This is Big Sky country. This is the place of wide open spaces and a sky that seem to open to the universe. The landscape is varied, fascinating and beautiful, interrupted only occasionally by small towns - each a jewel. Montana is overflowing with ranches and people who are far removed from the rush and humdrum of life. Life here is good. For the visitor, Montana is an oasis from world of tension. Come to Montana and experience it for yourself. You will want to come back often.
Capital: Helena
Population: 856,057
Area: 147, 138
Time: Mountain Time
Geography: Canada is on Montana's northern border. To the east is North Dakota and South Dakota. To the south is Wyoming and to the southwest is Idaho. The eastern end of the state is made up of a rolling landscape containing a number of Indian reservations. West of Billings and Great Falls the landscape begins to change giving way to more forest and finally the Rocky Mountains.
Eastern Montana
Little Bighorn - On June 25, 1876 the flamboyant and self aggrandized Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer ordered the destruction of a teepee village along the Little Bighorn River. While pursuing women and children, Custer's band was encircled by over 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors who calmly and effortlessly picked off each of Custer's men in less than an hour. The incident became not only the last stand for Custer, but for the Indians as well. President Grant, furious over the Indian show, amassed huge resources that very shortly brought the end of the resistance in the Plains Indians. The monument is 55 miles southeast of Billings about 2 miles off of I-90 on US 212. White tablets mark where each soldier fell and a simple obelisk marks their mass grave. Custer is buried at West Point - where he graduated last in his class.
Hardin -This area comes alive on the annual anniversary of "Little Bighorn" falling always on the closest weekend to June 25th. There are scores of reenactments, Indian dances, a rodeo and various activities such as parades and dances. The rest of the year, the population tends to farming which is the major source of income.
Billings - Frederick Billings, one time president of the old Northern Pacific Railroad, gave this community its name. The most significant feature of the town is the natural boundary on two sides by the 400 ft. Rimrock Sandstone Cliffs. The Peter Yeger, Jr. Museum holds a curious variety of locally significant memorabilia of Montana Pioneers which is worthwhile stopping to see.
Redlodge - Some 60 miles to the south of Billings is Redlodge which was originally settled to supply coal for the transcontinental railroad. When the mine closed in 1924, the town was spared ruin when the Scenic Beartooth Highway was built to connect to Cooke City which lies at the northeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The extreme 'curveyness' of the road makes it one of the most remarkable to drive in the Rockies. One feature of the run is the existence of snow at 10,000 ft. Due to the algae content, the normally white snow turns pink when crushed.
Western Montana
Missoula - The 10,000 student University of Montana makes it home here and reflects an intriguing blend of academic and blue-collar population. The Visitor Center is a must. It has information on just about everything in the area and lots outside the area as well. There are ski areas nearby including the Snowbowl which has a summer chair lift. In 1896, the town became the home of the 25th infantry Bicycle Corps which was organized to test the concept of fast troop deployment by bicycle - especially in mountainous regions. Today the corps is gone, but Missoula has some of the best bicycle and dirt bike paths in America.
Butte - Butte is an awesome memorial to mining. This is a friendly town that holds strong, ethnic Irish traditions. The townspeople are very pleasant and enjoyable. If you are in the neighborhood on St. Patrick's Day (March 17), the town becomes alive with green and Irish celebration. At other times, the main attraction in the excellent World Museum of Mining. Hell Roarin' Gulch is a 37 building re-creation of a mining camp complete with saloon, church, bordello, school and Chinese laundry. The cobbled streets add to the atmosphere. Illuminated by floodlights at night is the 90 ft. "Our Lady of the Rockies," which sits at the Continental Divide about 3,500 ft above Butte.
Climate
The winter in Montana is cold and snowy. Snow acculumations are usually quite high especially in the mountains. The Sping and fall are usually chilly but pleasant. The summers are usually warm and quite comfortable. |
