Thread:61Storm/@comment-29709319-20190401001525/@comment-29709319-20190503014358

🇺🇸Montana gets it name from the Spanish word Montaña, which in turn comes from the Latin word Montanea, meaning "mountain", or more broadly, "mountainous country". Montana is the 4th largest in area and the 8th least populous of the 50 U.S. states. It's capital is Helena and its largest city is Billings. It's nickname(s): Big Sky Country or The Treasure State. Motto: Gold and Silver. State song: "Montana". Living insignia; Bird: 🕊Western meadowlark, Butterfly: 🦋Mourning cloak, Fish: 🐟Westslope cutthroat trout, Flower: 🌸Bitterroot, Mammal: 🐻Grizzly bear, Tree: 🌲Ponderosa pine. Inanimate insignia; Fossil: Petrified wood, Gemstone: Sapphire, Agate, Slogan: Big Sky Country. Highest point is Granite Peak at 12,807 ft (3903.5 m). Lowest point is Kootenai River at Idaho border at 1,804 ft (557 m). Montana is one of the nine Mountain States and it is the largest landlocked U.S. state. Montana's water resources provide for recreation, hydropower, crop and forage irrigation, mining, and water for human consumption. Montana is one of few geographic areas in the world whose rivers form parts of three major watersheds (i.e. where two continental divides intersect). Its rivers feed the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay. The watersheds divide at Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park. Forests cover approximately 25 percent of the state. Montana is home to a diverse array of fauna that includes 14 amphibian, 90 fish, 117 mammal, 20 reptile and 427 bird species. Additionally, there are over 10,000 invertebrate species. Montana has the largest grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states. Montana hosts five federally endangered species–black-footed ferret, whooping crane, least tern, pallid sturgeon and white sturgeon and seven threatened species including the grizzly bear and Canadian lynx. Approximately 31,300,000 acres (127,000 km2), or 35 percent of Montana's land is administered by federal or state agencies. Average daytime temperatures vary from 28°F (-2.2°C) in January to 84.5°F (29.2°C) in July. The variation in geography leads to great variation in temperature. The highest observed summer temperature was 117°F (47.2 °C) at Glendive on July 20, 1893, and Medicine Lake on July 5, 1937. Throughout the state, summer nights are generally cool and pleasant. Snowfall has been recorded in all months of the year in the more mountainous areas of central and western Montana, though it is rare in July and August. The coldest temperature on record for Montana is also the coldest temperature for the entire contiguous U.S. On January 20, 1954, -70°F (-56.7°C) was recorded at a gold mining camp near Rogers Pass. Temperatures vary greatly on cold nights, and Helena, 40 miles (64 km) to the southeast had a low of only -36°F (37.8°C) on the same date, and an all-time record low of -42°F (-41.1°C). Average annual precipitation varies from 6.59 inches (167 mm) (Belfry, MT) to 105 inches (2,700 mm)(Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park) depending on location. Most of the larger cities get 30 to 50 inches (0.76 to 1.27 meters) of snow each year. Mountain ranges can accumulate 300 inches (7.62 meters) of snow during a winter. Heavy snowstorms may occur from September through May, though most snow falls from November to March. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans and settlers from the United States included the Crow in the south-central area; the Cheyenne in the very southeast; the Blackfeet, Assiniboine and Gros Ventres in the central and north-central area; and the Kootenai and Salish in the west. The smaller Pend d'Oreille and Kalispel tribes lived near Flathead Lake and the western mountains. The first permanent settlement by Euro-Americans in what today is Montana was St. Mary's (1841) near present-day Stevensville. In 1847, Fort Benton was established as the uppermost fur-trading post on the Missouri River. In the 1850s, settlers began moving into the Beaverhead and Big Hole valleys from the Oregon Trail and into the Clark's Fork valley. The first gold discovered in Montana was at Gold Creek near present-day Garrison in 1852. A series of major mining discoveries in the western third of the state starting in 1862 found gold, silver, copper, lead, coal (and later oil) that attracted tens of thousands of miners to the area. The richest of all gold placer diggings was discovered at Alder Gulch, where the town of Virginia City was established. Other rich placer deposits were found at Last Chance Gulch, where the city of Helena now stands, Confederate Gulch, Silver Bow, Emigrant Gulch, and Cooke City. Gold output from 1862 through 1876 reached $144 million; silver then became even more important. The largest mining operations were in the city of Butte, which had important silver deposits and gigantic copper deposits. Montana became a United States territory (Montana Territory) on May 26, 1864. The first territorial capital was at Bannack. The first territorial governor was Sidney Edgerton. The capital moved to Virginia City in 1865 and to Helena in 1875. In 1869 and 1870, the Cook–Folsom–Peterson and the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expeditions were launched from Helena into the Upper Yellowstone region and directly led to the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. The first U.S. Army post established in Montana was Camp Cooke in 1866, on the Missouri River, to protect steamboat traffic going to Fort Benton, Montana. More than a dozen additional military outposts were established in the state. Pressure over land ownership and control increased due to discoveries of gold in various parts of Montana and surrounding states. Major battles occurred in Montana during Red Cloud's War, the Great Sioux War of 1876, the Nez Perce War and in conflicts with Piegan Blackfeet. The most notable of these were the Marias Massacre (1870), Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876), Battle of the Big Hole (1877) and Battle of Bear Paw (1877). The last recorded conflict in Montana between the U.S. Army and Native Americans occurred in 1887 during the Battle of Crow Agency in the Big Horn country. Indian survivors who had signed treaties were generally required to move onto reservations. Simultaneously with these conflicts, bison, a keystone species and the primary protein source that Native people had survived on for centuries were being destroyed. In 1875, General Philip Sheridan pleaded to a joint session of Congress to authorize the slaughtering of herds in order to deprive the Indians of their source of food. By 1884, commercial hunting had brought bison to the verge of extinction; only about 325 bison remained in the entire United States. In July 1889, Montanans convened their third constitutional convention and produced a constitution accepted by the people and the federal government. On November 8, 1889 President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed Montana the forty-first state in the union. The first state governor was Joseph K. Toole. In 1917–18, due to a miscalculation of Montana's population, approximately 40,000 Montanans, ten percent of the state's population, volunteered or were drafted into the armed forces. This represented a manpower contribution to the war that was 25 percent higher than any other state on a per capita basis. Montana's Remount station in Miles City provided 10,000 cavalry horses for the war, more than any other Army post in the US. The war created a boom for Montana mining, lumber and farming interests as demand for war materials and food increased. When the U.S. entered World War II many Montanans already had enlisted in the military to escape the poor national economy of the previous decade. Another 40,000-plus Montanans entered the armed forces in the first year following the declaration of war, and over 57,000 joined up before the war ended. These numbers constituted about 10 percent of the state's population, and Montana again contributed one of the highest numbers of soldiers per capita of any state. Many Native Americans were among those who served, including soldiers from the Crow Nation who became Code Talkers. During World War II, the planned battleship USS Montana was named in honor of the state. However, the battleship was never completed. Montana is the only one of the first 48 states lacking a completed battleship being named for it. There are seven Indian reservation in Montana. Blackfeet Indian Reservation (1851), Crow Indian Reservation (1868), Flathead Indian Reservation (1855), Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (1884), Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (1888), Fort Peck Indian Reservation (1888), Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation (1916). Approximately 63% of all Native people live off the reservations. And a 1990 census data indicated that people from as many as 275 different tribes lived in Montana. The first formal school on record was at Fort Owen in Bitterroot valley in 1862. The students were Indian children and the children of Fort Owen employees. The first legislature authorized counties to levy taxes for schools, which set the foundations for public schooling. Madison County was the first to take advantage of the newly authorized taxes and it formed fhe first public school in Virginia City in 1886. There are no major league sports franchises in Montana due to the state's relatively small and dispersed population. 1️⃣The American Computer & Robotics Museum, formerly known as the American Computer Museum, is a museum of the history of computing, communications, artificial intelligence and robotics that is located in Bozeman, Montana. It was founded in May 1990 by Barbara and George Keremedjiev as a non-profit organization. It is likely the oldest extant museum dedicated to the history of computers in the world. The Computer Museum in Boston opened first, but it closed in 1999. Some of the permanent exhibits: ✨Brains & Thinking Machines - A comprehensive exhibit on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Automation. ✨The Age of American Optimism - 1939-1969: The technologies and popular science fiction cultural expectations of America. ✨A reconstruction of the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek analogue computer and orrery used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendar and astrological purposes decades in advance, and for tracking the four-year cycle of athletic games. ✨The Cal Tech: The First Successful Electronic Handheld Calculator prototype & the First Original Pocket Calculator prototype. ✨The Apple 1 & the Altair: A unique exhibit on the history and origins of Apple Inc. with a focus on Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, the Apple I Computer and numerous other historic Apple artifacts, documents and photographs - Plus an Altair Computer and an original January 1975 Popular Electronics Magazine announcing the Altair signed by Ed Roberts, Bill Gates, Paul Allen & Monte Davidoff. ✨1,700 Years of Women in Science & Technology (original documents and autographed items from Lavoisier, Lovelace, Currie, Goodall, Franklin, Ride, etc.). ✨Wired & Wireless Communications (earliest telephones, phonographs, cell and smart phones, radios, televisions, etc.). ✨Texting from the Babylonians through the Telegraph (including a Gutenberg Press reconstruction). ✨Internet History, Miniaturization and a Comparison of an Actual Human Brain & a Personal Computer. ✨Four Generations of Computers Using Relays, Vacuum Tubes, Transistors and Chips. ✨Personal Computers and Video Games. ✨Weaving Looms to Punched Cards to Software. The above is a partial list of the thousands of artifacts, books, documents, images, etc. in the American Computer Museum's holdings. 2️⃣Big Sky Resort is a nearly 6,000-acre ski resort in the southwestern region of Montana near Bozeman. The resort is the largest ski resort in the US by area. The resort features seven terrain parks with varying levels of slopes for skiing and snowboarding. Snowshoeing is also a popular activity. Although it is a primarily a winter destination, Big Sky Resort also offers summer activities, which include ziplining, paintball, archery, mountain biking, horseback riding, and more. The full-service resort features a plethora of dining options, shopping opportunities, events, childcare, a gym and spa services. 3️⃣The National Bison Range is a federally owned Bison preserve that was established to preserve and protect the Bison species in a naturalistic environment. The Visitor Center is the best place to begin a visit to the Bison Range. The center staff members provide information about the wildlife and flowers, which may be seen as well as any other activities. The center also includes exhibits and displays dedicated to the history and conservation of bison as well as local and Native American history. The herd includes 350-500 bison as well as other wild animals, which can best be seen by driving one of the park’s scenic driving paths in one’s personal vehicle. The park also features a few short walking trails. 4️⃣Montana Grizzly Encounter is a Grizzly Bear Rescue center and educational facility in Bozeman. The center provides a home for grizzlies that have been rescued as well as a place for the public to learn more about the bears and also view them in their naturalistic enclosures. The bears were born in captivity and cannot safely be released into the wild. Therefore, they live in the center in a comfortable and safe environment and act as advocates for wild grizzly bears. The center’s gift shop sells Montana Grizzly Encounter and bear related merchandise and books. 5️⃣Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument preserves the site of the June 25 and 26, 1876, Battle of the Little Bighorn, near Crow Agency, Montana. It also serves as a memorial to those who fought in the battle: George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry and a combined Lakota-Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho force. Custer National Cemetery, on the battlefield, is part of the national monument. The site of a related military action led by Marcus Reno and Frederick Benteen is also part of the national monument, but is about 3 miles (5 km) southeast of the Little Bighorn battlefield. June 25 & 26 1876: Battle of the Little Bighorn. January 29, 1879 the Secretary of War first preserved the site as a U.S. National Cemetery, to protect graves of the 7th Cavalry troopers buried there. In 1877, Custer, who had been buried there, was reinterred in West Point Cemetery. December 7, 1886 the site was proclaimed National Cemetery of Custer's Battlefield Reservation to include burials of other campaigns and wars. The name has been shortened to "Custer National Cemetery." November 5, 1887: Battle of Crow Agency, three miles north of Custer battlefield. April 14, 1926: Reno-Benteen Battlefield was added July 1, 1940: The site was transferred from the United States Department of War to the National Park Service. March 22, 1946: The site was redesignated "Custer Battlefield National Monument." October 15, 1966: The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1976, The American Indian Movement (AIM) protested the centennial commemoration of the site, arguing that the site revered Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn as a part of a heroic saga of American history and expansion into the American West while those who revered it had been truly "celebrating an act of genocide." August 11, 1983: A wildfire destroyed dense thorn scrub which over the years had seeded itself about and covered the site. This allowed archaeologists access to the site. 1984, 1985: Archaeological digging on site. December 10, 1991: The site was renamed Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument by a law signed by then President George H. W. Bush. The first memorial on the site was assembled by Captain George K. Sanderson and the 11th Infantry. They buried soldiers' bodies where they were found and removed animal bones. Lieutenant Charles F. Roe and the 2nd Cavalry built the granite memorial in July 1881 that stands today on the top of Last Stand Hill. They also reinterred soldiers' remains near the new memorial, but left stakes in the ground to mark where they had fallen. In 1890 these stakes were replaced with marble markers. The bill that changed the name of the national monument also called for an "Indian Memorial" to be built near Last Stand Hill. Markers honoring the Indians who fought at Little Big Horn, including Crazy Horse, have been added to those of the U.S. troops. On Memorial Day, 1999, the first of five red granite markers denoting where warriors fell during the battle were placed on the battlefield for Cheyenne warriors Lame White Man and Noisy Walking. The warriors' red speckled granite memorial markers dot the ravines and hillsides just as do the white marble markers representing where soldiers fell. Since then, markers have been added for the Sans Arc Lakota warrior Long Road and the Minniconjou Lakota Dog's Back Bone. On June 25, 2003, an "unknown Lakota warrior marker" was placed on Wooden Leg Hill, east of Last Stand Hill to honor a warrior who was killed during the battle, as witnessed and reported by the Northern Cheyenne warrior Wooden Leg. The battlefield is the final resting place of the western historian and author Stanley Vestal, a professor at the University of Oklahoma. 6️⃣Big Horn County Historical Museum! The Big Horn County Historical Society was organized in 1963. The Society’s Mission is to collect, preserve, research, restore and exhibit artifacts pertinent to the history and culture of Big Horn County in a manner that is educational. The Big Horn County Historical Museum opened in 1979, on a 22 acre vegetable farm located east of Hardin, which includes the original farmhouse and barn. Through the years 24 authentic historic structures from throughout the county have been saved and moved to the site. Each building features exhibits that represent that era. Other exhibit buildings have been constructed on site to store horse drawn equipment, an extensive collection of restored tractors, farm equipment and automobiles. In 2012 the museum grounds expanded to 35 acres and a new museum building was constructed. The new facility features a gallery, gift shop, research library, archives, visitor center and offices. Exhibits in the gallery include: Fort Custer on the Big Horn, Plains Indians, Will James, Missionaries on the Reservation and a Millenary Shop. As their complex continues to develop you will see the latest restoration efforts as you tour the museum. Big Horn County was established on January 13, 1913. The county is 5,025 sq. miles and includes the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. The Bozeman Trail, used by immigrants from 1863-1866 in search of gold, crosses through the southwest corner of Big Horn County. Markers are placed along the trail and can be seen from various state and county roads. Fort C. F. Smith, Montana’s second military post, was established by the U.S. Army in August 1866 along the Bozeman Trail to protect immigrants. No evidence of the site remains. On June 25, 1876 the Battle of the Little Bighorn, one of the last efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their ancestral way of life, took place approximately 15 miles south of what is now Hardin, Montana. Fort Custer was established in 1877 after the Battle of the Little Bighorn on the high bluff near the junction of the Little Bighorn and Bighorn Rivers. The fort was funded by Congress to hold the Indians in check and protect the white men who were rapidly occupying the land. Fort Custer became known as the finest cavalry post in the world. Nothing remains of the fort today. In 1930 a monument was placed on site by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The monument was moved to the Big Horn County Museum in 2016. One of the main attractions in the museum gallery is the Fort Custer exhibit. The exhibit includes: the Fort Custer Stage Coach, uniforms, weapons, artifacts, photographs and a scale model of the fort. 7️⃣The Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is located in the state of Montana. Created by an act of Congress in 1964, the wilderness is managed by Helena National Forest. A day use campground near the Gates of the Mountains, Meriwether Picnic site, is named in honor of Meriwether Lewis. Gates of the Mountains Wilderness (then known as the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area) was the site of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire, which claimed the lives of 13 firefighters. U.S. Wilderness Areas do not allow motorized or mechanized vehicles, including bicycles. Although camping and fishing are allowed with proper permit, no roads or buildings are constructed and there is also no logging or mining, in compliance with the 1964 Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas within National Forests and Bureau of Land Management areas also allow hunting in season. The Gates of the Rocky Mountains were named by Lewis and Clark. In 1918, when Holter Dam was built forming Holter Lake, the water level of the Missouri River in the Gates was raised approximately 14 feet (4.3 m). The prominent gray cliffs along the Missouri River in the Gates of the Mountains are formed by Madison Limestone. At the southern entrance to the canyon the trace of the Eldorado thrust fault juxtaposes Proterozoic Belt Supergroup Greyson Shale over much younger Madison Limestone; this faulting was part of the Sevier orogeny. Within the canyon, caves and folded layers of Madison Limestone are found. Near the north end of the canyon, at Mann Gulch and further north, alternating ridges and valleys reflect the alternating resistance of younger rock layers overlying the Madison Limestone. The entire canyon is an example of a superposed or antecedent stream, in which the river pre-dates the uplift of the rocks and kept pace with erosion as uplift occurred. 8️⃣Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular features. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion. Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly-intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone. In 1978, Yellowstone was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish, and reptiles have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened. The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Yellowstone Park is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the contiguous United States. Grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in this park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. Forest fires occur in the park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988, nearly one third of the park was burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. Paved roads provide close access to the major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobiles. The park contains the headwaters of the Yellowstone River. Yellowstone is widely considered to be the finest megafauna wildlife habitat in the lower 48 states. There are almost 60 species of mammals in the park, including the timber wolf, coyote, the threatened Canadian lynx, and grizzly bear. Other large mammals include the bison (often referred to as buffalo), black bear, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, mountain goat, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and cougar. This park is to vast to name everything there is to see and do. 9️⃣Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is located in southeastern Jefferson County, Montana. The park includes two visitor centers, ten miles of hiking trails, a campground and its namesake limestone cavern. The caverns have been familiar to Native Americans since long before their discovery by Europeans, though there has been no documented evidence of human presence in the cave before the late 1800s. The Lewis and Clark Expedition camped within sight of the caverns on July 31, 1805, when they camped along Antelope Creek. In 1892, local ranchers Tom Williams and Bert (or Burt) Pannel saw steam coming from the caverns while hunting. Following the discovery, two people from Whitehall, Montana, Charles Brooke and Mexican John claimed that they had discovered the cavern in 1882. However, their claims are unsubstantiated. In 1898, Williams finally explored the caverns with some friends. The cave was first developed for tours around 1900 by Dan A. Morrison, who called it Limespur Cave. He filed a mineral claim on the land in 1905, but the Northern Pacific Railroad disputed that claim and filed a court case against him. The railroad won the court battle and then handed the land over to the federal government. The site was first officially established as "Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument" on May 11, 1908, but was not fully surveyed and declared until May 16, 1911, by President Taft as 160 acres (0.65 km2). The limestone cave is named after the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark since the cavern overlooks over 50 miles (80 km) of the trail from the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Jefferson River, although Lewis and Clark never saw the cavern. Lewis and Clark did however pass through portions of the modern day park. It is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) west of Bozeman, Montana, and 60 miles (97 km) northwest from the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. The caverns are also notable in that much of the work done to make the cave system accessible to tourists was performed by the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps. It was disbanded as a national monument on August 24, 1937, and transferred to the state of Montana. On April 22, 1938, Morrison Cave was declared Montana's first State Park. The site was formally dedicated in May 1941. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. There used to be hundreds of western big-eared bats in the caverns, but now there are only about 50 to 150 females that roost inside the caverns each year to have their pups. The males are believed to live in other caves nearby. The park is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The caverns, however, are only open from May 1 to September 30 and for holiday tours during December. Guided tours of the caverns are available from May 1-September 30, are 2 miles (3.2 km) in distance, and last 2 hours. 🔟Glacier National Park is an American national park located in northwestern Montana, on the Canada–United States border, adjacent to the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. The park encompasses over 1 million acres (4,000 km2) and includes parts of two mountain ranges (sub-ranges of the Rocky Mountains), over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals. This vast pristine ecosystem is the centerpiece of what has been referred to as the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem," a region of protected land encompassing 16,000 square miles (41,000 km2). Glacier National Park has almost all its original native plant and animal species. Large mammals such as grizzly bears, moose, and mountain goats, as well as rare or endangered species like wolverines and Canadian lynxes, inhabit the park. Hundreds of species of birds, more than a dozen fish species, and a few reptile and amphibian species have been documented. The park has numerous ecosystems ranging from prairie to tundra. The easternmost forests of western redcedar and hemlock grow in the southwest portion of the park. Large forest fires are unusual in the park; however, more than 13% of the park burned in 2003. Glacier National Park borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada, the two parks are known as the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and were designated as the world's first International Peace Park in 1932. Both parks were designated by the United Nations as Biosphere Reserves in 1976, and in 1995 as World Heritage sites. In April 2017, the joint park received a provisional Gold Tier designation as Waterton-Glacier International Dark Sky Park through the International Dark Sky Association, the first transboundary dark sky park. A fleet of restored 1930s White Motor Company coaches, called Red Jammers, offer tours on all the main roads in the park. The drivers of the buses are called "Jammers", due to the gear-jamming that formerly occurred during the vehicles' operation. The tour buses were rebuilt in 2001 by Ford Motor Company. The bodies were removed from their original chassis and built on modern Ford E-Series van chassis. They were also converted to run on propane to lessen their environmental impact. Historic wooden tour boats, some dating back to the 1920s, operate on some of the larger lakes. Several of these boats have been in continuous seasonal operation at Glacier National Park since 1927 and carry up to 80 passengers. Three of these decades-old boats were added to the National Register of Historic Places in January 2018. The park has nearly 700 miles (1,127 km) of hiking trails. 110 miles (177 km) of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail spans most of the distance of the park north to south, with a few alternative routes at lower elevations if high altitude passes are closed due to snow. The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail crosses the park on 52 miles (84 km) from east to west. Many day hikes can be taken in the park. Back-country camping is allowed at campsites along the trails. A permit is required and can be obtained from certain visitor centers or arranged for in advance. Much of Glacier's back country is usually inaccessible to hikers until early June due to accumulated snow pack and avalanche risk, and many trails at higher altitudes remain snow packed until July. Campgrounds that allow vehicle access are found throughout the park, most of which are near one of the larger lakes. The campgrounds at St. Mary and at Apgar are open year-round, but conditions are primitive in the off-season, as the restroom facilities are closed and there is no running water. All campgrounds with vehicle access are usually open from mid-June until mid-September. Guide and shuttle services are also available. The park attracts many climbers though the rock quality is old and loose in the Lewis Overthrust fault structure. The Glacier Mountaineers Society sponsors climbing in the park, issuing awards to those climbers who summit all 10,000 ft (3,000 m) peaks or all five technical peaks. Some of the finest fly fishing in North America can be found in the streams that flow through Glacier National Park. A permit is not required to fish in park waters. The threatened bull trout must be released immediately back to the water if caught; otherwise, the regulations on limits of catch per day are liberal. Winter recreation in Glacier is limited. Snowmobiling is illegal throughout the park. Cross-country skiing is permitted in the lower altitude valleys away from avalanche zones. Dogs are not permitted on any trails in the park due to the presence of bears and other large mammals. Dogs are permitted at front country campsites that can be accessed by a vehicle and along paved roads. Anyone entering the United States over land or waterway from Canada must have a passport with them. 1️⃣1️⃣The World Museum of Mining in Butte, MT was founded in 1963 when the close of Butte’s mining heyday was less than two decades away. In the end, Butte experienced a century of hard rock mining and earned the reputation of being home to one of the world’s most productive copper mines of all times. The museum exists to preserve the enduring history of Butte and the legacy of its rich mining and cultural heritage. The World Museum of Mining is one of the few museums in the world located on an actual mine yard – the Orphan Girl Mine. The "Girl" is the centerpiece of the Museum and is marked by a 100 foot high steel headframe. Once mined to a depth of 3200 feet, she produced silver, lead and zinc from 1875 until 1956. Visitors to the museum are able to see, feel and taste life in this mining camp by touring the massive steel headframe and venturing into the depths of the Orphan Girl Mine on an Underground Mine Tour. An experience so realistic, you can almost see their blackened faces and hear their exhausted sighs at the conclusion of the workday. Strolling through the brick lined streets of Hell Roarin’ Gulch provides insight into the lives of the thousands of immigrants that flocked to Butte for work. Be amazed at the unique displays including the Chinese Laundry, the Sauerkraut Factory, First National Bank, the Union Hall and of course, the one room schoolhouse, the General Store and Saloon, which all contain hundreds of artifacts from the turn of the century. Additional Exhibits and Tours at the museum include: Underground Tour: Explore the depths of the Orphan Girl Mine. 65 ft level tour and 100 ft level tour available (reservation required). Miners Memorial Wall & Remembering Garden, dedicated to over 2,500 men that lost their lives in the underground mines of Butte. 1️⃣2️⃣The Bair Family Art Museum, built in 2011, sits adjacent to the late 19th century Charles M. Bair family home along the Upper Mussellshell River. The Bair site is just north of the majestic Crazy Mountains and west of the Castle Mountains. The museum features five state-of-the-art, climate controlled galleries that present the Bair family’s Native American collection, western paintings by Charles Russell and Joseph Henry Sharp, Edward S. Curtis photogravures, and a diverse collection of modern European and American paintings. Explore the art museum, stroll the grounds, tour the Bair family home, and enjoy the Bair Barn’s display of historic photographs and ranching memorabilia. Picnic in the courtyard, and find your own treasures in the Gift Shop featuring books by Montana authors and books about the American West and its history, as well as baskets, jewelry, and pottery. Once a year the museum opens the upstairs of the Bair family home for tours. It is a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of one of Montana's original pioneer families. 1️⃣3️⃣The Byron R. Sherman House, also known as The Castle or The Castle of White Sulphur Springs, is a site on the National Register of Historic Places located in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, United States. It was added to the Register on September 15, 1977. The property includes a carriage house. The Castle Museum is operated by the Meagher County Historical Society. It includes period furniture, photos, mineral samples, clothing and artifacts from the region's past. It is a two-story granite mansion upon an elevated basement on a hilltop overlooking the City of White Sulphur Springs. According to its NRHP nomination, "with its heavily rusticated stone it is a very fine frontier rendition of the late 19th century Romanesque Style." It is squarish, about 40 by 40 feet (12 m x 12 m) in plan, with addition of two full height towers on the south side. (Late 19th-century mansion with period furniture, minerals, textiles, historic artifacts, carriages and sleds, a bank, a schoolroom, a stagecoach, fire engines.) 1️⃣4️⃣Fort Benton Museums: 🎨Historic Old Fort Benton: Experience the fur and buffalo robe trade of the 1850’s at Historic Old Fort Benton, Montana. Here the Blackfeet and other tribes traded buffalo robes and other furs for trade goods such as beads, guns, blankets, knives, cookware, and cloth. Tour the Fort and see rooms filled with period furnishings, the trade store with buffalo robes, beads, trinkets, blankets and other period trade goods, the warehouse with its fur trade era collections, and the blacksmith & carpenters shop. The reconstructed Bourgeois House or Chief Traders residence. The Bourgeois House is home to the Starr Gallery. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in your journey of discovery of the Fort that became the most important robe trading post on the Upper Missouri River. 🎨Starr Gallery of Western Art: Is located in the Council Room of the Bourgeois House which features noted Montana sculptor Bob Scriver’s No More Buffalo Collection, along with rare Karl Bodmer prints detailing Montana’s scenery and Indian cultures in the 1830's. The Scriver collection has been at Edmonton’s Provincial Museum of Alberta for the past decade and is now on loan to the River and Plains Society from the Montana State Historical Society. The prints from Swiss painter Karl Bodmer’s travels with Prince Maximilian to the interior of North America still stand today as the most accurate and detailed pictures of Native American life during that era. Visitors may also view the office and living quarters of Alexander Culbertson and his wife Natawista, the founders of Fort Benton. 🎨Museum of the Northern Great Plains documents the last one hundred years of life on the vast Montana plains. The fur traders, wilderness animals and open land had made way to the cowboy and herds of cattle, now families began to move onto the land. It was not gold or silver that brought people to these plains, but dreams for a better life. Thousands of families came by train and wagon to settle on the vast short-grass prairie; families who became known as the homesteaders. The homesteaders endured the extreme conditions of the high plains. Living in the most primitive conditions; alone and often without enough water. They braved weather that showed its extreme more often than its average. Displays throughout the museum explore the hardships as well as the triumphs of three generations of families living on these Northern Great Plains. 🎨The Hornaday Smithsonian Buffalo and Dean & Donna Strand Western Art Gallery is located at the Museum of the Northern Great Plains complex. The Gallery is home not only to the world famous Buffalo display but also houses a small but impressive collection of western art. The Hornaday Smithsonian group of six buffalo “Bison Bison” is the most significant collection of an American symbol in the United States. The animals were collected in 1886 by William T. Hornaday for the National Museum in Washington D.C. It was feared that bison were about to become extinct and none had been preserved in the national collection. They were taken from the last of the wild herd found between the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Twenty-four animals were taken by Hornaday, but only these six mounts were put on exhibition at the Smithsonian in 1889. During their seventy years of prominent display, the big bull was the model for several national symbols and government issues. Coins and paper currency, the Great Seal of the Department of the Interior, postage stamps and the National Park Service badge bear the likeness of the big bull in the Hornaday Collection. The group was dismantled, returned to Montana, and placed in storage in 1955. After years of neglect the mounts were completely restored and returned to public display in 1996. The mounts are exhibited in their original poses and positions just as they appeared in the Smithsonian. 🎨Homestead Village is located at the Museum of the Northern Great Plains & Montana Agricultural Center complex. It offers the visitor a chance to explore the typical 1900’s rural community. Many of the buildings located in Homesteader Village are from abandoned homestead era towns. They have been moved onto the site and accurately restored, and furnished. Buildings along the street include a small country church, a bank, a drug store, City Hall, a one room School, a Mercantile and three generations of prairie settler’s dwellings. 🎨The Museum of the Upper Missouri: Explore the history and legends of the Upper Missouri River and its head of navigation, Fort Benton, Montana. During the steamboat era, Fort Benton evolved from a fur trade post, to a wild lawless river port and finally into a sophisticated city of merchant princes, bankers, successful businessmen and cattlemen. Displays guide you through the eras of exploration, the time of fur posts and military posts, and into Fort Benton. The Whoop-Up Trail, Mullan Road and other important routes are featured in major displays. Additional displays focus upon historical characters, places, and events along the Upper Missouri and in Fort Benton. 🎨Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Interpretive Center: Boating information for those floating the Wild and Scenic Upper Missouri River is available, as well as hands-on exhibits about the land, the wildlife and culture of the area. View the rifle an exhausted and disheartened Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph surrendered on October 5, 1877 to General Nelson A. Miles, at the Bears Paw Battlefield of Montana. Step inside a replica steamboat pilot house, with artifacts from the actual steamboat the Far West. View a life size version of a Murphy freight wagon that pulled supplies brought up river on steamboats to far flung reaches of Montana and beyond. Come learn about the pallid sturgeon and paddlefish which have been in the Missouri River since the age of the dinosaurs. The Classroom features a 3-D model of the Missouri River landscape and incredible images depicted from Karl Bodmer’s journey up the Missouri in 1833. 1️⃣5️⃣ZooMontana is a wildlife park in Billings. The 70-acre park is the only zoo and botanical park in the state of Montana. It features almost 100 animals from 58 different species that live in naturalistic habitats. The zoo’s primary focus is on wildlife that is native to the Rocky Mountains, Montana, and Northern climates. A few indoor exhibits also house animals from other parts of the world. Canyon Creek flows through the middle of the zoo property, adding to the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere of the park. In addition to the animal displays, the zoo grounds include a one-acre Sensory Garden that features beautiful native and exotic plants. 1️⃣6️⃣Old Montana Prison: Guided and self-guided tours lead you through the intimidating Cell House and into the chilling slide bar cells and black box of Maximum Security. See what it was like to live amongst the turreted stone towers and iron gates at the “Prison Life” photo exhibit, then view the galloping gallows, currently located in the Clark Theater. Stout iron bars slammed shut and locked for the first time on July 2, 1871. On that day, Montana’s Territorial Prison in Deer Lodge incarcerated its first occupant. Emptied of prisoners in the late 1970s, the buildings stand now as silent sentinels to justice, a museum complex dedicated to law enforcement. Now open to the public for most of the year, this museum presents a chilling, bleak glimpse at life behind bars. A pamphlet distributed by the museum interprets each building and how it was used. Guideposts state the facts in a few brief sentences. Guns and shackles and restraints can be viewed behind mesh partitions, along with artwork prepared by former inmates, and lethal weapons fashioned from kitchen forks and simple tools. Daily log sheets, in glass cases, describe in detail how guards and prisoners alike spent their days. Permission had to be granted by state authorities to grow mustaches, and there were written guidelines as to permissible length and care. One display shows sturdy work shoes with concrete soles instead of leather ones. These shoes, weighing 20 pounds each, were ordered to be worn by convicts thought to be potential escapees. Convict labor built large portions of the prison compound. Over time, inmates fashioned 1.2 million bricks by hand for use in erecting the original 1896 cell house and other buildings. Stone was quarried nearby and hauled to the site. Convicts cut the timbers and dug the lime for use in cement. Inside the cell blocks are corridors painted a drab industrial gray, a broad yellow stripe along the floor defining the prisoner’s walkway. The basement shower room is cold and damp, a dripping spigot the only sound. Heavy metal doors in the solitary confinement cells block out all light and sound. These doors insulate the guards on duty inside steel mesh cages from the rage of the isolated men. Not all the memorabilia is without humor or humanity. Cell No.1 was occupied by Paul “Turkey Pete” Eitner. Convicted of murder and sentenced to life in 1918, Turkey Pete became a model prisoner and was placed in charge of the prison turkey flock. Losing touch with reality, at one point he “Sold” the entire flock for the sum of 25 cents per bird, beginning a new career as the prison entrepreneur. Humoring his mental condition, inmates were allowed to print Eitner checks in the prison print shop and he was permitted to “purchase” the prison and run it from his cell. He “paid” all prison expenses and “paid” the guards salaries. At age 89, Turkey Pete died in 1967 after 49 years behind bars. At his death, Cell No 1 was retired from use. His was the only funeral ever held within the walls of the prison. During its tenure, visitors entered the compound from Main Street, passing through arched doorways cut in the solid, high walls, into a small inner room. Here, a hole cut in the ceiling could open and the guard would pass down a key on a long rope. The key could open only the second door into the grounds of the prison. Surrounded by chain link, steel mesh, brick, concrete and barbed wire, it is a relief to conclude the tour and step into the grassy center yard. Scratched into the bricks in one sheltered corner are names, dates and prison numbers, a reminder of men serving out their time. A flagpole stands in the middle of the yard, the guy wires for the flag snapping against the post, the pulley mechanism clicking rhythmically in time. Wind whines through chain link fencing, trapping scraps of paper against the fence. 1️⃣7️⃣The Ravalli County Museum in Hamilton, Montana, is operated by the Bitter Root Valley Historical Society (BRVHS) in order to acquire, preserve, and interpret the historical and cultural heritage of the Bitter Root Valley and the inhabitants of Ravalli County, Montana. The museum is housed in the old Ravalli County Courthouse. The Museum is open year-round and features three main focal points: local history, natural history and art. Ravalli County Museum has a total of 9 exhibit galleries, with five of the galleries housing permanent exhibits. 🍃“The Discovery: Lewis & Clark Meet the Salish in the Bitter Root,” is a display that depicts the story of the historic encounter between the Salish Tribe and Lewis and Clark in the Bitterroot Valley, just before they crossed the Continental Divide in 1805. The exhibit is made up of murals, copies of pages from the Lewis and Clark Journals, Native American artifacts, the local flora and fauna and replicas of the equipment used on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 🍃The "National Senior Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame" is a collection of rodeo items from Hall of Fame inductees combined with interpretations that tell the story of rodeo and the lifestyle of the American cowboy. 🍃“A Walk Through the Bitter Root,” is a two-room exhibit featuring murals of the landscape of Darby, Conner, Sula, and Hamilton as it looked in the 1900s, painted by local artist Suzette DelRae. The exhibit also features agricultural artifacts, old maps and dioramas depicting the lifestyle of the pioneers that settled in the valley. 🍃“Bertie Lord, Pioneer Photographer” displays artifacts from the collections of Bertie Lord, donated to the Museum by the Lord family. Photo equipment, memorabilia and prints from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, including stereo views, portray the hobby that was Bertie Lord’s passion. 🍃The Natural History Exhibit features a collection of wildlife from Western Montana including a white wolf, hawk, eagle and elk. There is also a wide variety of fly fishing ties from the 1920s and fishing party photos from the late 1800s. 🍃The "Trapper and Miner Exhibit", created with artifacts from the 1800s and 1900s, depicts the lifestyle of a miner or trapper living in the Bitterroot Mountains at that time. The exhibit is made to look like the inside of a one-room log cabin complete with stove, bed, furs and mining and trapping equipment. The exhibit also houses a chair that was hand made by Father Antonio Ravalli. Rotating exhibits are featured in three of the small galleries and the main gallery; the “Old Courtroom” features large rotating exhibits of community interest throughout the year. The Museum hosts traveling exhibits throughout the year as well as lectures on topics of local interest. Most of the collection of artifacts have been donated to the Bitter Root Valley Historical Society over a number of years. Many pioneer families contributed to the collection. Some of the other items on display are on loan from various contributors. The permanent collection includes American Indian artifacts from local tribes such as the Salish, Crow, Nez Perce, and Kootenai Native Americans. There are also local agricultural, scientific tools, and collections associated with the homesteading of the valley along with military uniforms and accessories dating from the American Civil War era to Operation Desert Storm. A large collection of Victorian Era household fixtures, dry goods, vintage clothing, portraits and paintings, and various other articles make up the bulk of the holdings. The Ravalli County Museum houses a collection of archival material especially which is available to historical researchers, including vertical files of local documents and a newspaper collection with several rare original publications (dating as far back as 1880’s). There is also a card catalogue with a listing of obituaries and various other topics, which are also included in a searchable database. As well as files of original documents of various types, there is a Hamilton Architectural Survey and a collection of local books. 1️⃣8️⃣Makoshika State Park ("ma-KO-sh(ih)kuh" from the Lakota Maco sica, meaning 'bad land' or 'land of bad spirits') is the largest of Montana's state parks at more than 11,000 acres (45 km²) at an elevation of 2,415 feet. It is located to the east-southeast of Glendive. A visitor center at the park entrance houses a triceratops skull and other badlands interpretive displays. Also at the visitor center, both flush and vault toilets, grills/fire rings, picnic tables, outdoor amphitheater and group use shelter, trash cans, drinking water, interpretive displays, an archery range, a disc golf (Frisbee golf) course and photography. Included within the park are scenic drives, nature trails, bike riding, hiking, watch for wildlife and 15 campground sites. There are special events throughout the summer. No metal detectors, digging, collecting or removal of artifacts are allowed in the park. There's a museum located nearby in Glendive. Visitors may camp 14 days during a 30-day period with a fee. Campground reservations needed. The unique landscape of Makoshika State Park has everything from fluted hillsides, pinnacles, gully-filled slopes to amazing "cap rocks". The most popular hiking trails include the Diane Gabriel Trail, Cap Rock Trail and Kinney Coulee Trail. These trails take you deeper inside the badlands than you otherwise would not know existed while driving the main roads. The Makoshika State Park Visitor Center will provide you with a detailed trail map, as well as up to date information on trail conditions. Makoshika State Park is presently home to a variety of animal species, such as mule deer, turkey vultures, prairie falcons, golden eagles, cottontail rabbits, mountain blue birds, coyotes and free range horses just to name a few. 1️⃣9️⃣Big Falls (also called Great Falls or Roar of Steam) is a major waterfall located on the Missouri River in western Montana. It is the lowermost and largest of the Great Falls of the Missouri, at 87 feet (27 m) high and up to 900 feet (270 m) wide at peak flow. Although the falls used to flow powerfully year-round, most of the water is now diverted to the 60 mega watt hydroelectric plant of upstream Ryan Dam, reducing it to a trickle in the summer months. 2️⃣0️⃣Bird Woman Falls is a 560 feet (170 m) waterfall located immediately west of the continental divide in Glacier National Park, Montana. The falls are readily visible from a distance of two miles (3.2 km) along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects the park east to west. The falls are fed by snowfields and a remnant glacier located on the north and west flanks of Mount Oberlin. The falls flow is greatest in late spring and early summer and has been known to almost cease flowing in the autumn. 2️⃣1️⃣Kootenai Falls is one of the few large waterfalls along a major northwest river that has not been harnessed for electrical power. Nestled in the Cabinet Mountains, the falls drop around 200 feet in an almost unspoiled setting. The trailhead starts at Kootenai Falls County Park, sitting in a shaded Cedar grove, located just off US Highway 2. There is a picnic area and restrooms along with interpretive signs. The trail to the falls is narrow, crossing railroad tracks via an overpass. A quarter of a mile further along, the trail splits, with the right fork going to the falls another 1/4 mile away. The left fork of the trail goes to the Kootenai River Gorge and walk across a swinging bridge. Looking south across the Kootenai River you get an impressive view of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. The Kootenai River flows out of Canada from several pristine tributaries as the Elk, St Marie’s and Bull River. The water, which is usually a brilliant turquoise blue, is colored from the residues and deposits of the steady carving of glaciers primarily located in its British Columbian headwaters. The river makes its way through Lake Koocanusa, Takes an abrupt ninety-degree turn and heads west on its destination to the pacific. It flows quietly until it reaches the terraced bedrock of Kootenai falls where plummets forty feet over one of the Northwest’s most voluminous waterfalls. The main falls is so wide that one can barely see the details of falls near the right hand bank. After the initial drop the river splits around an island. The right channel, which is unseen to the eye of one on the left bank, tumbles over a twenty-foot drop called Tahiti falls. 2️⃣2️⃣Lodgepole Creek Falls is a 100ft waterfall. Parking at the closed gate of FR 4397 in the Lolo National Forest, you start your hike to the falls by walking past the gate down the Forest Service Road for a distance of about a 1/4 of a mile. Along the way you will see evidence of some ancient fossilized Precambrian Mud sea bottom. 2️⃣3️⃣Baring Falls: The water pours at an angle onto a smooth, red wall of Precambrian mudstone then rushes for about fifty yards where it then empties in into St. Mary’s lake. It’s a quick fifteen minute hike from the road and a thirty minute tour boat ride on St. Mary’s lake to where the stream flows into the lake. There are many waterfalls on this creek. Three richly colored, smaller green stone waterfalls are right in the vicinity of the Sunrift gorge parking area. If you hike a hundred yards upstream from Sunrift gorge you will come across a series of deep red, punch bowl style waterfalls. About a mile up the trail is another breathtaking falls with glacier carved mountain views of the baring creek valley. 2️⃣4️⃣Crow Creek Falls is a major natural feature and the area a sanctuary for many wildlife species including the threatened Canadian Lynx, the sensitive Goshawk and Westslope Cutthroat Trout. From the trailhead you switchback down to Hall Creek, then crossing over and into Crow Creek drainage. Not very far along the trail becomes rocky and steep in places. At the confluence of Dewey Creek you start climbing out of the draw up to hillsides of Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Signs of old gold mining activities can be seen along this historic trail as you swing back to the creek and the faint roar of the falls. At the end of this 3.5 mile hike is Crow Creek Falls flowing over an ancient rock formation dropping 40 feet into a crystalline pool. 2️⃣5️⃣Double Falls: From Augusta head west on the Augusta Ranger Station Road 13 miles to Benchmark Road. Drive south on Benchmark Road for 5 miles to Double Falls Campground. 2️⃣6️⃣Skalkaho Falls (150ft.) is near the top of the Skalkaho Pass. 2️⃣7️⃣Woodbine Falls is a hike of short length, low elevation gain, and well maintained trail that all help to make this one of the most popular day hikes for small kids, elderly, and beginner hikers. At .8 miles one way and an elevation gain of only a couple hundred feet, it’s easy to see why this hike is so popular. This hike is also rare in that it is relatively low (5,300 feet), so it is clear of snow early in the year. Because of this, you can usually enjoy this trail from May until November. Heading out of the parking lot for the Woodbine campground, the trail immediately enters forest, and rarely leaves it. The trail is nicely maintained, and enters the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness almost immediately. There is a sturdy bridge along the trail that is well built. After the end of the trail, you are presented with a rock outcrop that was built so that viewers can get a good look at the falls. 2️⃣8️⃣Apikuni Falls is located in the Many Glacier Area of Glacier National Park, Apikuni Falls, which is approximately 300 feet in height, is best enjoyed in the early summer when there is a ton of water coming down it due to all of the snow melting above the falls in and beyond the Apikuni Creek Basin. Apikuni Falls Trail climbs steadily for one mile to gain 700 feet in elevation to Apikuni Falls. This well-maintained trail first 1/4 mile is through a meadow with a gentle rise but then becomes, steeper as you climb to the falls. The trail begins from the Poia Lake Trailhead, located 2.8 miles west of the Many Glacier entrance. 2️⃣9️⃣Florence Falls is a tall, staircase waterfall. At the trailhead, you descend approximately 600 feet over the course of a mile, pass Deadwood Falls, and then begin working your way up the valley. While the walk is mostly in the trees, you will come to Mirror Pond at approximately 3 miles in, which gives you great views of some of the surrounding peaks like Citadel and Dusty Star. At 4.2 miles, the spur trail for Florence Falls breaks off and travels for 0.76 miles until you reach the waterfall. For a slightly longer trip with less elevation change, start at the St. Mary Falls trailhead. This will add approximately 0.7 miles to your trek, but will decrease your elevation gain and loss by 300 feet, which you will appreciate at the end of your hike. Deadwood Falls, is a 10-foot waterfall with deep, crystal clear pools of water above and below the falls. 3️⃣0️⃣Ousel Falls is a short but stunning hike in the heart of Big Sky. Along the trail, which meanders alongside the South and West Forks of the Gallatin River, hikers cross three bridges before reaching the waterfall. The trailhead starts at a fork; bear right to take the densely-forested Yellow Mules Trail. Approximately 1 mile into the hike, bear right again at a Y to continue along Yellow Mules. When hikers reach a trail split near the falls, take one of four routes to the falls: the far-right fork leads the towering South Fork Overlook; the inner-right fork leads to the top of the Falls via a natural footpath; the straight path leads to the base of the waterfall, with a picnic area and pool; and the left path leads to the rocky Ousel Falls Overlook. 3️⃣1️⃣Rockwell Falls is a tall waterfall in several sections on a tributary of Paradise Creek in Glacier County. The waterfall is located in Glacier National Park. The hike to the waterfall is about 7.5 miles round trip and moderate in difficulty. To visit the falls enter the park in the Two Medicine area, about 4 miles north of East Glacier Park on MT-49. Turn left into the park and drive a little over 7 miles to the end and park near the boat dock. Pick up the Two Medicine South Shore Trail on the far end of the parking lot. The trail follows the southern shore of the lake. In 2.5 miles, turn left on Two Medicine Pass Trail and hike 1.2 miles to the waterfall. The waterfall has several sections. 3️⃣2️⃣St. Mary’s Falls. Rimmed with richly colored red rocks and vibrant moss, this treasure is a recreational high point for hikers within the east side of the park. The upper section of the falls makes a dramatic entrance by tumbling through a narrow slot then terminating against the south wall. Soon after is the main falls which makes a clean leap from its colorful surroundings. Take notice of the color of the water as it swirls downstream. It is a brilliant turquoise green with a hint of blue. This is due to glacial sediments mixing with snow and glacial melt. The falls trailhead is just under a mile west of Sunrift Gorge and is located on the south side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This is a 0.8 mile hike with an elevation drop of 150 feet. And if you have the time the Virginia and Deadwood Falls are both within short hiking distances from St Mary’s Falls.

Another state to add to the list of places to visit.