bear roaming along the bank of the Bighorn River.

Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area is on the Crow tribe’s reservation, an area of land around the size of Delaware. The Crow partner with the National Park Service to allow visitors to enjoy their beautiful land. From Memorial Day to Labor Day visitors can rent pontoon boats from the Crow for $300 for half a day or $400 for a whole day for up to 12 people. This is a great idea for a family trip or getaway among a group of friends. Pack a picnic and enjoy the day in a stunning setting. The NPS even has floating bathroom stations set up in the Bighorn Canyon Recreation Area.

Terry Badlands

The Terry Badlands WSA is a designated Wilderness Study Area three miles northwest of the small town of Terry, in southeast Montana, north of the Yellowstone River. You can access the scenic overlook by a westbound dirt road directly off Highway 235 (The Big Sky Backcountry Byway). You can also access Terry Badlands via the Calypso trail. The Calypso Trail is a dirt road on the western side of the Wilderness Study Area, accessed by the old Milwaukee railroad grade.

Terry is home to the historic Kempton Hotel , established in 1902. The Kempton Hotel is the longest continually operating hotel in Montana. The B&B features a charming collection of art and an impressive library. The hotel is currently undergoing renovations and some rooms are newly renovated. It’s a good stay for those that appreciate historic family run bed and breakfasts. Some people think the Kempton Hotel is haunted, but no ghosts visited my room during my stay.

If you’re planning a road trip from Mount Rushmore or the Badlands National Park to Yellowstone National Park, the Terry Badlands is off the beaten path and a picturesque place to include in your itinerary!

Little Bighorn Battlefield

Little Bighorn Battlefield is one of the most important battlefields in the United States. The area memorializes the US Army’s 7th Cavalry, along with the Lakota and Cheyenne Native American tribes. In 1876, 263 US Army soldiers, including Lt. Col. George Custer, died fighting several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. It was one of the Native American’s last armed efforts to preserve their way of life after President Ulysses S. Grant ordered natives back onto their reservations, by force if necessary.

Rose Williamson gives fantastic tours of the Little Bighorn Battlefield through  Indian Battle Tours . She presents an in-depth account of the events of the two sides of the battle in an entertaining style that simply can’t be replicated by reading a book. Her tours range from one to three-hours long.

The cost for a 1 hour guided tour of Little Bighorn Battlefield with Rose Williamson starts at $90. How the tours work is you’ll arrange to pick up Rose at the entrance to Little Bighorn Battlefield and the tour takes place in your own vehicle, as well as stops on the battlefield.

Fly Fish on the Bighorn River

The Bighorn River offers world-class fly fishing opportunities. Fly fishing is an art, and if you haven’t tried it before, you’ll struggle to duplicate Brad Pitt’s performance in A River Runs Through It . The popular 90’s film put fly fishing in Montana on my radar for well over two decades, and I was glad to tick it off my bucket list.

Bighorn River Lodge is a great place to stay for those planning to fly fish. Cabins have modern amenities including air conditioning and the back decks have a great view overlooking the Bighorn River. Bighorn River Lodge is run by David and Carrie, a friendly couple originally from Philadelphia and Buffalo that take great care of their guests – including preparing homemade meals for dinner. They help guests arrange guided fly fishing excursions. And if you’ve never tried fishing, you’ll probably need a guide!

I struggled a little to catch on to fly fishing but managed to catch a beautiful brown trout with the assistance of JD. We put the fish back in the water following the photo. Fly fishing on the Bighorn River is really relaxing, and part of the fun is watching some excellent fly fishermen work their mesmerizing magic on the water.

Montana Fishing License

Buy a Montana fishing license online prior to fly fishing in Montana. There are several options, and the license is cheaper for Montana residents compared to out of state visitors. Attaining the license is easy. The cost for out of state visitors is $14 for a 1 day license, $56 for 5 consectuve days or $100 for the season.

A day fishing day license for Montana residents costs $5. The cost is $21 for state residents for the full season. Montana Youth and ages 62+ get a discount of $10.50 for a license allowing a full season of fly fishing.

Medicine Rocks State Park

Medicine Rocks State Park is 11 miles north of Ekalaka, Montana and is managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The name “Medicine Rocks” comes from a series of sandstone pillars that resemble hoodoos, which Native Americans believed to have medicinal purposes.

The unique sandstone pillars range in height from 60 to 80 feet (18 to 24 m) high and feature undulations, holes, and tunnels. The rocks are considered a sacred holy place by Plains Indians and contain numerous examples of Native American rock art. It’s a tranquil place to visit so there’s definitely something medicinal about that.

Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first tourists to visit Medicine Rocks State Park in the late 1800s and said it was “as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen.” Roosevelt was a rancher at the time and went on to become the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909.

12 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis at Medicine Rocks State Park. Camping is free for residents of Montana for up to 14 days. For non-Montana residents, the cost is $28.

Medicine Rocks State Park is home to mule deer, antelope, wood house toads and sharp-tailed grouse. It is also a wonderful place to stargaze at night, as there is very little light pollution. So bring a telescope if you have access to one!

Carter County Museum

Seventy-five million years ago Carter County was home to various species of dinosaurs, covering much of present-day eastern Montana. If you enjoy checking out dinosaur fossils, visit the Carter County Museum . Founded in 1936, the museum was the first county museum founded in Montana and the first to display dinosaurs. Located in the small town of Ekalaka, Carter County Museum houses some of the best paleontological discoveries in the United States. It is also home to a vast collection of artifacts related to Native Americans and early settlers of Carter County.

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

One of the many highlights of a visit to Southeast Montana is a visit to Pompeys Pillar National Monument . The view from the top is great, and it’s also historically significant. On the return leg of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806, Captain William Clark stopped at this pillar and carved his name into the rock, which is now encased in glass. It’s the only known rock carving by Captain Clark. The rock also features petroglyph carvings by Native Americans.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 following the Louisiana Purchase. The role of the expedition was to map newly acquired territory and find practical routes across the western half of the continent. This helped establish the US presence in the region, which eventually expanded the nation.

The Wacky of Southeast Montana

O’fallon historic museum.

Southeast Montana is packed with surprising quirks. The world’s largest steer, Steer Montana, is displayed at the O’Fallon Historic Museum . The museum is open Monday -Friday from 10am-4pm, and 10am-1pm on Sunday. Admission to O’Fallon Historic Museum is free.

Steer Montana was born on March 23, 1923 on a farm in the Fertile Prairie community east of Baker. Recorded as the world’s largest steer, he weighed 3,980 pounds, stood 5’ 11” tall, was 10’ 4” long and had a girth of 9’ 2”. He lived 15 years and four months.

People attributed Steer Montana’s gargantuan size to a whiskey mash that was a by-product of his owner, Jack Guth’s, still. Steer Montana toured the country, with Mr. Guth as his main attraction. After Steer Montana’s death, Mr. Guth mounted him and continued to tour. Don Foote purchased the mounted “Steer Montana” and initially displayed it in his museum “Wonderland in Billings.”

Powder River Historical Museum

A treasure trove of artifacts covering Western culture and history can be found at the Powder River Historical Museum . Collections include beautiful vintage clothing, interesting household items, old guns and ammunition, pre-1900 buggies, antique vehicles, tractors and farm implements, Native American artifacts and Western heritage items.

The Powder River Historical Museum also has period log buildings on the grounds. That includes a one-room rural log schoolhouse, which is furnished with original school house desks, chairs and decor.

Another important collections entails battlefield artifacts from the Reynolds Campaign in 1876. That was a prelude to the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Many residents of Southeastern Montana grew up hunting for arrowheads. Mac McCurdy accumulated one of the world’s largest collections of arrowheads. Mac’s Museum, on the Powder River Historical Museum grounds displays an incredible collection of over 1,700 arrowheads. It spans almost every state, with each cataloged and arranged by region.

Church of Hank Williams

The Church of Hank Williams in Ekalaka is housed in a former auto repair shop. The congregation proudly consumes 15,000 beers every 3 months. Cans are reduced via beer crusher, which is part of a church tour. It is open to the public, as I was taken there. Just be aware that female visitors are required to remove their bras and hang them on a clothes line. And in case you’re wondering – yes, they also host weddings and funerals!

Miles City, Montana

You may find yourself passing through Miles City, Montana. It is an interesting western town right off Interstate 94. There are several good hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops in Miles City.

Miles City Hotel

You’ll enjoy a comfortable night’s rest at the Sleep Inn & Suites Miles City . Rooms are modern, spacious and feature plush beds, refrigerators and large flat-screen TV’s. Additional amenities include an indoor pool, complimentary breakfast and express check-in and check-out.

Miles City Restaurant Recommendation

The Blackiron Grill steakhouse across the street from the Sleep Inn is a must in Miles City. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better ribeye steak dinner anywhere. Dinner at Blackiron Grill was my favorite meal in a Montana restaurant. They also feature an excellent selection of craft beers, wines and cocktails.

Traveling to Southeast Montana

Billings is the biggest city in Montana. So if you’re flying into the state to visit southeast Montana or Yellowstone National Park, plan to fly into Billings Airport. You will most likely have to make a connection in a bigger western hub like Denver, Seattle or Salt Lake City.

I flew into Billings from Seattle on Alaska Air, following a small ship cruise in Alaska . I then flew home to the Washington, DC area on Delta via Salt Lake City.

Where to Stay in Billings

Northern hotel.

The Northern Hotel is a popular place to stay in downtown Billings that offers historic luxury. It features sophisticated, western-inspired rooms, the retro-style Bernie’s Diner and on-site fine dining at TEN. Several of Billings’s attractions are within easy walking distance of the Northern Hotel, like the Yellowstone Art Museum, Western Heritage Center and St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral.

Towneplace Suites by Marriott Billings

I stayed at the Towneplace Suites by Marriott Billings , which is an excellent place to stay. All the rooms are suites and include kitchenettes with full sized refrigerators and dishwashers. The hotel also features an indoor pool, laundry facilities and complimentary breakfast.

I used bonus points from my Bonvoy American Express card to stay 5 nights for just $47 total during the TBEX travel blogger conference! Read more of my travel hacking tips to save big money on your travels!

Disclosure: I toured the region while on a hosted press trip with the Southeast Montana tourism board following the TBEX travel blogger conference. Special thanks to Brenda Maas and Kristen Victoria for organizing an awesome trip! All opinions and photos here are my own. 

More from Wanderlust Marriage

Alex Kallimanis is an award winning travel journalist and travel planner who has visited 67+ different countries, including all 27 European Union countries across all continents except Antarctica. He has resided around the world, living in countries like Australia, the Netherlands and Ireland for over 7 years combined. Currently residing in the Tampa, Florida, area with his wife Bell, he still spends much of his time in Europe as a dual Greek citizen. Alex is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor of arts degree in history, and was the president of Phi Alpha Theta (Honors History Society) during his senior year there. Alex is an avid enthusiast of sports, spas, delicious food, the outdoors, craft beverages, history and culture.

View all posts

Previous Post

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 Yes, add me to your mailing list

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .