Head of Tide

It is hard to know where to start when describing our visit to The Treasure State. Due to its large size, diverse geography, and amazing history it is difficult to summarize our experience. Our recent visit lasted about two months and we stayed in eight different cities. We spent most of our time in the western part of the state, which is more picturesque and did not visit Glacier National Park as we had gone there on a prior visit. Perhaps the best way to begin is to describe our visit in the chronological order of our experience.

Garryowen, Montana – We entered Montana on I-90 coming from the east and our first stop was Garryowen near the battlefield where Custer and his men fought their last battle. The layout of the battlefield is very sobering and worth a visit by anyone interested in this very famous event. An overnight in Garryowen to see the battlefield is the right amount of time to spend there.

Anaconda, Montana – The first thing you notice about Anaconda is a very large monolithic-like structure that can be seen from I-15 before exiting. Upon closer inspection one discovers the structure is a smelter smoke stack. It is the tallest surviving masonry structure in the world and the only remnant (as long as you don’t count the leftover slag pile) of a large smelter operation from the age of the Copper Kings. The city of Anaconda was created as a company town next to the nearby smelter. Ore mined from Butte (about 25 miles to the east) traveled by rail to Anaconda where copper was separated from the other minerals. The smelter was located to Anaconda after health concerns and a scarcity of water and wood in Butte precipitated the move. The smelter was shut down years ago and a massive pollution cleanup ensued thereafter.

While in Anaconda we took a drive north to the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site and learned about the vibrant history of ranching in Montana. We spent one week in Anaconda which was about three days too long. It was very windy.

Dillon, Montana – Dillon is a small town located in the Beaverhead River Valley. The valley is picturesque, however, most people pass Dillon by or only spend an evening as a layover. The townspeople are proud of their community but due to its size, there isn’t a lot to keep one entertained. We did visit two landmarks nearby; Clark’s Lookout State Park and Beaverhead Rock (where Sacagawea reunited with her brother and helped negotiate horses for the Lewis and Clark Expedition). For the rest of our Montana journey I continued to see and seek more information about Lewis and Clark as a lot of their trials and tribulations occurred there.

The other thing about Dillon was its close proximity to the old gold mining towns which initially brought the railroads to the area. In my opinion, the most interesting of these towns was the nearby ghost town of Bannack although Nevada City and Virginia City were interesting too. Originally the capital of the Montana territory, Bannack, has a lot of history and the buildings which remain are original to their locations. Two weeks in Dillon was one week too long.

Hamilton, Montana – One of the drives that left me in awe was the trip from Dillon to Hamilton. We took Montana 278 and went through the Big Hole pass into the Big Hole River Valley. The view was spectacular with a large lush green valley in the foreground and the distant snow-capped mountains in the distance. The Big Hole Valley is amazing (see initial photo) and there were beaverslides in abundance.

From the Big Hole Valley, we traveled through the Chief Joseph Pass which brought us into the Bitterroot River Valley. Montana is one valley after another and they are all scenic. After the turnoff north toward Hamilton on US-93 the valley gets wider. Near the small town of Darby we witnessed evidence of film crews shooting the Yellowstone television series which was kinda cool. We did not see any actors, however.

I consider Hamilton as the center of fishing for the Bitterroot River as we saw many, boats, guides, and fisherfolk. We also came across another example of the reach of the Copper Kings when we visited the Daly Mansion. Marcus Daly was one of the men who built fortunes in Butte and founded the company that built the Anaconda smelter. We also came across more evidence of the presence of Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot Valley when we visited Ross Hole. We spent a week in Hamilton and that was about the right amount of time for our visit there.

Eureka, MT – From Hamilton, we went north looking for cooler weather and found none. Not sure why I thought going north would be cooler but in July temperatures hovered in the mid to high nineties…but I digress. Eureka is about thirteen miles south of the Canadian border so naturally we had to drive into Canada and look around. We visited Fort Steele and Cranbrook in British Columbia. One interesting drive near Eureka is the scenic drive along Lake Koocanusa. We spent two weeks in Eureka and that was a huge mistake. We would have been better served staying closer to Whitefish or Kalispell for at least part of the time but that’s why we do what we do. We learn by doing.

Missoula, Montana – Missoula is a beautiful city and home to the University of Montana. The city grew up where the Bitterroot River joins with the Clark Fork River making for an interesting cityscape. We visited Caras Park for music and food trucks. We spent an enjoyable week in Missoula.

Great Falls, Montana – While in Hamilton we met a friend of my sister and he suggested we visit Great Falls and Fort Benton. We took his suggestion and were not disappointed. Great Falls is another place that grew during the Copper Kings era as it had a smelter too. The falls provided ample energy for hydroelectric generation and the railroads followed along. In addition, a Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a must-see as the story of the expedition having to portage several miles around the falls is explained. We stayed in Great Falls for a week and only took a day trip to Fort Benton. I think if we had found a better campground we would have stayed longer.

Helena, Montana – Our last stop of note was the state capital. It is a beautiful city with a unique pedestrian-friendly downtown. In addition to visiting the Capitol, we took the Gates of the Mountains boat tour up the Missouri River. We spent an enjoyable week in Helena.

Conclusion – Montana is a beautiful state with many natural resources and a rich colorful history. We had a great visit and hope to visit again.