Chapter 8: The Hi-Line & North-Central Missouri River Country

This part of Montana is classic cattle and wheat country, the domain of the authentic American cowboy. The vast northern plains of Montana were once a wilderness of tallgrass, rolling in the wind like the sea, home to millions of pronghorn and buffalo.

Lewis and Clark reported vast herds of the latter, but that wasn’t all they saw here. When the adventurers entered Montana in 1805, just past the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, they saw their first grizzly bear rambling on the plains, and Lewis made the first extensive description of the animal for science. Before humans drove them to higher ground, this was prime grizzly habitat. Now only one tiny parcel of prairie is frequented by them, Pine Butte Swamp.

As you travel through this region, you’ll likely be closely following the trail of Lewis and Clark to the portage of the Great Falls. In the city of Great Falls, take time to visit the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center and experience vicariously one of the great American adventures. This portion of the state is also the landscape that Charles Russell memorialized in his famous Western paintings and bronzes.

But the region isn’t all history and vanished mythology. There’s plenty of outdoor activity, including fishing and boating on Fort Peck Lake, bird-watching at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, rafting on the wild and scenic Missouri River, and both downhill and cross-country skiing.

Scenic Drives

North-Central Montana

Driving Tour 1: Kings Hill Scenic Byway

The Kings Hill Scenic Byway is a 71-mile stretch of U.S. 89 through the Little Belt Mountains and the Lewis and Clark National Forest. You pick it up about 22 miles southeast of Great Falls, where U.S. 87 and U.S. 89 divide. Take U.S. 89 south toward the towns of Monarch and Neihart. From the south, take U.S. 89 north from just east of Livingston on I-90. For a leisurely tour, you can watch the wildlife and the scenery, then visit the ghost towns at Castle Town and Hughesville, and the historic mining site at Glory Hole. For a more active trip, go to Sluice Boxes State Park, just north of Monarch (http://fwp.mt.gov; 406/454-5840), to hike along the abandoned rail line there or fish in Belt Creek. In winter, there is cross-country skiing at the Silver Crest Trail System (just north of Showdown Ski Area; see below) and snowmobiling at Kings Hill. Memorial Falls has a nature trail that is accessible to visitors with disabilities. Primitive backcountry camping sites (free, but you must get a permit and camp a half-mile or more from the trail head) and national forest access points are at numerous spots along the highway.

Driving Tour 2: The Charles M. Russell Trail

The Judith Basin inspired the work of one of the West’s seminal artists, Charles M. Russell. This drive on U.S. 87/Mont. 200 between Great Falls and Lewistown provides an intimate glimpse at the unsettled West through Russell’s eyes. The drive is lovely in a pastoral way, but it helps to have a copy of the interpretive guide of the trail from Travel Montana’s Russell Country (www.russell.visitmt.com; 800/527-5348) if you want to get the full experience. The guide uses Russell’s art to illuminate the history of the basin.

These highways were designated the Russell Trail by the Montana legislature. The scruffy cowhands and toughened Indians that Russell painted have been replaced by carefully tended fields of grain, but with the help of Russell’s art and a little imagination, you can put yourself back in the saddle in 1880s Montana.

From Great Falls, you go southeast through the towns of Raynesford, Geyser, and Moccasin, taking in the history of the Blackfeet, the infamous last wolves of the basin in Stanford, and the role of the railroads in Hobson. Spring and fall are the best times to match Russell’s color palette with that of the scenery.

There are roadside turnouts along the highway for many of the 25 interpretive sites, including the settings for two of Russell’s best-known paintings, Buffalo in Winter and Paying the Fiddler.

Great Falls

89 miles N of Helena; 219 miles NW of Billings

Great Falls

Great Falls, named for a series of waterfalls on the Missouri River, is a city of about 57,000, making it Montana’s third largest (after Billings and Missoula). An important cog in the U.S. military strategy, it is the home of Malmstrom Air Force Base, which several times has been threatened with closure (which would devastate the city), but it has thus far avoided that fate.

But the country around Great Falls looks much as Charles Russell found it and painted it at the end of the 19th century. Russell made Great Falls his home and did much of his painting in his studio there.

Nearly a century before Russell’s day, Lewis and Clark came through with the Corps of Discovery in 1805, making an 18-mile portage around the falls. It is a somewhat sad sign of Great Falls’s progress that it is now known as “the Electric City,” because the falls that Lewis and Clark marveled at have been tamed by a series of dams to provide electric power.

Essentials

Getting There Great Falls serves as the hub for north-central Montana east of the Rockies. The Great Falls International Airport (www.gtfairport.com; 406/727-3404) has daily service from Alaska/Horizon, Allegiant, Delta, and United. Shelby, 88 miles northwest, provides the closest Amtrak service (www.amtrak.com; 800/872-7245).

Great Falls is located on I-15, which runs north from Butte, where the highway intersects with I-90, passing through Helena and then Great Falls. From Missoula, you can take Mont. 200 east, or you can take I-90 a little southeast, pick up U.S. 12, and go east to Helena, then north to Great Falls. Mont. 200 is more scenic. From Billings, you can take Mont. 87 north to Lewistown and then west to Great Falls. Or you can go west on I-90 to Livingston, then take Mont. 89, which includes the Kings Hill Scenic Byway (see the driving tour above), northwest to Great Falls. From Bozeman, take U.S. 287 north at Three Forks, then I-15 to Great Falls.

Visitor Information Request tour information from Russell Country, P.O. Box 3166, Great Falls, MT 59403 (www.russell.visitmt.com; 800/527-5348 or 406/761-5036). The Great Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau is at 1106 9th St. S., Great Falls, MT 59405 (www.gfcvb.com; 800/735-8535 or 406/727-8733). There is a visitor center at the Broadwater Overlook at 15 Upper River Rd., right under the tall flagpole.

Getting Around The best way to explore Great Falls and environs is by car. Most rental franchises operate in town, including Avis ( 800/230-4898), Hertz ( 800/654-3131), and National ( 800/227-7368) at the airport.

Great Falls Transit System (www.gftransit.com; 406/727-0382) offers bus service Monday through Saturday from early morning to early evening (no service Sun and holidays). Fare is $1 adults, 75¢ students, and 50¢ seniors; kids 5 and under are free.

Organized Tours To see the town, take the 2-hour Great Falls Historic Trolley tour (www.greatfallshistorictrolley.com; 888/707-1100 or 406/771-1100). Tickets are $22 for adults and $5 children 2 to 12, with one stop at the Rainbow Falls. You pick up the tour at the visitor information center at Broadwater Overlook Park. The company also does a Lewis and Clark tour, a parks tour, and custom trips.

A Special Event Great Falls hosts the Lewis and Clark Festival each year in June. Events include history workshops, tours, food booths, and children’s activities. For information and tickets, call 406/452-5661.

Getting Outside

Fishing & Boating

Great Falls is the unofficial dividing line for cold- and warm-water fish. You can fish for trout from Giant Springs or take one of the many tours available on the Missouri. For half- to 7-day fishing and white-water trips on the Missouri, try Montana River Outfitters, 923 10th Ave. N., Great Falls (www.montanariveroutfitters.com; 800/800-4350 or 406/235-4350).

Golf

The city offers two public golf courses: Anaconda Hills, on Smelter Hill in Black Eagle northeast of town at 2315 E. Smelter Ave. ( 406/761-8459), with greens fees of $24 to $30 for 18 holes and $15 to $18 for 9; and the Eagle Falls Golf Club, at 25th Street and River Drive North ( 406/761-1078), with greens fees of $28 to $31 for 18 holes and $17 to $18 for 9. Carts are $13 per person for 18 holes.

Hiking & Biking

The 40-plus-mile River’s Edge Trail (www.thetrail.org), along the Missouri River, starts downtown at Oddfellows Park and runs out past Rainbow Dam and Crooked Falls, out to the “Great Falls of the Missouri,” below Ryan Dam, and beyond. The trail is ideal for hiking, biking, running, walking, and roller skating. The Great Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau (see above) can provide you with information and trail maps.

Winter Sports

Showdown Ski Area Although relatively undiscovered, this is a full-service ski area, with 34 trails on 640 acres, three chairlifts, a surface lift, and a 1,400-foot vertical drop. The area is perfect for beginning and intermediate skiers (30% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% expert), with long, uninterrupted runs and lots of dry, light powder. The total average snowfall is 240 inches annually. There are ski rentals and a restaurant and bar. Family-oriented perks include a day-care center and a children’s program. Adjacent to Showdown is the Silver Crest Trail System for cross-country skiing.

65 miles southeast of Great Falls on U.S. 89, near Neihart. www.showdownmontana.com. 800/433-0022 or 406/727-5522. For snow conditions, call 406/771-1300. Full-day lift tickets $38 adults, $28 seniors 70 and over, $33 students, $20 children 6–12, free for 5 and under. Early Dec to early Apr Wed–Sun 9:30am–4pm. Closed Christmas, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, and Presidents’ Day.

Seeing the Sights

Gibson Park, located 1 block north of the Civic Center along Park Drive, is quite nice, with a large pond, playgrounds, flower gardens, and picnic areas. This is a good place to pick up the trail system along the Missouri River. A grizzly bear chased Meriwether Lewis into the Missouri River near here in 1805.

Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Established in 1929 by President Herbert Hoover, the refuge is physically unimpressive, a small lake in a broad, open, treeless plain. But the 12,383 acres are some of the country’s most important nesting grounds for waterfowl, especially mallards, pintail, teal, and canvasback. Bird-watching for waterfowl and prairie species is best early in the morning or in the evening. There’s a 9-mile auto-tour route that takes about an hour, marked with signs to provide information about what you’re seeing, but Mother Nature is constantly changing the refuge attractions.

922 Bootlegger Trail, Great Falls, MT 59404. www.fws.gov/bentonlake. 406/727-7400. Free admission. Open daily during daylight hours. Go 1 mile north of Great Falls on Mont. 87, take a left on Bootlegger Trail, then proceed about 9 miles north to well-marked entrance.

C. M. Russell Museum Complex ★★ You can divide the world into two kinds of people—those who like cowboy art and those who don’t. It is a measure of Charles Russell’s greatness that, although he was a cowboy artist, almost everybody likes his work. This facility, which includes tours of Russell’s studio and home, is one of the high points of any trip to Montana, and it’s worth going out of your way to see.

Russell and the dime novelists practically invented the West. But the power of his work is that the personality of everyone and everything portrayed—American Indians, cowboys, even the landscape—shines through. Much modern “Western art” concentrates on the scenery and fierce animals without making much of a statement. Conversely, Russell had something to say about a celebrated but passing way of life, and he said it powerfully.

The museum houses the largest collection of Russell’s work on the planet, hung in chronological order—starting with a trio of paintings he did when he was 13. From there, visitors get to see an amazing evolution in his vivid, self-taught style, from early watercolors, to statues made of wax and plaster and later bronze, to Christmas cards and sketches, all the way to his final, most renowned oil period before his death in 1926. The studio contains some of Russell’s personal belongings, including many of the Indian artifacts he collected to help maintain his art’s authenticity. A number of other excellent Western artists are shown to good advantage in the museum; besides the permanent display of works by Russell protégé Olaf Seltzer and another permanent exhibit on bison art, exhibits change several times a year. You can spend an hour or all day here.

400 13th St. N. www.cmrussell.org. 406/727-8787. $9 adults, $7 seniors, $4 students (age 6 or older), free for kids 5 and under. May–Sept daily 9am–6pm; Oct–Apr Tues–Sat 10am–5pm. Tours May–Sept Tues–Sat at 2pm. Closed major holidays.

Giant Springs State Park ★ Lewis and Clark came upon and described the Giant Springs, purportedly the largest freshwater spring in the world. The spring now also feeds a fish-breeding facility nearby. It burbles out of the 250-million-year-old Madison Formation, a large water-bearing formation that provides a lot of groundwater throughout the northern West. The springs send out more than 100,000 gallons a minute into the 201-foot-long Roe River, credited as one of the two shortest rivers in the world. The entire park covers 218 acres and has about 2 miles of trails.

The Great Falls that gave Lewis and Clark so much trouble have been dammed, but you can see a few remnants of their former glory from overlooks. In the spring, especially, you can see the power of the river flowing through the spillways at Rainbow Dam, spewing mist hundreds of feet into the air, creating the rainbows in the sunshine that so entranced the explorers. Lewis called Rainbow Falls “one of the most beautiful objects of nature.” The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks also operates a fish hatchery and visitor center nearby (Mon–Fri 8am–5pm), where visitors can purchase hunting and fishing licenses.

4600 Giant Springs Rd. www.fwp.mt.gov. 406/454-5840. $5 per vehicle ($3 per bicycle or pedestrian). Open daily during daylight hours. Take River Dr. east along the Missouri River to Giant Springs Rd. Turn left and drive about 1⁄4 mile, just past the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center.

Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center ★★ Located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, this facility is, hands down, the best Lewis and Clark exhibit between St. Louis and the Pacific Ocean. The facility is cleverly arranged to follow the adventurers’ path to each major point along the way. You start at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson’s instructions to the Corps of Discovery. Then you go from one high point to the next along the journey. You visit a Mandan earth lodge, see the grizzlies, and feel the voyagers sweat as they pull their 3,000-pound boat along the 18-mile portage of the Great Falls. Of this portage, Clark wrote: “To state the fatigues of this party would take up more of this journal than other notes which I find scarcely time to set down.” An excellent facility, it will take several hours to see properly. The docents are wonderfully informed and entertaining. Interpretive programs are held year-round, outdoors at a “River Camp” setting during the summer months.

4201 Giant Springs Rd. 406/727-8733. $8 adults, free for children 15 and under. Memorial Day to Sept daily 9am–6pm; Oct to Memorial Day Tues–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm. Closed major holidays.

Malmstrom Air Force Base Heritage Center and Air Park The air park has a number of aircraft from various eras, primarily from the 1950s and 1960s, but the real attractions here are the implements of nuclear weaponry: a Minuteman III ICBM and its transporter erector. Inside, amid scads of military equipment and uniforms and a reconstruction of a World War II–era barracks, is the old command center that once controlled the base’s nuclear missiles. Interpretation of the exhibits is minimal, unfortunately.

Malmstrom Air Force Base, east end of 2nd Ave. N. past 57th St. 406/731-2705. Free admission; civilian passes are available at the base’s visitor center. Air park: Daily during daylight hours. Museum: Mon–Fri 10am–4pm. Closed holidays.

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art ★ Located in a national historic landmark building that served as Great Falls’s first high school, Paris Gibson Square is now the cultural and art center of the city. The changing art shows display the works of artists from around the Northwest, as well as pieces from the permanent collection. The selection includes both contemporary and historical exhibits in a comfortable, beautifully restored space. Among the newest works are Len Steen’s “outsider art,” stick-figure statues that once graced Montana’s roadsides.

1400 1st Ave. N. www.the-square.org. 406/727-8255. Free admission. Mon–Fri 10am–5pm (Tues also 7–9pm); Sat noon–5pm.

Shopping

There are at least 19 antiques stores in Great Falls, and the chamber of commerce can give you a map of their locations. The terrific Dragonfly Dry Goods, 504 Central Ave. ( 406/454-2263), specializes in home decor, clothing, gifts, and things Western. Hoglund’s, 306 1st Ave. S. ( 406/452-6911), has an awe-inspiring selection of cowboy boots and hats. You can find Montana-made souvenirs or gifts at the Blue Ribbon of Montana, 3400 10th St. S. ( 406/761-1233).

Where to Stay

Aside from the properties listed below, we also recommend the Hampton Inn, 2301 14th St. SW ( 406/453-2675), with rates of $110 to $130 double and $200 for a whirlpool suite.

Best Western Plus Heritage Inn The hotel is located on a sedate street just off the main drag and is the preferred business stop-off in Great Falls, located a little closer to the interstate than downtown. The rooms are comfortable, a notch above your typical chain, and many of them adjoin the central gardened atrium where the pool is located. It has the largest convention center in Great Falls, with a latte bar to boot.

1700 Fox Farm Rd., Great Falls, MT 59404. www.bestwestern.com/heritageinngreatfalls. 800/548-8256 or 406/761-1900. Fax 406/761-0136. 233 units. $100–$120 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge/casino; free airport transfers; exercise room; indoor Jacuzzi; indoor pool; sauna. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Collins Mansion ★★ Built in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this grand Queen Anne–style mansion is today a stylish bed-and-breakfast. At 8,000 square feet, this gleaming white structure stands out (it sits in an otherwise typical neighborhood overlooking the west side of Great Falls) with a wraparound veranda and ornate woodwork. All of the rooms have a private bathroom. The pinnacle is the Black and Gold Room, decorated in its namesake colors and featuring a four-poster king bed and a city view from the bay window. The frilly Lavender Room features canopied beds.

1003 2nd Ave. NW, Great Falls, MT 59404. www.greatfallsbedbreakfast.com. 866/939-4262 or 406/452-4444. 6 units. $89–$135 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. In room: A/C, TV, no phone, Wi-Fi (free).

O’Haire Motor Inn A solid independent motel centered on an interior parking lot, this is my lodging of choice in downtown Great Falls, with all of the trappings for a perfect break from the highways en route to Glacier or points beyond. The hotel, built in 1962 and recently updated, is well-kept and clean, a cut above the normal independent. The restaurant, Clark & Lewie’s, is a more-than-respectable diner with personality and microbrew on tap, serving hearty breakfasts and a pub menu for lunch and dinner. The Sip ’n Dip Lounge (see “Great Falls After Dark,” below) must be seen to be believed. Besides the usual amenities, rubber duckies come with the rooms.

17 7th St. S. Great Falls, MT 59405. www.ohairemotorinn.com. 800/332-9819 or 406/454-2141; 800/543-9819 in Canada. Fax 406/454-0211. 69 units. $72–$90 double; $110 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge; exercise room; indoor pool. In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi (free).

Where to Eat

Bar S Supper Club STEAKS/SEAFOOD Authentic cowboy steakhouses have become endangered with the expansion of national chains in recent years, but you’ll find the real deal at the Bar S, on the northeast side of Great Falls. The place has a rustic charm, with brands on the walls, lots of red vinyl and wood, and the requisite beer signs. While lunches are primarily burgers and sandwiches, the dinner menu focuses almost exclusively on Montana choice beef, ranging from a 10-ounce tenderloin to a 30-ounce rib-eye, and there is also a fair amount of seafood and a smattering of poultry. Some locals come every Saturday night, and nobody leaves hungry.

5100 N. Star Blvd. 406/761-9550. Reservations recommended. Main courses $6–$11 lunch; $20–$50 dinner. AE, DISC, MC, V. Tues–Sat 11am–2pm and 5–10pm; Sun 4–9pm.

Bert & Ernie’s AMERICAN This historic redbrick tack store became a restaurant in 1977 (the sister of the eatery of the same name in Helena) and is the most reliable dinner destination in downtown Great Falls. Under a pressed tin ceiling, the busy bar and grill plates up a nice variety of burgers and sandwiches (including a buffalo burger with blackening spice, blue cheese, and bacon); the dinner menu adds steaks, seafood, and barbecued ribs. There is a nice selection of local beers on tap, and a stage is frequented by live acts Thursday through Saturday nights.

300 1st Ave. S. www.bertandernies.com. 406/453-0601. Main courses $8–$12 lunch, $8–$24 dinner. AE, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Sat 11am–10pm.

Great Falls After Dark

The bar scene in Great Falls is fairly sedate and typical for a city its size, with one outrageous exception: the Sip ’n Dip Lounge at the O’Haire Motor Inn, 17 7th St. S. ( 406/454-2141), an authentic tiki bar, clad in bamboo and loaded with South Seas paraphernalia of all kinds. The “sip” in the moniker refers to the cocktails served by the bar. The “dip,” however, is quite unusual: Windows behind the bar make for a view of a pool where actresses in mermaid garb swim on Wednesday through Saturday nights. Then you’ve got “Piano Pat” Sponheim tickling the ivories, as she has since 1963, delivering unusual covers of Neil Diamond, Sinatra, and Elvis tunes. This is one of the kitschiest, wackiest, and flat-out coolest nightspots, not just in Montana, but in the entire West.

A Side Trip to Fort Benton

Thirty-six miles north of Great Falls on Mont. 87, you can drop down to the historic town of Fort Benton. The town faces the Missouri River, which formed its destiny. There is a pleasant waterfront park with an interesting series of murals detailing the town’s history.

The Lewis and Clark expedition made a critical decision a short distance downstream from Fort Benton, where the Marias River enters the Missouri. The expedition was divided on which was the main branch of the Missouri. The vote was 30-to-2 for the Marias being the main branch. The two who went for the other branch were Lewis and Clark. Had they chosen the Marias branch, there is a good chance that the expedition would have failed, because they would not have been able to get over the Rockies before winter. A statue of the explorers at this decisive point dominates one end of Front Street in Fort Benton. A small visitor center at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office on Front Street offers some information about this event.

Next to the Lewis and Clark statue is the Keelboat Mandan, a full-scale replica 62 feet long and 13 feet wide built for the movie The Big Sky. In the heyday of keelboating, broad-shouldered men could push a boat upstream at a pace of about 2 miles a day. There is also a monument on the riverfront to Shep, a dog whose master died and was sent East by train for burial. After that, Shep met every train in Fort Benton from 1936 until 1942, waiting for his master’s return, until—hard of hearing and arthritic—the old dog met his end one wintry morning on the tracks.

The first steamboat reached Fort Benton in 1850, and 600 of them stopped here from 1859 to 1870. Furs, goods, and gold were all shipped through the town. The Museum of the Northern Great Plains, 1205 20th St. (www.fortbenton.com/museums; 406/622-5316 or 622-3201), tells the story of settlement. There is a vast collection of farming equipment here, testifying to the fortitude and ingenuity of the settlers on the Great Plains. The Museum of the Upper Missouri, at Old Fort Park and Front Street (www.fortbenton.com/museums; 406/622-5316 or 406/622-3201), has an excellent historical collection, including the rifle that Nez Perce Chief Joseph surrendered at the Bear Paw battle, and the history and personality of Fort Benton as expressed by the artist Charles Russell, the preacher Brother Van, and the infamous “Madame Mustache,” the woman who reputedly introduced Calamity Jane to prostitution. Both museums are open daily late May to late September; call for specific hours. Adult admission is $10 for both museums (which includes access to three other attractions in town), and kids 12 and under are $1.

The BLM manages 149 miles of the Missouri here as a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and canoeing and keelboating are both good ways to take in the landscape. Contact the Fort Benton Chamber of Commerce (www.fortbenton.com; 406/622-3864) for a list of river outfitters.

For lodging, you can’t beat the Grand Union Hotel ★★, 1 Grand Union Sq. (P.O. Box 1119), Fort Benton, MT 59442 (www.grandunionhotel.com; 888/838-1882 or 406/622-1882), right on the river. Built in 1882 at a cost of $50,000, it was completely restored to its original splendor in 1999. Said to be Montana’s oldest operating hotel, the Grand Union has 26 luxurious guest rooms in a range of sizes (with modern conveniences: phones, free Wi-Fi, and TVs), a top-notch restaurant in the Union Grille (dinner entrees, such as roasted chicken and grilled beef tenderloin, are $23–$36, with a less expensive bar menu), and a pub. The three suites are largest. During the high summer season, rates start at $120 for a double and go up to $195 for the suites; rates include continental breakfast.

The Rocky Mountain Eastern Front ★

53 miles W of Great Falls

The eastern front of the Rockies is an isolated, sparsely populated section of Montana, but it is no less beautiful than the peaks and valleys to the west. A great paleontological mystery was solved here. Scientists had discovered many dinosaur fossils in the far-eastern part of the state, but no nests or eggs. When fossilized dinosaur eggs turned up along the Rocky Mountain Eastern Front—the shoreline of a shallow sea 65 million years ago—paleontologists learned that the beasts had migrated to this area to lay their eggs.

There are two towns with distinctive personalities on the front: Choteau and Augusta. Choteau bills itself as the gateway to the Rockies. Named for the president of the American Fur Co., who brought the first steamboat up the Missouri, it is one of the oldest towns in Montana.

Tiny Augusta is a cheerful, friendly community. Unlike a lot of small Western towns, it is not hustling to turn itself into something else. It’s only about 2 blocks long, with weathered wood exteriors on the buildings. Folks are out and about, and everybody’s on a first-name basis with just about everybody else. The pace picks up a bit the last weekend in June, when the rodeo hits town.

Essentials

Getting There The closest airport is in Great Falls, about 53 miles from Choteau (see the “Great Falls” section, earlier in this chapter, for airport information). From the airport, take I-15 north to the U.S. 89 exit (about 13 miles), then go west on U.S. 89 for 40 miles to Choteau.

To reach the area by car from the northwest, drive on U.S. 2 along the southern border of Glacier National Park. At Browning, go south on Mont. 89 to Choteau. From Choteau, go southwest on U.S. 287. Two miles past the junction of Mont. 21 and U.S. 287, Augusta lies 40 miles due west of Great Falls.

Visitor Information For an information packet, contact the regional tourism office for Travel Montana’s Russell Country, P.O. Box 3166, Great Falls, MT 59403 (www.russell.visitmt.com; 800/527-5348). In Choteau, write to the Choteau Chamber of Commerce, at 815 Main Ave. N. (P.O. Box 897), Choteau, MT 59422 (www.choteaumontana.com; 800/823-3866 or 406/466-5316). For hunting and fishing info, contact the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (4600 Giant Springs Rd., Great Falls, MT 59406; www.fwp.mt.gov; 406/454-5840).

Getting Around The only way to travel this country is to drive. The closest car-rental agencies are in Great Falls (see earlier in this chapter).

Rental-Car Tip

A reliable four-wheel-drive vehicle is strongly recommended for touring the back roads of the Rocky Mountain Eastern Front. Many are gravel roads that turn into a slippery mush, locally known as “gumbo,” during rainy weather. Car-rental companies in Great Falls and other nearby cities keep such vehicles in stock, but requests should be made weeks in advance.

What to Do

See Pine Butte Guest Ranch and JJJ Wilderness Ranch (see “Where to Stay,” below) for learning vacations covering the region’s ecology and natural history, backpacking, and horse-packing trips.

Timescale Adventures Timescale Adventures runs some popular dinosaur field programs, designed for all ages and levels of interest. The 3-hour seminar is a walk along the Rocky Mountain Eastern Front covering identification of dinosaur bones and eggs, and what to do when you find one. The 2-day seminar includes a dig and instruction in fossil-preservation techniques. All of the programs originate from the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center in the town of Bynum, 14 miles north of Choteau on U.S. 89. The center, open daily from 9am to 6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with limited hours the rest of the year, houses displays on the various dinosaurs the organization has excavated. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 children 3 to 11, and free for kids 2 and under.

P.O. Box 786, Bynum, MT 59419. www.timescale.org. 800/238-6873 or 406/469-2211. 3-hr. day tour $50 per person; 1-day program $140 per person; longer programs about $125 per person, per day. Advance registration is required; space is limited.

A Scenic Drive

The beautiful Sun Canyon Drive on Sun Canyon Road starts out along the plains west of Augusta and then weaves up the canyon past a 1913 Bureau of Reclamation dam. During the time of Lewis and Clark, the Blackfeet called the river that carved the canyon the Medicine River, but it is now known as the Sun River. The canyon, a gray-granite jumble with snowcapped peaks in the distance, is a weekend getaway spot for residents all along the front. There are opportunities for fishing, boating, hiking, and four-wheeling in the area. The road up here is an easily navigable gravel track for the most part, but it can be rugged in portions, especially if they’ve been trying to fix it. After you get to the national forest, however, the road is paved. Go figure.

Shopping

Latigo and Lace, 124 Main St. in Augusta ( 406/562-3665), is an eclectic shop overflowing with the work of Montana artists and craftspeople, plus books, cups of cappuccino, and an array of “made in Montana” collectibles.

Where to Stay

The Bunkhouse Inn This is the cowboy way. Housed in a building that dates from 1912 and is constantly under renovation, the Bunkhouse is sort of a bed-and-breakfast without the breakfast. The rooms are small and basic; there are no phones or televisions (except for one in the common room), but instead of staring at the idiot box, you can sit out on the second-floor porch watching the slow-paced bustle on Main Street. On Memorial Day weekend, you’ll have a front-row seat to Montana’s smallest parade as the gray-haired American Legionnaires march to the strains of Sousa marches played on a boombox carried by two of the ladies’ auxiliary.

126 Main St. (P.O. Box 294), Augusta, MT 59410. 800/553-4016 or 406/562-3387. 10 units. $59 double. MC, V. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi (free).

JJJ Wilderness Ranch ★ The Triple J is a longstanding guest ranch located in the extraordinary Sun Canyon along the Rocky Mountain Eastern Front. Run by the Barker family for three generations, the ranch offers everything the outdoorsy type could want—horseback riding, hiking, fishing, pack trips into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area (at an extra charge), and pure and simple relaxation. Nestled in a forest of aspen and spruce, the rustic cabins accommodate a total of 20 guests, so you’re never crowded. Though there are few amenities, it’s not due to an oversight: Those who come here don’t want phones and televisions.

80 Mortimer Rd., P.O. Box 310, Augusta, MT 59410. www.triplejranch.com. 406/562-3653. Fax 406/562-3836. 7 cabins. $1,950 per adult, per week, $1,650–$1,800 per child 6–17, per week; 4- and 5-day packages also available. Rates include all meals and ranch activities (except pack trips). AE, DISC, MC, V. Closed Oct–May. Amenities: Free transportation from and to the Great Falls airport; children’s programs; outdoor Jacuzzi; Wi-Fi (free). In room: Fridge, no phone.

Pine Butte Guest Ranch ★ Located deep in the rugged Sawtooth Range along the Rocky Mountain Eastern Front, Pine Butte Guest Ranch is the property of the Nature Conservancy, a national land-preservation organization. Since a few endangered grizzly bears have made the 15,500-acre Pine Butte Swamp Preserve their home, the Conservancy saw fit to buy it to protect the delicate ecosystem. The preserve is the only place left in the Lower 48 states where grizzlies use both the mountain and prairie ranges as they did before settlement drove them to the remnant habitat in the mountains.

Pine Butte was first homesteaded in the 1930s, but it has always been a guest ranch, not a cattle ranch, which accounts in part for the largely undisturbed habitat. Today the ranch focuses on education, running numerous workshops on topics ranging from grizzly bears to wildflowers. As well as visits to local dinosaur dig sites, guests can also take part in the usual dude-ranch activities—riding, hiking, swimming, and the like. Each of the ranch’s handsome, rustic log cabins has a river-rock fireplace and is comfortably equipped with handmade furniture.

351 S. Fork Rd., HC 58, P.O. Box 34C, Choteau, MT 59422. www.nature.org/montana. 406/466-2158. Fax 406/466-5462. 10 cabins. Summer $2,200 per adult, per week double; children 13–18 $1,700 per week; children 6–12 $1,500 per week; children 5 and under free. Rates include all meals, riding, and ranch facilities. AE, MC, V. Closed late Sept to late May Amenities: Free transportation from and to Great Falls airport, outdoor heated pool, Wi-Fi(free). In room: No phone.

Where to Eat

In Choteau, a good pick for takeout or a quick sit-down meal is the Outpost Deli, 819 N. Main Ave. ( 406/466-5330), serving a basic American breakfast menu and burgers and sandwiches for lunch, with an ice cream parlor for the kids.

Buckhorn Bar STEAKS/AMERICAN The Dellwo family has run this bar in the same location for more than 50 years, serving a selection of steaks, chicken, and burgers. If you’ve got a serious appetite, your best bet is a charbroiled 16-ounce rib steak with a salad and potato for $19. The portions are remarkably large and moderately priced, the atmosphere classic woody Western, complete with dozens of antler racks overhead, cowboy-hatted patrons, and gaming machines.

Main St., Augusta. 406/562-3344. All dishes $2.75–$19. MC, V. Daily 8am–2am. (After 11pm, only pizzas are available.)

Chubby’s Diner AMERICAN Most everyone in town will send you to breakfast at Chubby’s, a tiny place with four booths and two tables. You’ll get good food at good prices: bacon and eggs, hot cakes, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast; fish and chips and burgers for lunch and dinner. You can also take your pick of ice-cream treats, shakes, and malts. The hours depend on how business is doing.

Main St., Augusta. 406/562-3408. All dishes $2–$11. DISC, MC, V. Daily 6am–7pm (until 5pm in winter).

Lewistown

105 miles E of Great Falls; 128 miles N of Billings

The hub of a vast agricultural region, Lewistown is not right on the way to any particular tourist destination, so if you find yourself here, you probably meant to come. The town is blessed with great downtown architecture, stately homes, and modest citizens. And there is some notable recreation here—especially hunting and fishing. Located in the center of the Judith Basin, Lewistown is surrounded by three mountain ranges—the Big and Little Snowies, the Moccasin, and the Judith. While Charles Russell lived in Great Falls later, the Judith Basin is where he worked as a cowboy and where he fell in love with Montana.

Essentials

Getting There The nearest airports are in Great Falls and Billings. Lewistown is connected to other Montana cities by two-lane U.S. highways that radiate from the town. From Billings, go north 92 miles, then west 31 miles on U.S. 87. From Great Falls, Lewistown is 105 miles east on U.S. 87.

Visitor Information The Lewistown Chamber of Commerce has its offices at Symmes Park at 408 NE Main St. (www.lewistownchamber.com and www.destinationlewistownmontana.com; 866/912-3980 or 406/535-5436). Local maps, and maps from the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the C. M. Russell Wildlife Refuge are all available. Information about Lewistown is also available from Travel Montana’s Russell Country (www.russell.visitmt.com; 800/527-5348).

Special Events The Chokecherry Festival (www.lewistownchokecherry.com), held on the Saturday following Labor Day, honors that smarter-than-the-average-berry, the chokecherry, one of the few indigenous fruits of the prairie. Generally overlooked by poets and songwriters—no one has ever been the chokecherry of someone’s eye, nor has life ever been a bowl of chokecherries—Lewistown attempts to place the chokecherry on its proper pedestal with parades, bake sales, pie cook-offs, and even a pit-spitting contest.

Lewistown’s other big annual event is the Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering ★ (www.montanacowboypoetrytgathering.com). Each year in mid-August, cowboys, ranchers, large-animal vets, and other swaybacked and bowlegged Montana literati gather to swap lies and poems. Those who may have considered the term “cowboy poetry” an oxymoron are usually pleasantly surprised to find a relentless rhyming vitality to the poetry, along with a lot of humor, and an honest and healthy appreciation of fellow poets. For details on these events, call the Lewistown Chamber of Commerce at 866/912-3980.

Getting Outside

For information on activities in the national forest lands in this area, contact the Lewis and Clark National Forest ( 406/791-7700).

Cross-Country Skiing

If you’re here in the winter, there is good cross-country skiing in any of the three mountain ranges that ring the valley. There are a number of trails accessible by car in the Judith Mountains north of town, on old logging and mining roads. Head north on U.S. 191 to the Maiden Canyon sign, then take a left and follow the road for 5 miles to the trails.

Fishing

High in the Big Snowy Mountains is Crystal Lake, about 35 miles southwest of Lewistown. This is a popular and somewhat remote recreational area that offers good fishing, hiking, and camping. You have to travel about 25 miles on gravel road to get there. Take U.S. 87 west of town for 8 miles, then turn south at the sign for Crystal Lake. After about 16 miles, it runs into Forest Service Road 275, which you should follow for another 9 miles to the lake. Motorized boats are prohibited, but overnight RV and tent camping is available. For good trout fishing closer to town, try Big Spring Creek, which begins south of Lewistown and flows north through town to join the Judith River. You can easily access Brewery Flats on Big Spring Creek about 2 miles outside of town on Mont. 238. Flatwillow Creek, in the Forest Grove area of the Little Snowies, provides some rainbow and cutthroat fishing. For flat-water fishing, try Upper and Lower Carter’s Pond, man-made ponds 6 1/2 miles north of Lewistown on U.S. 191. There are picnic facilities and overnight camping as well. The James Kipp Recreation Area, 78 miles north of town on the Missouri River in the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, also has fishing, camping, hiking, and a boat ramp. Take U.S. 191 northeast until it intersects with Mont. 19, then go north about 35 miles. Camping is $12 a night. Contact the Bureau of Land Management ( 406/538-1900 or 406/464-2166) for more information.

Golf

The 18-hole Judith Shadows Golf Course, 464 Rifle Range Rd. (www.judithshadows.com; 406/538-6062) is an alternative-spikes-only facility located at the end of Marcella Avenue in the northeast corner of Lewistown. Greens fees are $16 for 9 holes, $30 for 18. Carts are $12 for 9 holes, $24 for 18 holes. Pine Meadows Golf Course, on the south side of Lewistown at 320 Country Club Lane (www.pinemeadowslewistown.com; 406/538-7075), has 9 holes and charges $17 to $20 in greens fees and $16 for a cart rental.

Hiking

At Crystal Lake (see “Fishing,” above), there are numerous trails into the Lewis and Clark National Forest, including the Crystal Lake Loop National Recreation Trail. There is also good hiking along the Wild and Scenic Missouri River from the James Kipp Recreation Area. The Bureau of Land Management ( 406/538-1900) can give you information on additional hiking trails.

Seeing the Sights

Operated by the local chamber of commerce (and perhaps a little too cutely named), the Charlie Russell Chew-Choo Dinner Train (www.montanadinnertrain.com; 866/912-3980 or 406/535-5436) runs from Lewistown to Denton and back every Saturday from the beginning of June through the end of September, with special holiday trains. On the 56-mile round-trip ride, the train crosses three large trestles and navigates a 2,000-foot tunnel during its 3 1/2-hour run through the Judith Basin. The schedule varies, so call ahead. A regular summer trip with dinner is $90 per adult, $50 for children 12 and under.

The Central Montana Museum, next to the Lewistown Chamber of Commerce in Symmes Park at 408 NE Main St. ( 406/535-3642), displays historical artifacts from the late 1800s to modern day, including a facial reconstruction of Rattlesnake Jake, an outlaw who shot the town up on July 4, 1884, before being gunned down himself. The museum is open daily in summer from 10am to 4pm and by appointment the rest of the year. Admission is free; donations accepted.

Big Spring, located 7 miles south of Lewistown on C.R. 466, is the third-largest freshwater spring in the world. The spring is the water source for the town and is considered one of the purest in the nation. It is bottled by the Big Spring Water Company and sold at stores in the west-central part of the U.S. The spring also feeds the Montana State Fish Hatchery nearby.

Lewistown became a regional commercial center after a ranching and mining boom in the early part of the 20th century. The industry barons built large homes in a range of styles, primarily Gothic and Victorian. The first to build was J. T. Wunderlin, a gold miner and organizer of the Empire Bank & Trust. Others soon followed, creating a neighborhood of elegant homes. They lived in the Silk Stocking District, which is just northeast of downtown on Boulevard. (Not the section of Boulevard near Symmes Park; if you’re there, you’re lost.) The Lewistown Chamber of Commerce (see above) can provide information on self-guided tours. The homes, however, are private residences and not open to the public. At 220 W. Blvd., there is a plaque outside the Symmes-Wicks House describing the area. At the top of the hill overlooking the Silk Stocking District, check out the Fergus County Courthouse (7th Ave. and Main St.), a gold-domed, mission-style courthouse built in 1906.

Where to Stay

Calvert Hotel ★★ Dating to 1912, this historic-hotel-turned-apartment-building was reborn as a hotel in 2010 after a four-year restoration. The hard work shows: The tile job in the bathrooms is remarkable, the small central courtyard is capped with an all-season dome, and the onyx bar in the basement is a work of art. The large guest rooms feature king beds, two queens, or two doubles; many have pullout sofas. Nostalgic details like retro reproduction phones and original woodwork balance with modern amenities like flatscreen TVs and Wi-Fi.

216 7th Ave S., Lewistown, MT 59457. www.thecalverthotel.com. 877/8371-5411 or 406/535-5411. 27 units. $90–$110 double; $120–$140 suite. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted ($100 deposit). Amenities: Restaurants; lounge; indoor Jacuzzi; indoor pool. In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi (free).

Pheasant Tales Bed-and-Bistro ★ Pheasant Tales is a modern, newly remodeled guesthouse with some unique touches. Proprietors Chris and Rick Taylor are both avid pheasant hunters and anglers. After Chris began preparing gourmet meals with local pheasant, hunters told the couple that if they opened a bed-and-breakfast, they would stay there on hunting trips. Chris instead opened a bed-and-bistro (Pheasant Tales’s guests still get breakfast) specializing in eclectically prepared game birds, with impressive results. Spread between two buildings, the inn is done in reddish pine, and the large rooms are comfortably furnished and share a full kitchen. With advance reservations, Chris can often prepare a gourmet dinner in the evening (starting at $35 per person). The Taylors also breed English setters, so there is almost always a brace of puppies providing entertainment. There’s an extensive deck, plenty of space, and good fishing nearby as well.

1511 Timberline Rd., Lewistown, MT 59457. www.pheasanttales.biz. 406/538-2124. Fax 406/538-6244. 6 units. $95–$125 double; $150 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. Located 4 miles south of Lewistown. Pets accepted ($10 per night). In room: TV, no phone, Wi-Fi (free).

Yogo Inn ★ Once a train depot, the Yogo is now a very good independent hotel and the primary convention center for Montana’s midsection, with clean, quiet rooms and a hint of rustic elegance. There is a well-kept interior courtyard that catches the sun and features a stage taken by musicians throughout the summer. The Yogo is popular with business travelers, and everything is functional but not fancy. The indoor pool is next to a marker signifying that the spot is the exact geographic center of the state. It’s also the locus of the annual Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering every August, and it books up pretty quickly for the event.

211 E. Main St., Lewistown, MT 59457. www.yogoinn.com. 800/860-9646 or 406/535-8271. 123 units. $85–$124 double; lower winter rates. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted ($10 per night). Amenities: Restaurant; lounge/casino; indoor Jacuzzi; indoor pool. In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi (free).

Where to Eat

Harry’s Place STEAKS/AMERICAN A rock-clad A-frame decorated with memorabilia from the local high school sports teams, Harry’s Place is the best place for a good meal in Lewistown. With excellent homemade soups—such as chicken corn chowder—burgers, wraps, and other sandwiches (including six varieties made with prime rib), Harry’s is a good bet for lunch and grills the best steaks in town pretty much any day of the week. However, the restaurant truly goes all out on Friday nights, with prime rib, corn fritters, and homemade honey butter. Beer and wine are served, but liquor is not.

631 NE Main St. www.harrysplacemt.com. 406/708-4331. Reservations recommended on Fri night. Main courses $6–$10 lunch, $7–$26 dinner. AE, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–10pm.

The Hi-Line: U.S. 2

Havre: 115 miles NE of Great Falls; Fort Belknap: 46 miles E of Havre; Glasgow: 279 miles N of Billings

If you’re not from Montana and find yourself on the Hi-Line, you’re probably on the way to somewhere else. There isn’t a great deal of anything up here, except for wheat, birds, lots of ground squirrels, and the occasional pronghorn.

There are a number of National Wildlife Refuges along this drive: the gigantic Charles M. Russell NWR and the smaller Black Coulee, Bowdoin, and Medicine Lake—the latter on the far-eastern border of the state. Like most of the refuges nationwide, they are managed primarily for the benefit of birds, especially migratory waterfowl. This is a good place to bring your field guide: Even if you don’t leave your car, you’ll be able to identify many species, possibly including the Franklin’s gull, with its telltale black wingtips; the melodious western meadowlark; or the marsh hawk (or harrier, not a true hawk). The latter flies low to the ground, flapping its wings more often than the gliding hawks, and is gray when mature, brown when young, with a white bar across its rump.

Caution: The roadsides here are dotted with white crosses—memorials to people who have died in auto accidents. Maintained by friends and family, many are decorated with flowers, flags, and ribbons. There are a lot of them. Don’t be fooled by the long, straight stretches of road. Drive carefully.

Call the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, 130 5th Ave., Havre, MT 59501 (www.havremt.com; 406/265-4383), for further information about the area.

From Havre to Fort Belknap

Havre probably isn’t anyone’s idea of a vacation spot, but it has its moments. There are some interesting historic sites, including the nearby Bear Paw Battlefield (see “Bear Paw Battlefield: The Nez Perce Surrender,” below), the site of the last major battle of the Indian Wars. For both cultural and natural history, the best place to start is the H. Earl Clack Museum, 1753 U.S. 2, in the Holiday Village Shopping Center ( 406/265-4000). The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm from mid-May until Labor Day, with limited winter hours of 1 to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Southeast of Havre lies the home of 2,000 Chippewa and Cree Indians on this rather small plot of land at the Western Front of the Bear Paw Mountains. The Rocky Boy Powwow is held near Box Elder the first weekend of every August. Call 406/395-4478 for more information.

Start your driving tour of the region just south of Havre on U.S. 87, coming up from Great Falls. Drive north to Havre until you reach the junction with U.S. 2. Take U.S. 2 east until it converges with Montana’s version of Route 66, a state highway running south through the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Take 66 through the reservation to the intersection of U.S. 191. Turn left (northeast) and drive about 57 miles until the road joins U.S. 2 again.

Seeing the Sights

Fort Assinniboine This well-preserved fort was established in 1879, after it was already obsolete. It was intended to protect settlers from Indian attacks, but all the tribes had already been defeated. After the defeat of Chief Joseph in the nearby Bear Paw Battle, the Fort Assinniboine troops didn’t have much to worry about. After the fort closed, much of the land around it was turned into the Rocky Boys Reservation. Only guided tours are permitted because the fort is now run by Montana State University as an agricultural research station.

3 miles south of Havre on U.S. 87. 406/265-4000 or 265-8336. $6 adults, $5 seniors, $3 students, free for children 5 and under. June–Aug guided tours only, originating from the H. Earl Clack Museum in Havre daily at 5pm.

Havre Beneath the Streets ★ This tour of Havre’s boisterous history as a railroad and cowboy town provides an interesting look at the past. When a devastating fire in 1904 destroyed Havre’s business district, the labyrinth of tunnels and basements under the town served as a subterranean “shopping mall.” Many local businesses of the last century were located here. Their products included legal representation, food, and laundry service—not to mention honky-tonk music, gambling, opium, and prostitution. There is also a surface-level railroad museum focusing on the area’s rail history.

120 3rd Ave., Havre. 406/265-8888. $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 students, free for children 5 and under. Reservations recommended. Summer daily 9am–5pm, tours 9:30am–3:30pm; winter Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, tours 10:30am–2:30pm.

Wahkpa Chu’gn Bison Kill From a steep cliff above the Milk River called Wahkpa Chu’gn, the Assinniboine drove bison to their deaths to provide food for the tribe. Indians used the jump from 2,000 years ago until the 15th century. The hour-long guided tours are very informative, in part because this is one of the largest and most studied buffalo jumps in existence. Visitors are also given the opportunity to try their skill with an atl-atl, or throwing stick.

Behind the Holiday Village Shopping Mall on U.S. 2 W. www.buffalojump.org. 406/265-6417 or 265-4000. Tour info available at H. Earl Clack Museum. $9 adults, $8 seniors, $5 students, free for children 5 and under. June to Labor Day weekend, tours daily 9am–2pm; tours at other times (including winter) available by reservation, weather permitting.

Where to Stay

El Toro Inn, 521 1st St. (www.eltoroinn.com; 800/422-5414 or 406/265-5414), is a reliable roadside motel charging $60 to $80 for a double. Rooms are well kept but basic, although they do have refrigerators and microwaves. On U.S. 2 in the eastern part of town, there is a pleasant campground called the Havre RV Park, 1415 1st St. ( 800/278-8861 or 406/265-8861). There are showers, a saloon, a casino, laundry, and a store. Cost is about $35 for an RV, $20 for a tent.

Best Western Plus Great Northern Inn ★ This is our pick of the Havre lodging scene, and it’s a relatively new and upscale place. The rooms have a tad more square footage than your typical Best Western, and they have more extensive facilities than anyplace else in Havre. There is also a bridal suite with an in-room hot tub and a corporate suite. While the hotel lacks a restaurant, you can charge your meal to your room at the restaurant across the street. The 24-hour business center has fax, copying, and computer capabilities, and “business plus” rooms are available, with big desks, ergonomic chairs, and expanded amenities. Single rooms also have microwave ovens and fridges.

1345 1st St., Havre, MT 59501. www.bestwesternmontana.com. 888/530-4100 or 406/265-4200. Fax 406/265-3656. 75 units. $95–$115 double; $135–$159 suite. Lower rates fall to spring. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Lounge/casino; exercise room; indoor Jacuzzi; indoor pool; steam room. In room: A/C, TV, fridge (in some), hair dryer, microwave (in some), Wi-Fi (free).

Where to Eat

PJ’s AMERICAN You’re out on the Hi-Line, driving through Havre, so you might as well eat in a typical Montana place. PJ’s is across the street from the railway station; there’s a poker game in the corner with the clickety-clack of chips, and the boop-boop-boop of the electronic games of chance. The food is pretty good, with a menu of sandwiches for lunch and steaks and seafood for dinner, and you can play keno while you wait.

15 3rd Ave. 406/265-3211. Main courses $5–$10 breakfast and lunch; dinner $10–$20. MC, V. Sun–Thurs 7am–9pm; Fri–Sat 7am–10pm.

Wolfer’s Diner AMERICAN Wolfer’s is my lunch pick in Havre. The basic dining room sports a 1950s theme, complete with pictures of Elvis, Marilyn, and James Dean hanging alongside a hula hoop and a leather jacket. The kitchen makes good sandwiches—I like the Denver, with scrambled eggs, green peppers, ham, and onion on Texas toast (very thick toast)—as well as burgers and shrimp baskets for dinner. Better yet are the hand-dipped shakes, sundaes, freezes, and whips.

126 3rd Ave. 406/265-2111. Main courses $6–$10. MC, V. Mon–Sat 11am–8pm.

bear paw battlefield: The Nez Perce Surrender

One of the most remarkable events of the Indian Wars culminated at the Bear Paw Battlefield ( 406/357-3130), a unit of the Nez Perce National Historic Park (www.nps.gov/nepe), located 26 miles south of Chinook on C.R. 240.

In 1877, in what is now northeast Oregon, the Army tried to force a band of Nez Perce Indians under the leadership of Chief Joseph onto a reservation far from their native lands. The Nez Perce decided to escape, trying to reach Canada where they hoped to join Sitting Bull’s Lakota, who had already found homes there.

Joseph led 800 of his tribal members on a 1,700-mile flight through Yellowstone National Park and eventually north to this site, a mere 45 miles south of the Canadian border and freedom.

The U.S. Army under Gen. Oliver O. Howard pursued the tribe as it fled. A Civil War hero known as “the praying general,” Howard, a deeply religious Christian, developed considerable hostility toward some of the Nez Perce leaders because he considered them heathens. Through a series of brilliant maneuvers, Joseph and his band of warriors, women, children, horses, and cattle escaped or defeated the army at every turn. Even Howard was forced to admit in his memoirs about the chase, “The leadership of Chief Joseph was indeed remarkable. No general could have chosen a safer position or one that would be more likely to puzzle and obstruct a pursuing foe.”

They fought several battles along the way, but Col. Nelson A. Miles finally caught Joseph and his band in a snowstorm at Bear Paw, a rolling, grassy landscape achingly close to the freedom promised by the Canadian border. After a 6-day fight, Joseph surrendered on October 5, 1877. The chief’s rifle is now in the Museum of the Upper Missouri in Fort Benton.

Chief Joseph is believed to have delivered this famous speech, translated by an interpreter:

“Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhootze is dead. The old men are all killed. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food; no one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun stands now, I will fight no more forever.”

That night, White Bird and 200 of his followers slipped away to Canada. Of the 431 remaining, 21 died by the end of spring. The survivors moved to a reservation in Oklahoma, where another 47 of Joseph’s people died and many more became ill. Finally, in 1885, 118 Nez Perce who agreed to convert to Christianity were allowed to relocate to the Lapwai Agency near Lewistown, Idaho. The rest, including Joseph, were settled on the Colville Reservation in Nespelem in northeast Washington State.

Joseph never gave up hope of a return to his homeland in the Wallowa Valley. He met with President William McKinley in 1897, and tried unsuccessfully to purchase the land in 1900. He died at Colville in 1904 at age 64. Even in death, he wasn’t returned to the Wallowa Valley, but was buried at Nespelem.

The battlefield is open year-round during daylight hours. For more insight into the flight of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce, stop at the Blaine County Museum, 501 Indiana St., Chinook ( 406/357-2590), and take a look at the interpretive displays and the 20-minute film Forty Miles from Freedom. Admission is free.

Fort Belknap Reservation

Established in 1888, the Fort Belknap Reservation is home to the Gros Ventre and Assinniboine tribes. It was named for William W. Belknap, who was Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. The Gros Ventre call themselves the A’ani, or White Clay People. They had lived in North Dakota’s Red River Valley from a.d. 1100 to 1400, gradually being pushed west by competition from other tribes. After coming to the Missouri River country in about 1730, they split into two tribes, and the southern branch became known as the Arapaho.

The Assinniboine split from the Yanktonai Sioux in the early 1600s, supposedly over a squabble. (Two of the first ladies of the tribe fought about a local delicacy, a buffalo heart.) They call themselves the Nakota, the Generous Ones. There is also a branch of the tribe at the Fort Peck Reservation, to the east.

There is a small museum and visitor center at the intersection of Mont. 66 and U.S. 2 (www.fortbelknap-nsn.gov; 406/353-2205 or 353-8473). From here, you can arrange a tour of the tribe’s herd of more than 800 buffalo and learn a little bit about the tribe’s culture (about $50; summer only; reservations recommended).

Nearby Snake Butte was often used as a site of vision quests, where individuals sought supernatural powers or medicine. These powers came with a price. It was said few who had them lived long lives. The Army Corps of Engineers quarried Snake Butte for stone to build the dam at Fort Peck in the 1930s.

If you head south from here to Hays, then turn to the east, you’ll come to St. Paul’s Mission, a solid stone structure established by Jesuit missionaries in 1886. Next to it is a tiny chapel built in 1931 that is dedicated to Our Lady of the Little Rockies. A local devotee has carved a statue practically identical to the supposedly miraculous one at Einsiedeln in Switzerland. To get here, take Mont. 66 south from U.S. 2 at Fort Belknap for about 40 miles to the sign for Hays. Turn left (east). Once you get to Hays, follow the road south after it turns to gravel. The mission is on the left (east) side of the street about a quarter-mile after the road turns south.

Up the road is Mission Canyon, a steep, narrow, cool gash in the otherwise open landscape. Just after entering the canyon, you’ll see a natural stone arch. The very brave can climb nearly to the top, and there are several ledges where you can pose for the photographer.

From Glasgow to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation & the C. M. Russell Wildlife Refuge

People moving through the northeast extremes of Montana can find themselves a little disoriented by the sheer vastness of the horizons that stretch unbroken all the way to the Dakotas. Although this is mostly wheat country, it’s not totally flat. In fact, it is sharply rolling and canyon-scored country, but it’s open to the eye in all directions.

In 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson rode an immigrant train through here and later wrote: “What livelihood can repay a human creature for a life spent in this huge sameness? He is cut off from books, from news, from company, from all that can relieve existence but the prosecution of his affairs. A sky full of stars is the most varied spectacle he can hope. He may walk 5 miles and see nothing; ten, and it is as though he had not moved; twenty, and he is still in the midst of the same great level, and has approached no nearer to the object within view, the flat horizon which keeps pace with his advance.”

There is a story, usually attributed to an area just over the border in western North Dakota, but in the same sort of landscape, of a lone Indian who watched patiently as a recently arrived farmer plowed into the virgin earth, turning the soil with its deep and tangled roots to begin the civilization of the already vanishing native prairie. After some time, the Indian came over to the farmer, pointed to the plowed earth, and said, “Wrong side up.”

The story is probably another in the long chain of myths on which the West is built in the American imagination. But there are two contrasting sentiments made tangible here that illustrate the conflicting impulses of America: progress and preservation.

The first and easiest to spot is the Fort Peck Dam and Lake. Construction of the dam began in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, as a way to put men to work and to provide inexpensive water to the growing agricultural area.

The dam is the largest hydraulically earth-filled dam in the world, nearly 5 miles across, backing up a lake that is 134 miles long with 1,600 miles of shoreline—more shoreline, it is said, than the entire coast of California. The dam is one of the many Corps of Engineers projects that have turned the cantankerous Missouri River that Lewis and Clark navigated into a tame and regulated lake from the Mississippi River to the Rockies.

Seven thousand men and women went to work on the dam in 1933, and at the peak of employment, nearly 11,000 were employed here. Locally, the attitude toward the dam was ambivalent, as the residents were losing their homes to the slowly rising water. On the other hand, they could appreciate the need for jobs, for irrigation water, for electric power, even for a large recreational lake. The story of the dam is told at the Fort Peck Powerhouse Museum ( 406/526-3493). The powerhouse looms over the landscape like a chunky Art Deco skyscraper that somehow got lost on its way to Des Moines. Admission is free; it is open daily 9am to 5pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend, and by reservation in winter. Tours of the plant are offered on the hour from 9am to 4pm weekends and at 9 and 11am and 1 and 3pm weekdays. The powerhouse is located on Mont. 24 at Fort Peck Dam. Tours start at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum ★, on Yellowstone Road (www.fortpeckpaleo.com; 406/526-3493), which houses a fine collection of dinosaur fossils and displays on the area’s history in an impressive new facility that opened in 2005. The big attraction is a frightening, fleshed-out replica of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found, unearthed nearby in 1997, but there are also dioramas populated by taxidermy, live fish in aquariums, a look at terrifying aquatic dinosaurs, and the region’s human history. It’s open year-round Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm May to September, and varied hours in the off season. Admission is likewise free.

Special Events Fort Peck Lake, backed up by the dam, is the best spot in Montana for walleye fishing. An annual competition, the Montana Governor’s Cup (www.mtgovcup.com) takes place there each spring. Contact the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce (www.glasgowmt.net; 406/228-2222) for the schedule and details.

Seeing the Sights

The tiny town of Fort Peck is Montana’s only planned community, the result of its heyday as the housing base for the workers at the dam in the 1930s. It started out as a trading post in 1867, then grew with the dam, then faded when construction was finished. It is testimony to the remoteness of this region that in 1934, months after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had begun construction of this $100-million project (big money during the Depression), a New York supplier asked the New York army headquarters how to address some equipment it was sending out to Montana. The army solemnly replied that there was no such place as Fort Peck—it had been abandoned in the 1880s.

The Fort Peck Theatre (www.fortpecktheatre.org; 406/526-9943) is a large former cinema built in the 1930s for the workers. The surprisingly beautiful theater seats 900 people, and its season runs approximately from late June to early September. Tickets run $17 adults and $12 for students.

Surrounding the many miles of shoreline at Fort Peck Lake is the Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, named for the famous Western wildlife cowboy artist Charles Russell. Born in 1864 in St. Louis, Russell was a working Montana cowboy at the age of 16 and drew much of his artistic inspiration from those years. He greatly admired the region’s American Indians and deplored the plowing of the grasslands. Russell knew that destroying the native grass would destroy the habitat for the animals, the bison would be lost, the Indian conquered. Russell didn’t like seeing the West civilized, and he had little use for “settlers.”

Turnoffs and campsites are located all along the perimeter of the refuge, as are boat ramps for anglers. Flat Creek, Rock Creek, and Nelson Creek boat ramps are easy to reach, located just off Mont. 24, which skirts the eastern side of the lake. There are 15 campgrounds scattered along the lake margin. The camping varies from rugged to semicivilized. Only two campgrounds—the West End Campground and Downstream Campground—have flush toilets and showers; both are located near the dam. Contact the Corps of Engineers ( 406/526-3411) for information.

The Fort Peck Indian Reservation is home to the Assinniboine and the Sioux. The Sioux, who had been on the reservation by themselves, were joined by the Assinniboine nation after smallpox killed more than half of the tribe farther west along the Missouri River and again threatened the tribe after it resettled near Fort Belknap. The escape from the deadly disease brought them to Fort Peck. Now the reservation is home to many non-Indians, with American Indians possessing less than half of the actual reservation.

This has been an extremely important area for the study of dinosaurs. The world’s first Tyrannosaurus rex remains were discovered in 1902, just south of where the lake is in Garfield County. The Garfield County Museum ( 406/557-2517 or 557-2608) in Jordan has replicas of the T. rex skull there, along with a duckbill dinosaur and triceratops. It is open June to September daily from 1 to 5pm; admission is free (donations accepted). Jordan is located at the intersection of Mont. 59 and Mont. 200 in the plains south of Fort Peck Lake. From Miles City, drive north on Mont. 59 for 83 miles. From Glendive, take Mont. 200 west 111 miles. From Fort Peck Dam, take Mont. 24 south 59 miles to Mont. 200, then take Mont. 200 west 36 miles.

Where to Stay

The Cottonwood Inn & Suites This motel and convention center is far and away the nicest place in Glasgow: modern and clean, if a little small in the lobby. The rooms are conventional motel rooms, with queen- or king-size beds and, for the most part, refrigerators. The restaurant, the Willows, is the most popular one in town. It specializes in homemade soups, bread, and pies, all made from scratch. The motel has complimentary wireless Internet access and valet and room service, unusual out here in Hi-Line Country. There’s also an adjacent RV park under the same ownership; RV sites are $27 to $30 nightly in summer and lower in winter.

U.S. 2 E. (P.O. Box 1240), Glasgow, MT 59230. www.cottonwoodinn.net. 800/321-8213 or 406/228-8213. Fax 406/228-8248. 124 units. $83–$95 double. AE, DISC, MC, V. Pets accepted (free). Amenities: Restaurant; lounge/casino; exercise room; indoor Jacuzzi; indoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Fort Peck Hotel A stone’s throw from U.S. 2, this registered historic site is an intimate, old-fashioned hotel. Built in 1939—5 years after the completion of the dam—the establishment harks back to a slower way of life in Montana. There are no televisions or telephones in the rooms, a situation that tends to usher people out into the bar in the lobby for (gasp!) conversation. There is a good restaurant that serves three meals a day and summertime dinner buffets that cater to visitors holding tickets to a play at the Fort Peck Theatre. The rooms are small but serviceable, with high ceilings and spare furnishings reminiscent of the 1930s and 1940s.

Missouri Ave. (P.O. Box 168), Fort Peck, MT 59223. 800/560-4931 or 406/526-3266. Fax 406/526-3472. 33 units. $58 double with shared bathroom; $73 double with private bathroom; $112 for 2 adjoining rooms. Rates include continental breakfast (except summer weekends). DISC, MC, V. Closed Dec–Apr. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge; Wi-Fi (free). In room: No phone.