My Picks For Must See State Parks in Montana Right Now
When you think of Montana, I am sure you’re like us and automatically think of Yellowstone or Glacier National Park. Although these are both amazing parks, Montana has many State Parks that are easily accessible and have a ton of natural wonder to offer as well! Now if you are fortunate to call Montana home, then there is no charge for locals to enter. For the rest of us, the fee is around $6 per car load and an additional fee if you want to go through any of the tours that are offered. Montana state parks certainly shouldn’t be overlooked when visiting this beautiful state. Here were our favorites we were able to visit!
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park
Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is Montana’s first and best-known state park featuring one of the most decorated limestone caverns in the Northwest. The hiking trails, rental cabins, and campground are open year-round and tours of the caverns are available from May 1-September 30.
We wanted to do something a little different and this place struck a chord with us because of how cold the temps were in the cavern (average 45 degrees). It was a hot day and this seemed like a great place to see and explore while staying cool.
The cost is $6/per car load to enter the park and another $12/per person for the tour. Plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours to hike the 2 miles on the guided tour through the cavern. Bring good walking or hiking shoes with a good tread on the bottom, you will be glad you did. There are a few slippery spots in the caverns. When I say you will totally feel like a “Goonie” on this tour, you will. There are so many small areas that you have to bend down, crawl through and even a short slide to pass to the next cavern. It was amazing! Also, just fair warning, if you have any type of fear of enclosed spaces, this is NOT the tour for you. We have been to some caverns that are very open the entire tour, this is not one of those. While there are enormous caverns, getting from one room to the other requires small spaces.
Once your done exploring the park, head over to Montana Wheat Company and have lunch! You can read all about it on our post Bozeman Must Eats, the food is wonderful!
Missouri Headwaters State Park
Missouri Headwaters State Park marks the official start of the Missouri River. This park was designated in 1960 due to the fact that this is one of the campsites where the Lewis and Clark Expedition camped in 1805.
Once you take the exit, the park is only a few miles away. Inside the park there is a box for you to pay using the honest policy. We went straight to the famous rock where Lewis and Clark stood and saw the three rivers come together. The pictures above are from that famous rock. The scenery around the rivers is breathtaking and the walking/hiking/biking trails are all very well laid out. If you have a bike, bring it, you wont be disappointed. There are so many great picnic areas right off the river, don’t forget to stop by the Montana Bread Company and pick up lunch and enjoy down by the water. The park and restaurant are only a short distance from one another.
The park is open for day use and camping, offering hiking trails, hunting, and water-related activities. The bulk of Missouri Headwaters State Park is found on a peninsula flanked on the east by the Gallatin River and the west by the Missouri River and the Madison River. The total park size is 532 acres. The Jefferson River meets the Madison and Missouri roughly midway through the park’s north-south extent.
Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park
Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park is a 98-acre park that offers a unique opportunity to observe the prairie dog community in its natural environment. This is great pull off if you are traveling along I93 heading from Bozeman. The park is directly off the interstate and easy to get in and out of. We spent about an hour having a picnic and watching the prairie dogs interact with one another. It was really cute and they are quite the little hams in front of the camera. Watching these little guys run from one burrow to another gave us quite a laugh. Do not forget your camera!
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