17 Best Sights in Billings, Little Big Horn, and the Montana Plains, Montana

At the head of one of the purest cold-water springs in the world is the Big Springs Trout Hatchery. The state's largest cold-water production station nurtures several species of trout and kokanee salmon. The show pond, where you can view oddities such as albino rainbow trout and perhaps even fish weighing a monstrous 15 pounds, is a popular attraction, but the hatchery grounds are a sight in and of themselves and a wonderful spot to enjoy a picnic under giant willow and cottonwood trees. You can see the place where Big Spring Creek spurts from the earth, and the native wildlife—including white-tailed deer, beavers, wood ducks, and belted kingfishers—makes frequent appearances.

Discover the vistas that inspired Western artist Charles M. Russell on the Charlie Russell Chew-Choo, a vintage 1950s-era train that travels on the old Milwaukee Road tracks through some of the most beautiful and remote landscapes in the state. The tour, which departs from Kingston, about 10 miles northwest of Lewistown, covers 56 miles and lasts 3½ hours. It includes a prime-rib dinner and a cash bar as well as live entertainment and maybe even a holdup. On weekends before Christmas the Chew-Choo transforms into a prairie Polar Express, and there are special Halloween and New Year's Eve runs.

Although many Plains Indian tribes opposed the intrusion of whites into their lands, the Crow did not. Hoping that U.S. troops would keep the rival Cheyenne and Lakota off their lands, the Crow allied themselves with the U.S. government. Ultimately, the army protected Crow territory from the other tribes—but only so it could be settled by whites. Despite the betrayal, the last traditional chief of the Crow, Plenty Coups, strongly encouraged his people to adopt modern ways and cooperate with the U.S. government. At his request, his home and general store in the town of Pryor were preserved as a state park after his death. Note the blending of modern and traditional ways, such as the room of honor in the rear of his log home, meant to parallel the place of honor along the back wall of a tepee. Parks Passports are not valid here.

The 18,000-square-foot Fort Peck Interpretive Center features interpretive displays recounting the history and significance of the dam's construction, wildlife of the lower river and Missouri River Breaks. You'll find one of the most striking life-size dinosaur displays in the West, a reproduction of Peck's Rex, a tyrannosaurus Rex unearthed near Fort Peck, as well as other local dinosaur discoveries. The center also features the largest aquariums in Montana, filled with the native and introduced fish species of Fort Peck Reservoir and the Missouri River. Guided tours of the dam and its power plants are available April through October.

At the peak of dam construction, nearly 11,000 workers lived in Fort Peck; together with their families, they made up a thriving population center of 50,000. To help keep the populace entertained, the Army Corps of Engineers built a movie house in 1934. It was supposed to be a temporary structure, but instead it eventually became the Fort Peck Summer Theatre. The chalet-style building is a venue for live entertainment on weekend nights in summer.

The freshwater springs here feed a state fish hatchery that covers 400 acres of parkland. According to residents, the waters that flow from the springs form the shortest river in the world, the 200-foot-long Roe River (Oregonians hold that their D River is shorter, but most independent record keepers side with Montana on the issue). In addition to the hatchery, a visitor center, picnic grounds, a river drive, hiking and biking trails, and a playground are all on-site, and you can walk up the hill to Fish, Wildlife & Parks' regional headquarters, filled with educational displays featuring life-size mounts of area wildlife. You can also fish, attend educational programs, and take tours. Kids will enjoy feeding the hatchery's fish.

This park, named for the insightful founder of Great Falls, is the crown jewel of the city's 400-acre park system. The most popular features are the duck pond and extensive flower gardens. There are also jogging paths, outdoor exercise equipment, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, restrooms, a playground, a band shell, and prime picnicking spots. Riverside Railyard Skate Park, reputed to be one of the best in the Northwest and one of the largest in the country, connects to Gibson Park via the walking path leading underneath the railroad overpass. The restored log cabin of Vinegar Jones, reportedly Great Falls' first permanent resident, is also on display in the park near the gardens.

Surrounding a 64-acre reservoir in the Billings Heights area, this park is a popular spot for hiking, swimming, fishing, and nonmotorized boating. Although it's not far from downtown, the park is still wild enough to seem miles away from civilization. The regional on-site headquarters for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is a source of recreational information and museum-quality wildlife displays.

Over millenia, wind and water carved holes in the sandstone pillars north of Ekalaka, creating an eerie and barren landscape. Embracing the terrain's mystery, Native Americans used the site for rituals to conjure spirits centuries ago. Teddy Roosevelt was struck by the area's unique beauty when he visited in the late 19th century, calling it "as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen." In 1957 the area was designated Medicine Rocks State Park. The 320-acre park is largely undeveloped: aside from a few picnic tables, a short hiking trail, and a handful of unmarked campsites, the land is exactly how it was when Native Americans first performed their ceremonies here.

Contemporary artwork of the northwest United States makes up the bulk of the collection here. There is an educational resource room where kids and adults can try hands-on puzzles and projects, along with several exhibition halls and a photography collection. A perennial and butterfly garden on the south side of the building is a perfect spot for a summer picnic.

In the fall, hundreds of elk congregate in morning and evening at the Slippery Ann Wildlife Viewing Area. During the autumn mating season the bulls bugle and spar with their antlers while herds of cows come to watch and be courted. Be sure to bring binoculars and zoom lenses for your camera, because you must keep your distance from these massive animals.

A refuge within a refuge, the UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 20,000 acres of wilderness entirely within the boundaries of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Its primary mission at the moment is to rescue one of the nation's most endangered animals: the black-footed ferret. The ferrets depend on the high concentration of prairie dog towns for food. There are also plenty of grouse and burrowing owls, who use abandoned prairie-dog tunnels for homes.

Although the holding tanks of a 100-year-old water-treatment plant might not seem like the best location for fine art, the 10,000-square-foot WaterWorks Art Museum is actually very attractive. Overlooking the Yellowstone River, this permanent exhibit reflects the town's Western heritage and features both regional and national exhibits and features. The museum store features a variety of original artworks, reproductions, ceramics, and a good selection of Western history books.

The permanent exhibits here include oral histories, artifacts, and kid-friendly interactive displays tracing the lives of Native Americans, ranchers, homesteaders, immigrants, and railroad workers who lived in the area from 1880 onward. Native American interpretive programs also are offered. The impressive castlelike building that houses the center is almost as interesting as the exhibits.

Ranging over 70 acres of zoological park and botanical gardens, ZooMontana has inhabitants evenly divided between those native to the region, such as grizzlies, gray wolves, and bighorn sheep, and the exotic, including Amur tigers, red pandas, and a Laughing Kookabura. Its most recent addition is a sloth named Winston. There's a farm and ranch area, complete with a petting zoo. Because there are few zoos in the region, it can be extremely busy here in summer.