Montana Parks
The spacious state of Montana (Spanish for “mountain”) is home to several different natural parks. These locations regularly attract visitors and locals alike, always offering a new experience no matter how many times one travels there. The best-known park located entirely in Montana is Glacier National Park, which occupies more than 1,000,000 acres of the state. Within its boundaries are more than 130 lakes and over 1,000 plant species. The Blackfeet and Flathead tribes occupied the region in its earliest days, and it was a popular tourist attraction even at the start of the 20th century. Historic hotels built by the Great Northern Railway to house tourists are also recognized as National Historic Landmarks.The other big name in Montana is Yellowstone National Park. Montana includes three of the five entrances to the park, which is also located in Wyoming and Idaho. The Old Faithful Geyser, which erupts regularly every 45 to 125 minutes, is one of the park’s most prided locations, but visitors can also see Yellowstone Lake (one of the largest high-altitude North American lakes) and the Yellowstone Caldera, a tremendous active supervolcano which contains half of the world’s geothermal features.The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is located on the northern Wyomingsouthern Montana borderthe canyon includes most of Bighorn Lake, which was formed after the construction of the Yellowtail Dam in 1966. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is also a popular site for history buffs and includes memorials to the Native Americans and U.S. soldiers who lost their lives there. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail passes through Wyoming on its way west, and a limestone cavern, located in Jefferson County and discovered in 1892, was named after the famous explorers.That’s only a taste of what’s waiting in Montana. Don’t forget to visit the Big Hole National Battlefield, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, or the Nez Perce National Historical Park during your stay.