Montana "hi-line"

[RickLight]

Anyone have tips for north or east Montana? Cool places, great sights, places to skip??

We are looking at going from Spokane, WA to Bozeman, MT via the Dakotas! We have 8 weeks (April-June) and haven't been to TR National Park. Naturally a swing through Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower are in order. But it's early enough that high mountain snow will keep us out of Glacier and Yellowstone.

Fort Peck lake has a bunch of campgrounds, but I don't know anything about the area and what's good. Are they all for fishing/boating?

[docsouce]

Havre "Beneath the Streets" was pretty neat. US 2 in Havre Montana.

[paulj]

MT200 (along with ID and ND segments of the same number) is an in between option.

[j3ff9ack]

Islandman wrote:
It appears that you are taking an adventure route to Bozeman, for which I'd do the same as Montana is a great place to visit along with the Dakotas. A place to visit is Fort Lincoln near the MT/ND border which is a very historic fur trading post near where the Yellowstone River joins the Missouri. Lots of history there and it's well presented, another place to visit is Fort Benton and of course the Big Springs area very close to Great Falls. Have a good trip, people in Montana are nice to know and meet.

If you get to Great Falls, don't miss the C. M. Russell museum if you like Western art - it's a great stop for a few hours. Lots of Lewis and Clark history along the Missouri river all the way across the state.

[John_Burke]

Fort Lincoln is next to Bismarck, on the Missouri river. Gen Custer stayed there. Last place he lived, left there for Little Big Horn. His house and several other buildings have been reconstructed. It has a nice campground and is worth the visit.
North of Bismarck about 40 miles is Fort Mandan. Lewis and Clark stayed there one winter. The reconstruction of the fort has been done really well.
Fort Union is up by Williston on the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.
Check the states websites, they have several events at all three places that are really interesting.
While at Teddy Roosevelt south unit park be sure to take in the pitchfork fondue and the musical.
Between Dickinson and Bismarck is a highway called the enchanted road. A man from Regent has built huge steel structures about outdoor scenes. Runs about 30 miles north and south.
There are many place along I 90 and 94 through Mont on the way to ND, oldest prison in Deer Lodge MT, the start of the Missouri river by Livingston, Little Big Horn.
Go east through MT on the Sothern route to Bismarck up through Ft Mandan, over the Garrison Dam. Then west to HY 85 then north to the north unit of Teddy Roosevelt north unit. Up to Ft Buford and then west on Hy 2.

[paulj]

You can check the park web sites. US2 around the south side of Glacier will be open, but Going To The Sun through Glacier is a late opening. There's still stuff to see on the west side, along with tourist towns. East side access points are through the Blackfoot Reservation, and have been closed this year.

East of the mountains, US2 is open flat and straight, with a few small towns and a scattering of rec sites (COE). Camping in western ND used to hard to find due the oil field activity, but the past year may have cooled that.

There have been tons of Yellowstone questions.

[pfidahospud]

If you visit Fort Benton, visit the Shep statue. Quite the tear-jerker story.
http://www.fortbenton.com/shep.html

There’s also the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center and Old Fort Benton.

[RickLight]

Some good ideas here.

Thanks and keep them coming!!

[Islandman]

It appears that you are taking an adventure route to Bozeman, for which I'd do the same as Montana is a great place to visit along with the Dakotas. A place to visit is Fort Lincoln near the MT/ND border which is a very historic fur trading post near where the Yellowstone River joins the Missouri. Lots of history there and it's well presented, another place to visit is Fort Benton and of course the Big Springs area very close to Great Falls. Have a good trip, people in Montana are nice to know and meet.

[Lwiddis]

Don’t miss either unit of TRNP IMO.

[agesilaus]

Ft Peck in NE MT is a good camping spot especially if you boat. We spent a few says there last summer.

[pfidahospud]

If you like small towns, I'd highly suggest Virgelle Mercantile. Rent a canoe from there to explore the Missouri Breaks, stay at the B&B or rent a cabin, or just browse the antiques. There are quite a few historic buildings there that made up the townsite that are on the historic register. We camped at Coal Banks Landing BLM site just east of Virgelle.

[ORbiker]

RickLight wrote:
Anyone have tips for north or east Montana? Cool places, great sights, places to skip??

We are looking at going from Spokane, WA to Bozeman, MT via the Dakotas! We have 8 weeks (April-June) and haven't been to TR National Park. Naturally a swing through Badlands, Black Hills, Devils Tower are in order. But it's early enough that high mountain snow will keep us out of Glacier and Yellowstone.

Fort Peck lake has a bunch of campgrounds, but I don't know anything about the area and what's good. Are they all for fishing/boating?

I don't know if you have ever driven 12 east of Lewiston, ID. It's very scenic. 12 goes across the USA for a long ways. If you want to enjoy your adventure, stay off the freeways. KEN