Table of Contents
Preface
Known for it’s natural beauty, endless scenery and recreational activities, Montana is a treasure to behold. Home to two major National Parks: Glacier & Yellowstone, charming small towns, rich Native American history, and abundant outdoor activities, Montana is a state that should be on everyone’s travel wish list.
Montana is particularly special to our family as this is the year Karsen & Reagan, who were 6 at the time, challenged our family to visit all 50 states. After showing them a version of the US map with simple illustrations depicting what each state has to offer, both girls simultaneously chose the state lined with pictures of mountains and bears…Montana! Although, technically Montana is the the 13th state we visited together as a family, it is the first state we visited together after officially accepting the 50 state challenge. With Yellowstone being scattered across multiple states, it provided the perfect opportunity to venture across the border and pick up Wyoming as our 14th state. There is also a fraction of Yellowstone located in Idaho, but it’s such a small piece so we opted to save Idaho for a future trip.
How to Get to There
Knowing we wanted to explore from Glacier to Yellowstone, we began researching multi-city flights. Kalispell City Airport is only about 40 minutes from the entrance to West Glacier National Park, but the flights can be pricey. We saved $200 per ticket flying into Missoula which is a two and half hour drive to West Glacier. Flying into Missoula not only saved us money, it also gave us the opportunity to spend time exploring Missoula and provided a beautiful drive alongside the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, Flathead Lake. For our return flight, we flew home from Bozeman Yellowstone International which was convenient to the second leg of our trip.
Where to Stay
Accommodations in Montana are as unique as the landscape. Ranging from lodges to luxury resorts to charming bed-and-breakfasts, you can customize your stay to your heart’s desire. If you’re looking for a place to both sleep and play, consider staying at a ranch like Averill’s Flathead Lake Ranch near Flathead Lake or 320 Guest Ranch near Big Sky. For unique experiences near West Glacier, check out Montana Treehouse Retreat in Columbia Falls or go glamping at Under Canvas. Big Sky Resort is the ultimate mountain village and the perfect place to stay for a ski trip. Looking for a budget friendly arrangement that would allow us the flexibility for day trips to nearby activities, we decided to split our time between AirBnb’s. Our first AirBnb was the cutest cottage in Hungry Horse just 10 minutes from the West Glacier Entrance, followed by a townhouse right outside of downtown Bozeman.
How to Get to Around
Montana is not a small state. It’s the fourth largest US state and would take 10 hours to drive the width and 5 hours to drive the length. Within cities, public transportation or biking can be a great option. Or if you’re staying within Glacier National Park or nearby, you can take advantage of the the free Going-to-the-Sun Road Shuttle from Logan Pass in West Glacier to St. Mary’s in East Glacier. Otherwise, if you plan to venture across the state, you’re going to need a car. By car is also the best method for traversing Yellowstone National Park as many of the major attractions are more than 50 miles apart. You can arrange for private shuttle services or tours, but there is not any public transportation offered in Yellowstone.
At the time we went, there was a rental car shortage that forced us to get creative with transportation. Nine months out from our trip, the entire fleet of over-the-counter rental cars were completely unavailable. The solution… Turo. If you’re not familiar, Turo is a peer-to-peer carsharing company where private car owners rent out their vehicles. Essentially it’s AirBnb for cars and it’s an excellent alternative to traditional rental car services. Turo has since become our preferred method for car rentals. With a rental car service we could arrange a one-way reservation, but with Turo, we needed to return the car to the person we rented it from in Missoula and then secure transit to Bozeman. Thankfully, there are shuttle services like Montana Adventure Shuttle that transport riders across the state.
Things to Know
When traveling to any National Park, be sure to visit https://www.recreation.gov/ to determine if you will need to obtain a vehicle reservation in advance and for other helpful information about the parks. Both Glacier National Park & Yellowstone National Park require a $35 park pass that will grant you park access for seven consecutive days. You may also want to consider the annual America The Beautiful pass for $80 that will buy you a year of unlimited park access.
The top attraction in Glacier National Park, Going-to-the-Sun Road, requires a reservation. MAKE SURE YOU SECURE A RESERVATION. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS! A portion of reservations are released to be booked on a rolling 120-day basis in advance of your reservation date. Reservations are $2 per vehicle and they sell out faster than Taylor Swift concert tickets. If you are unable to secure a reservation during this window, don’t fret, there are several other options to snag a reservation ticket: 1) Book a reservation for kayaking, horseback riding, etc. along the Going-to-the-Sun route. The activity reservation will grant you automatic access to the road. 2) A limited number of 24-hour advance tickets are allotted each day. You need to be logged on to recreation.gov right at 8AM to fight the crowd. 3) If all else fails, you can arrive bright and early and enter without a reservation before 6AM. You should also be aware that Going-to-the-Sun road is only open from late-June/early-July to mid-September/early-October due to snowfall and inclement weather.
When visiting any National Park, make sure to arrive EARLY to avoid traffic. I typically recommend arriving no later than 8:00AM. Yellowstone is the world’s first National Park and continues to be one of the busiest. Expect major crowds when visiting in the summer. In June & July, the park sees nearly 850,000 visitors per month. You’ll want to arrive before 8AM to avoid bumper to bumper traffic. No reservation is needed to enter the park.
When traveling to National Parks with kids, be sure grab a Junior Ranger Booklet! You can pick one up at the Visitor Center or download a copy online. Most of the National Parks participate in this program to help engage and immerse children in the experience. It’s fun and informative too! After completing the booklet, present to a park ranger for an official Junior Ranger Badge.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Missoula and Drive to Hungry Horse
Arriving in Missoula, we picked up our Turo rental car and headed to Dragon Hollow for some unique playground fun. Starting off with a kids’ activity was a great post-flight mood booster. Karsen and Reagan loved climbing through the playhouse and popping their heads out of the lookouts in the Dragon Hollow playground.
Directly next door to Dragon Hollow is Carousel for Missoula, which is truly a labor of love. From carving to mechanics, the carousel was constructed solely by volunteers who collectively clocked 100,000 hours on the project. Karsen & Reagan enjoyed several rides on this Missoula staple and had a blast trying to grab “free ride” rings.
For a late lunch/early dinner, we walked up the street to The Notorious P.I.G. Highly recommend the deviled egg potato salad! Wrapping up our time in Missoula, we walked along the Riverfront Walking Trail admiring the Clark Fork River.
Wrapping up the day in Missoula, we began our two and a half hour drive to Hungry Horse with views like the one below all along the route.
Day 2 – West Glacier National Park & Hungry Horse
After eating a quick breakfast at our Hungry Horse AirBnb, we grabbed our hiking packs, bear spray and headed to Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, arriving at 7:30AM. When visiting Glacier in the summer, be prepared to experience temperatures from ranging from 40 degrees to 80 degrees. I recommend dressing in layers and removing as needed.
Going-to-the-Sun Road is an absolute non-negotiable for any Montana itinerary. It’s 50 miles of mountain landscapes, stunning turquoise waters and beautiful wild flowers. During our trip only 16 miles were accessible due to unprecedented snowfall. Still, it was the prettiest 16 miles we’ve ever driven! We stopped at a number of breathtaking scenic stops along the way including McDonald Falls.
Avalanche Lake Trail was first up on the hiking agenda. This is a 4-mile hike, but you can also choose to start at the Trail of the Cedars trailhead which extends the hike to 5.9 miles. The hike is moderately challenging due to the elevation and uneven terrain, but is very much kid friendly. Every inch of this hike is a sight to see with flowing creeks, wildlife, mountain views and forestry, but the prize is Avalanche Lake itself. Just WOW! There’s not a word powerful enough to describe how incredible it is to witness this view with your own eyes.
We enjoyed a packed lunch by the lake and Karsen and Reagan couldn’t resist taking their boots off to dip their toes in the ice cold water.
Before leaving the park for the day, we stopped by the Apgar Village for some ice cream and to appreciate the beauty of Lake McDonald and its mountainous backdrop.
Next was dinner at Nite Owl in Columbia Falls, just minutes outside of Hungry Horse. Their signature dish is “broasted chicken” which is a hybird (see what I did there) of broiled and roasted chicken. Huge portions and all the fixins.
Quick note, day 2 of our trip was the 4th of July. You should know if you are going to be in Hungry Horse on the 4th of July, the people of Hungry Horse love a good firework show. I repeat… THEY. LOVE. FIREWORKS. The entire town gathered in the city center and put on a 3-HOUR long display. The city center happened to be right in front of the neighborhood where our AirBnb was located so we were able to enjoy the show nestled cozily by the firepit in our pjs.
Day 3 – Kalispell, Whitefish Beach & East Glacier National Park
We started off day 3 with Karsen & Reagan’s most anticipated activity, horseback riding! Kalispell is another one of the many quaint towns Montana has to offer and only a 40 minute drive from Hungry Horse. Riding our horses, Hank, Pie, Parker & Ace through the foothills of the Salish Mountain Range was an unforgettable experience. Artemis Acres is one of the few ranches that offer horseback riding for children 6 and under. Our girls had ridden horses a couple of times, but we were all still very novice riders. The guides at Artemis Acres were phenomenal and helped our beginner crew feel like confident riders.
For lunch, we ate at Bonsai Brewing Project in Whitefish, about 30 minutes from Kalispell. BP dabbles in home brewing and always appreciates a good craft beer. Their menu feels craft as well with options for everyone. Despite not having a kids menu, there are plenty of kid friendly options like hot dogs, chips and salsa, hummus and pita bread and burgers.
With the rare experience of an 85 degree day in Montana, we headed to Whitefish Beach. The girls immediately charged into the frigid glacier water…and then immediately back to shore for warmth. Not the best temperature for swimming, but we did enjoy building sandcastles on the beach.
After relaxing on the beach, we collectively decided we wanted to experience more of Glacier National Park, specifically East Glacier. From Whitefish, it’s a 1 hour 45 minute drive and well worth the trek. Two Medicine Lake offers gorgeous views and several hiking trails to choose from. With it being late in the day, we chose a shorter trail, Paradise Point which was a quick 1.4 miles.
On the way out, we took the road towards St. Mary’s, exiting the park near Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Mostly cliffside, the drive was both terrifying and astonishing. East Glacier is absolutely awe-inspiring!
A late dinner at Glacier Highland Restaurant near the West entrance of the park, was the comfort food we needed after a full day of adventures.
Day 4 – Big Fork & Bozeman
Stopping in another quaint, small town, on our way to return the Turo car in Missoula, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Pocketstone Cafe in Big Fork. Nestled against the Rockies, and lined with views of Flathead Lake, this village is one to be appreciated.
Hopping onto Montana Adventure Shuttle, we were Bozeman bound! Thanks, to our wonderful driver, Sheila, the 3-hour drive was filled with great conversation and helpful intel about Montana. Grabbing the next Turo rental and a quick refresh at our Bozeman AirBnb, we headed for dinner at Nina’s Tacos & Tequila in downtown Bozeman. Chef Joe Romano, formerly a line cook in New York City, has worked with many talented chefs and it shows! The food was delicious, atmosphere was lively, and they were very accommodating of our picky eaters.
Day 4 – Bozeman
Made with local ingredients and a small environmental footprint, the unique breakfast/brunch menu at Nova Cafe is a must experience when you’re in Bozeman. The “Mickey Cakes” were a hit with Karsen & Reagan. Even the beverage choices are unique. I could have spent the entire day enjoy their coffees and teas.
Satisfying our love of history and fascination with dinosaurs, we visited the most prestigious natural history museums in the US, Museum of the Rockies. This treasure trove of dinosaur bones, Native American culture and artifacts, mid-20th century history and more is a captivating experience for both kids and adults.
For lunch we ate at Bridger Brewing where the beer is as crisp as the pizza! Take a seat on upstairs patio to admire the mountains in the distance. After lunch, we enjoyed a late afternoon swim in the natural hot springs at Bozeman Hot Springs. With 12 different pools and water temperatures ranging from 57 to 106 degrees, you can get your goldilocks on and choose the pool that’s juuust right for you.
Our leftover tacos and pizza were waiting for us at our AirBnb, but we decided it was a great day to eat dessert first and stopped at Genuine Ice Cream where the treats are yummy and the flavors are Montana inspired.
Day 6 – Big Sky & Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park was part of our original itinerary, but after several entrances were closed due to flooding and others were operating under limited entry, it seemed an unlikely happening. In lieu, we added Big Sky and its glorious mountain views to the plan. However, while we were in town, the West Yellowstone entrance miraculously re-opened. There are 5 entrances to Yellowstone: North, Northeast, South, East & West. With the West being our nearest point of entry and now accessible, Yellowstone was back on the agenda. Rather than spending the day at Big Sky Resort, we limited our visit to the Scenic Chair Lift which is an epic and efficient way to experience Big Sky and its majestic views of Lone Mountain. One lift ticket gets you access to all 3 of the chairlifts at the resort. The Explorer lift ride is one-way only with a 1-mile hike back down the mountain. Ramcharger and Swift Current are out and back lifts and each offer a unique view of Lone Mountain. Due to time constraints, we opted to skip Explorer. In addition to the Scenic Chair Lift, Big Sky Resort is a hot spot for skiing and a magnet for mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, and other recreational activities.
As we drove into Yellowstone around 11AM, the geothermal features made it feel as though we had crossed into another planet. Note, an 11AM arrival would not be optimal for a typical summer visit as 9AM – 11AM is the park’s typical rush hour. Our trip was unusual as much of the crowd was deterred due to the flooding. To avoid traffic during a more typical summer visit, plan to arrive prior to 8AM. Continuing into the park and crossing into Wyoming, our first unearthly stop was Grand Prismatic Springs. For multiple perspectives of this massive rainbow hot spring, take advantage of both the bridge walk and the 1.5 mile Grand Prismatic Overlook Trail hike.
Shooting up over 100 feet in the air, Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes or so and the park is pretty accurate at estimating the timing. We had some time before the next geyser eruption and took a walk around the path of Old Faithful’s perimeter. On this quick 0.8 miles loop we witnessed water boiling directly from the ground and saw a bison. Old Faithful is truly an extraordinary sight to see and is deserving of all the hype it receives. Also, at the Old Faithful stop, there’s a take-out restaurant, ice cream, a gift shop, and lodging.
While we only had the availability for one day at Yellowstone, to fully experience the park, you should plan to spend at least three days. We were fortunate to be able to witness Grand Prismatic Springs, Old Faithful, Gibbon Falls, Mammoth Springs and tons of wildlife all in one day. With a longer stay, be sure to explore Yellowstone Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone as well.
Summarized Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Missoula, Dragon Hollow, Carousel for Missoula, Drive to Hungry Horse
Day 2: West Glacier National Park: Going-to-the-Sun Road, Avalanche Lake Trail, Apgar Village, Lake McDonald
Day 3: Horseback Riding at Artemis Acres in Kalispell, Whitefish Beach, East Glacier National Park: Paradise Point Trail, Two Medicine Lake
Day 4: Big Fork, Flathead Lake, Transit to Bozeman, Downtown Bozeman
Day 5: Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman Hot Springs
Day 6: Big Sky Scenic Chair Lift, Yellowstone National Park: Grand Prismatic Springs, Grand Prismatic Springs Overlook Trail, Old Faithful, Gibbon Falls, Mammoth Springs
Trip Map
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