As Montana is home to some of the most famous mammals in North America, it can be easy to overlook the birds. But that would be a mistake, because Montana has safari-level birdwatching opportunities, and for some reason, the really amazing birds (eagles, vultures, swans, cranes, etc.) are way easier to find than the famous … Read more
Spend five minutes in Montana (or even on this site) and you’ll figure out that rocks are crazy important. The rocks of Montana have shaped the last two centuries of the state’s history. The gold rushes in Bannack, Alder Gulch, and Helena were some of the most important episodes in Montana history. The copper mines … Read more
With April coming to a close, it is time to start planning your Southwest Montana summer adventures. May I offer two words of advice? State Parks. From popular city-side swimming holes to only-accessible-on-dry-days-with-four-wheel-drive ghost towns, Montana’s more than fifty state parks celebrate the state’s diverse landscape and history. Southwest Montana’s state parks offer a cross-section … Read more
You may have noticed Southwest Montana’s website has changed quite a bit. It’s a change that has been in the works for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. For one thing, it is much prettier. Southwest Montana deserves a website as beautiful as the scenery, and it was definitely time … Read more
Christmas is over. New Years has passed. What do we have to look forward to? Why Butte’s Chinese New Year, of course! The shortest, loudest, coldest Chinese New Year Parade in America kicks is next month: February 13, 2016. The parade usually starts from the Butte-Silverbow Courthouse around 3:00 pm and ends at the Mai-Wah … Read more
“Is that…is there…is there a giant lady on the top of that mountain?” Yes, yes there is. She always startles first-time visitors to Butte. You’re letting your eyes wander along the stark Eastern Ridge, and then you notice that there is something strange about one of the peaks. You look closer and realize there is … Read more
“Like many fly fishermen in western Montana where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening. Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades to a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River … Read more
While exploring Southwest Montana, why not take a step back and focus your energy on an emersion in nature? Birding may be an activity that you have never thought of trying, but why not? Maybe you don’t even know what ‘birding’ entails. Birding is an opportunity to step into the natural world and observe its … Read more
Summer may be wrapping up, but the activities in Southwest Montana are continuing. If you don’t already have plans-or if you are searching for something to do throughout September, take a look at some of the events going on around our region! Don’t miss the variety of Farmer’s and Community Markets that will be wrapping … Read more
It takes a long time for a town to give up the ghost. Take Bannack, for example: established in 1862, Montana’s first mining town had run out of gold by the 1880s, and yet the town clung on. Determined, hard-headed prospectors kept the town alive even after it became a state park in the 1950s. … Read more