Best Montana Summer Vacation Spots

Summer is the perfect time to get away! The warm breeze and the sunshine in the sky beckons a travelers heart to explore, and there’s so many places to get away to! However, some are better than others, at least to start. So, today we’re going to get into the best Montana Summer Vacation Spots! Let’s go!

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Probably one of the most famous parks in the Pacific Northwest, especially since the TV show debut, Yellowstone is a key place to visit when touring Montana’s stunning wilderness. It is one of the 84 national parks in the national park system of the US. Forming on March 1, 1872, Yellowstone was the first national park for the public to enjoy with its unique hydrothermal and geological features. It’s on 2.2 million acres, and offers unbelievable views, wildlife sightings, and Montana experience. It’s a must see if you’re traveling across Montana this summer!

BANNACK STATE PARK

Famous for the first major gold discovery, and founded in 1862, this historic ghost town is one of the most fantastic examples of Montana history! It has over 50 standing buildings, and you can visit Memorial Day through Labor Day every year! There’s tours and reenactors on Bannack Days, which are held the third weekend in July. There’s 28 camping sites, one even including a rental tipi along Grasshopper Creek. there’s a hike-in/bike-in campsite that has four tent pads and a group picnic site. There’s plenty of features and activities in the park! It’s ADA Accessible, fire pits, gift shops, history and heritage centers, and more!

Although it’s a ghost town, it’s not as spooky as you may think. The town was forged by the gold rush of 1862, but as it dwindled out, the previously 3000 people population slowly left. This town was nothing to scoff at, however, with over 50 buildings lining the Main Street. Log and frame structures bring you back to historic Montana in a spectacular way.

ELKHORN STATE PARK

Along the gravel roads on the outskirts of Boulder, this once thriving ghost town is another historic Montana place that has been maintained and still has the essence of a time long ago. This 19th century mining town was privately owned and is a picturesque image of what Montana once was. It was originally booming because of silver mining in the 1800s, and is rich with plenty of mineral deposits. At its peak, this town had 2,500 residents, but 75% of the town left after the Silver Crash of 1893.

LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERNS STATE PARK

Just outside of Whitehall, this Montana treasure was discovered in 1892 by hunters. The caverns soon became Montana’s first state park! It’s one of the largest limestone cavern systems in the Northwest, and Montanans have explored it for 100s of years! You can tour it May through September, and in December with candlelight tours. There’s a network of bike trails and hiking trails, as well as a visitor center and a gift shop! There’s a large campground with 40 campsites, a tipi for rent, and 3 cabins for rent as well. You can reserve online, and enjoy the 3,015 acres of park land! The cavernous area is pretty high up, with an elevation of 5,300 feet.

BEAVERHEAD ROCK STATE PARK

This is a state park that respects the monument wholly, so you can observe Beaverhead Rock from afar, but you cannot actually access the rock directly. You can view it from a few different places: 14 miles south of Twin Bridges on Highway 41, or from another Montana park, Clark’s Lookout State Park in Dillon. The history of this monument is rich, with Sacagawea recognizing it and providing hope to the Lewis and Clark expedition that they may be near her relatives. This meant that they could find and acquire horses and other resources to continue their journey across the United States.