{"id":12508,"date":"2019-09-23T15:53:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T19:53:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/?p=12508"},"modified":"2024-06-18T07:34:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T11:34:41","slug":"best-things-to-do-in-yellowstone-country-montana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/best-things-to-do-in-yellowstone-country-montana\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Things to Do in Yellowstone Country Montana"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWhy on earth would you go to Montana?\u201d, asked more than one person of me when I announced my upcoming travel plans. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m speaking at the Travel Blog Exchange conference, then I’m doing a Montana road trip.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy on earth would they have a travel conference in Montana?\u201d came the reply. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referred to (un)affectionately as a \u201cflyover state\u201d, Montana isn’t particularly known for being a destination in its own right. So imagine my surprise, after a little over a week of covering off the best things to do in Yellowstone Country (a large area but ultimately a small chunk of the south part of the state), when a wee inner voice uttered four words I never ever thought Montana could inspire: \u201c<\/span>I could live here<\/span><\/i>.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"During
Pin it for later!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. <\/em>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It All Starts in Billings<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, it doesn’t all start in Billings. (It’s just where I started). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billings was where the conference was held, partly because it is Montana’s largest city. Now don’t get all impressed by that fact; the gigantic state of Montana (which is larger than the entire country of Germany) has one million people; Billings makes up less than 150,000 of that. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Things<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So the first two things I learned about Montana, are that there’s a lot of empty space, and pretty much everywhere you go (even it’s biggest city), it feels like a small town. <\/b>While hardcore urbanites might cringe at that idea, I found it charming and full of character. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I certainly met a few characters in Montana. <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Lodge, Montana<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Red
Photo credit: Merv Coleman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Gwen sat down at our lunch table in Red Lodge Montana and started talking to us like we were continuing a conversation we’d started a few minutes earlier. Only thing is, we had no idea who she was. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was soon rectified. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exemplifying the spirit of Red Lodge (a small town at the entrance to the Beartooth Scenic Highway \u2013 cited as the most scenic drive in the U.S.), Gwen took us on a literal and metaphorical journey through Red Lodge that left our group in awe of this tiny town with a huge heart. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRed Lodge’s population is exactly 2,222 people. We like that number. So when a baby is born, the old people get real nervous,\u201d was Gwen’s opening line. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAround here, we say it’s officially winter when the snow is still in Martha’s yard after 10am,\u201d she continued in her running monologue. Right after that happens, the town gathers (in Martha’s yard) to celebrate \u201cthe Last Sundae of Summer\u201d; people bring sundae toppings and fix themselves up a sundae using the fresh snow in lieu of ice cream. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this point, our small group was in love with Gwen \u2013 and by extension, Red Lodge. And they both continued to deliver. <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wildlife in Red Lodge Montana<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Red<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You want wildlife? You got it. In fact, the school teachers in Red Lodge are required to carry bear spray at all times. While the bears don’t tend to come into the school buildings, they have been known to hang out in the yard. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this isn’t limited to Red Lodge; a few days before I arrived in Big Sky Montana, a bear cub made its way into a restaurant bathroom. And while I was in Montana’s urban hub of Billings, a <\/span>mountain lion<\/span><\/i> was reportedly on the loose in town. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montana is a wild place, as I would soon discover for myself.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Lodge’s proximity to the mountains makes it extra exciting. \u201cWe have two bears that hang around our property,\u201d started Gwen. \u201cI named them both of course. Bebe The Bad Bear is the most annoying. She licks the windows all the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? A wild bear licks the windows? Of your house?\u201d I replied, incredulous. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYep.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile you’re in the house?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYep.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, you actually <\/span>see<\/span><\/i> her as she does this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course not! I’m watching tv. My husband thinks Bebe licks the windows cuz she doesn’t like what I’m watching.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that moment on, my colleagues and I were extra careful to look left and right before crossing the road in Red Lodge, and we weren’t looking for cars. <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small Town Hospitality<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Montana<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While some people cringe at the idea of living in a small town, others find it idyllic. If you like the anonymity of a city, you might be challenged, given the inherent family dynamic. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are no chain establishments in Red Lodge, and it’s a badge of pride. \u201cThe only way for a town like ours to survive is to shop locally,\u201d said Gwen, while admitting that people will get together to do necessary regular runs into Billings (one hour away) for supplies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trips to Billings are also necessary for more sophisticated medical care. When Gwen had cancer, a sign was posted at the local Chamber of Commerce asking for volunteers to drive her to and from her chemo\/radiation treatments. Every single day, a different person arrived to pick her up! The outpouring of local support surprised even Gwen. <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skiing in Red Lodge (and Yellowstone Country Montana)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While Red Lodge got its start in the 1800’s as a coal mining town, it’s now known primarily for two things; being the starting point for the Beartooth Highway (more on that in a minute), and also for being one of the best-kept secrets when it comes to skiing.<\/b> Red Lodge Mountain is on the eastern front of the Beartooth Mountain Range (Montana’s tallest mountain range), and it offers everything you could possibly expect from a ski resort \u2013 except the crowds. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the same can be said for the three big ski resorts in Yellowstone Country Montana \u2013 the other two being Bridger Bowl near Bozeman (arguably the busiest, yet still devoid of lift lines), and Big Sky, which is a year-round playground resort town offering an obscene amount of outdoorsy activities. Montana’s winter tag line is \u201cworld-class skiing, without the world.\u201d (Click here to learn more about Skiing in Montana<\/a>, and other winter activities).<\/em><\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beartooth Pass <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Beartooth
Photo Credit – Andy Austin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Beartooth Pass (also referred to as Beartooth Highway Montana) is the most scenic drive in the U.S<\/b>.; but sadly, I couldn’t tell – this September day saw low-lying clouds, cool temperatures, and rain. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later the same day, the highway was closed entirely due to snow. In fact, Beartooth Scenic Highway is only open from May to October; the rest of the time it’s generally buried in obscene amounts of snow. Gwen showed us a picture of a local road near Beartooth Pass that is plowed; we were aghast to see a literal wall of snow well over 20 feet high. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when the timing is right, it’s magical, on four wheels or two; <\/span>the American Motorcyclist Association named the Beartooth Highway the #1 motorcycle ride in the United States<\/b>! <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Yellowstone Country \u2013 Planning a Trip to Yellowstone<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Planning<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My journey through Montana was specifically focused on visiting Yellowstone Country, which is about sooooo much more than Yellowstone National Park. In fact, most of the national park itself is in Wyoming, with only a sliver in Montana and another sliver in Idaho. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, <\/span>Montana is home to three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park<\/b>, so if you’re planning a trip to Yellowstone, Montana will likely be a part of your Yellowstone itinerary. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The north entrance (at the adorable town of Gardiner Montana) is the only one open to road traffic year-round. During the winter, you can access the park using the other entrances on snowmobile, snow-coach, skiing, and snowshoeing. Betcha didn’t know you could explore Yellowstone in the winter, huh? Well, it’s a winter wonderland; even I (one who detests winter and has done a good job of avoiding it for the last 13 years) am intrigued to return to Yellowstone Country when the snow flies. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My visit to Red Lodge and the Beartooth Scenic Highway was an easy day-trip with colleagues from Billings before the conference began. After the conference <\/span>(I killed it by the way \u2013 <\/span><\/i>hire me to speak at your next event<\/span><\/i><\/a> and you won’t be disappointed<\/span><\/i>), myself and a colleague (Meagan) went on a road trip for the next five days, courtesy of <\/span>Yellowstone Country Montana<\/span><\/a>, and led by Colin whose wry sense of humour and love of Montana shone through his quiet demeanour. Disclosure: the trip was complimentary, but I was not compensated nor encouraged to write anything specific. All opinions are my own. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to the story of Montana. <\/span>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yellowstone National Park (What to do on a Yellowstone Vacation)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"Old<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While my trip was focused on Montana, it simply wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Yellowstone National Park (which straddles both Montana and Wyoming). With only half a day, we had to pick and choose what to see. Old Faithful<\/strong> was of course a must (being somewhat iconic, as well as dependable with eruptions approximately every 90 minutes), but in reality it paled in comparison to some of the other sites, which were unassumingly magnificent. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Norris<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Norris Geyser Basin<\/strong> (not to be confused with Norris Hot Springs, which is in another part of Montana \u2013 where you’ll find lots of natural hot springs on the whole) had various easy looping trails that took us by sulphur springs of impossibly blue hues and steaming pits resembling alien landscapes. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Mammoth<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces<\/strong> was another brilliant stop, and it is constantly changing and evolving. Both Colin and Meagan had visited this spot at different times a few years ago, and said it was comparatively unrecognizable. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Emerald<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But the truth is you can’t really go wrong in Yellowstone National Park. <\/span>Its 3,400 square miles encompasses 1,000 miles of trails, 10,000 hydrothermal features, 290 waterfalls, 500 geysers (300 of which are active), and more. <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the wildlife? Off the charts. In one afternoon of driving around the park, we saw elk, bison, tons of large birds, a bear, and even a wolf. <\/span>(Click here for <\/span><\/i>Yellowstone National Park info<\/span><\/i><\/a>)<\/span><\/i>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div> \n\n