The Most Beautiful Places in Montana

Picture Montana in your mind for a second… I bet you’re picturing either snow, mountains, a dude ranch in the middle of nowhere, or a huge field filled with wildflowers. Did I guess it? Montana is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in the USA and if you keep reading, you’ll understand why.

Since I moved to Bozeman, MT, every time I tell someone I live here, they’re in awe. They always have stories about how they went to Glacier National Park growing up and they’re taking their kids here this summer, or some version of that. And I sit back and smile because I get it. I finally get it. Montana is FREAKING BEAUTIFUL. Here are the most beautiful places you can visit in Montana:

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is at the top of this list for a reason! This park is FULL of incredible views and the highway that runs from West to East, Going to the Sun Road, is said to be one of the most scenic drives in the entire US. While you’re here, you can visit Lake McDonald, Bomar Lake, Lake Josephine, the highline trail, and so much more!

Yellowstone National Park

While Yellowstone is mostly in Wyoming, there is a small portion of it in Montana. The northern entrance is right next to Gardiner, Montana and most of the Mammoth Hot Springs are technically in Montana as well. Mammoth Hot Springs is one of the highlights I recommend seeing when visiting Yellowstone, but don’t stop there! Drive into Wyoming to see Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, and more.

–> Read more: How to see Yellowstone National Park in a Weekend <–

Mammoth Hot Springs is also one of the few places you can drive to in Yellowstone in the Winter. The northern entrance stays open year round and the road is open to get to Mammoth Hot Springs! Otherwise, you can book a snowmobile tour or a snowcoach tour to see more of the park in the winter.

–> Read more: What to do in National Parks in Winter <–

West Yellowstone

Contrary to what you might think, West Yellowstone isn’t actually in Yellowstone! It’s a small town in Montana that is very well known for its snowmobiling trails. This area is known to have some of the best snowmobile trails in North America! If you plan to go snowmobiling here, you can either book a tour or rent your own snowmobiles. Either way, I’d suggest going up Two Top Mountain to get the views pictured below!

–> Read more: A detailed guide on snowmobiling in West Yellowstone <–

Hyalite Canyon

If you’re staying in the Bozeman area, Hyalite Canyon is a must. This is an area within the Gallatin National Forest (which is beautiful itself). They have a day use area, you can embark on any of the hikes you come across, or you can camp for free within the National Forest.

This is where Austin and I got our Christmas card photos taken last year and I think the area helped them turn out so well!

Big Sky

This last place in Montana is very well known for skiing in the winter. Big Sky Resort has activities in both winter and summer for both skiers and non-skiers. The town is located almost in a canyon between two mountains and in my opinion, that’s what makes this place one of the most beautiful places in Montana. If you’re visiting in winter, skiing/snowboarding are the things to do. If you’re visiting Big Sky in summer, try your hand at flyfishing!

Where will you visit next?

Have you been to any of these places? Let me know which area looks like the most fun to visit for you in the comments below!