Southwest Montana 
Every Wednesday in April and May, the Montana Historical Society in Helena is hosting a free lecture on a different part of Montana history. Over the two months, these lessons will cover roughly twelve thousand years of history. Of course, the historical record is pretty scarce for a lot of that time, so most of … Read more
Think you want to experience the joy of Wilderness Areas, but not sure you’re up to backpacking into the wild? We have a solution for you: Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the southernmost reaches of Southwest Montana. Although over 75% of the Refuge is protected by the Wilderness Area rules banning mechanized vehicles … Read more
March is a month for staring out the window and dreaming about when it will be warm enough that you can leave everything behind and just march into the wilderness for a while. At least it is for me. If that’s your view of March too, then you should probably start planning your trip to … Read more
In celebration of International Women’s day, we’ve perused our archives searching for the best stories about the remarkable women who have help to shape Montana, the nation, and the world. Of course, no such post could start without mentioning Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Despite her relative lack of … Read more
The stories of the Copper Kings are stories of Gilded Age ambition, impossible wealth, and devious political machinations. They are the stories of Butte, of Montana, and of the country. William A. Clark came to Montana on the cusp of the gold rush. He quickly found that he could make more money selling things to … Read more
Last week, my esteemed colleague posed the question “what would you do with a snow day in Southwest Montana?” but she missed the most obvious answer, which is to take the ideas on her list and mash them together into a ball–a snow(day) ball, if you will. I’m talking about marshmallows on your hot chocolate. … Read more
December is upon us, and in SouthWest Montana that means one thing: community Christmas events. Seriously, it seems like every town in the state has at least some sort of Christmas shindig in the works, from Christmas strolls, to Christmas bazaars, to art gallery receptions, you won’t be starved for culture this holiday season (and … Read more
Thanksgiving is not about the food. It should be about thankfulness, and family, and friendship. But it is about those things in the context of a feast. A joyful celebration culminating in sitting around a table, and eating food together. It doesn’t have to be lavish or excessive. It can be–if you have twenty-ish people, … Read more
Do you need a mousetrap? An alpaca? An emu, a rifle, a drone, an app, an insulated concrete log, a buckskin beer coozie, a candle, or a cap? You need look no further than Montana. And frankly, the above is just the tip of the iceberg. The Montana Department of Commerce lists some thirty-four hundred … Read more
Bannack. The once-bright star of Montana, now a ruin. A town in arrested decay. The sun glints blindly off of the few remaining storefronts, stores with neither wares nor customers. The saloons do not hum with music, mule trains no longer clog main street, and the town’s five thousand plus residents no longer throng the … Read more