Cardwell Montana

Cardwell, Montana sits at the mouth of the narrow and winding Jefferson Canyon. On the intersection of MT Highways 2, 359 and Interstate 90, routes to both Yellowstone National Park and Lewis and Clark Caverns run through the town. Drive eight miles through the twisting and beautiful Jefferson Canyon to explore Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. Montana's oldest state park, Lewis and Clark Caverns features a guided tour through an impressive series of limestone caverns, showcasing Montana's fascinating geology with beautiful formations of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites. The park also offers ten miles of above ground self guided interpretive trails.

Cardwell contains a good deal of history. The Lewis and Clark Expedition trekked through the Jefferson Canyon in the summer of 1805 on their way west. Father DeSmet, a Montana legend, camped near the area with a tribe of Salish in the area in 1840. In the twentieth century, Cardwell served as the base camp for the Civilian Conservation Corps that developed Yellowstone and Lewis and Clark Caverns. Finally, Chet Huntley, famous for his television broadcasts and the development of the Big Sky Resort was born in Cardwell.

Come to Cardwell. Fish and float the Jefferson, explore Lewis and Clark Caverns, and stop for dinner at the LaHood Park Steak House. You'll be glad you did.