Wildlife

Montana & Dinosaurs – 150 years in the making

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Montana is synonymous with dinosaurs.  Why is Montana such a hotbed for dinosaur fossils. ? Answer, it is atop the Hell Creek Formation, a 300-foot-thick bed of sandstone and mudstone that dates to a period between 66 million and 67.5 million years ago, the time just before dinosaurs went extinct. Stretching across the Dakotas and Montana (in Wyoming, it’s known as Lance), the formation—one of the richest fossil locations in the world—is the remnant of … Read more

Planning a Hunting Trip in Central Montana

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Memories seem to pop up as I watch each season change. This time of year the changing colors of Montana’s fall landscape remind me of family times spent hunting. We rarely went upland game bird hunting although I’ve grown fond of that in recent years. Antelope (fastest land mammal in the Western hemisphere) and deer were on our hunting list. They’d provide good lean meat for the freezer and were usually nearby. I first remember … Read more

Spend Three Days Exploring Central Montana After Visiting Glacier National Park

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After you’ve absorbed all of the majestic beauty on a visit to Glacier National Park, save some time to explore the region on the eastern side of this national icon. Central Montana has a mix of it all when it comes to geography – mountains, rivers and plains. Day 1 in Central Montana After leaving East Glacier and then Browning, turn south on US Hwy 89 and follow this route that hugs the east slope … Read more

Highlights of the Hi-Line in Central Montana

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We’ve heard it called quirky, iconic, historic, scenic, and a step back in time. Those monikers all describe US Hwy 2 as it stretches across Montana for about 650 miles. Locals call it Montana’s Hi-Line since it’s the northernmost route traversing the state from east to west. We call it an interesting and fun drive. Let’s talk about some of the gems along US Hwy 2 in Central Montana. On our western edge, travelers are … Read more

Geology Education and a Scenic Drive in Central Montana

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Locals call the area the Big Sag or the Shonkin Sag and it really is a geologic wonder. On MT Highway 80 between Fort Benton and Stanford, this paved highway takes you through a variety of scenery. It’s wheat country when you leave Fort Benton but as you continue southeast things start to change – the result of a geologic event that happened about 65 million years ago. Magma traveled between layers of sandstone along … Read more

Four Urban Trails in Central Montana

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Easily accessible, scenic and historic trails weave through several of Central Montana’s communities and offer a variety of recreation and scenery. Lewistown Trail System The Lewistown Trail System has 24 miles of trail for walking and running. Find the trailhead on Main Street (211 E Main) in the business district. The trail system connects all of Lewistown’s public schools, a nice perk for kids and teachers who want to bike or walk to school. Big … Read more

National Wildlife Refuge 15 Minutes From Downtown Great Falls

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It’s hard to believe, but driving just fifteen minutes north of Great Falls, Montana, a town of 60,000 people, you can be at Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Covering 12,383 acres (19 square miles), this wetland refuge is sprawling. Birders have documented 240 species of birds there. Twenty-eight different species of mammals, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, muskrats, badgers, yellow-bellied marmots, coyotes and more enjoy the terrain at Benton Lake. A crisp and wintry … Read more

Three Days, Three Outdoor Experiences in Central Montana

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Central Montana offers an amazing variety of outdoor activities as the fall season approaches. Top of my list of favorites is an evening canoe or kayak trip on the Missouri River. In Fort Benton you can launch at the edge of town at a campground managed by the Bureau of Land Management. To access it you drive through the Chouteau County fairgrounds. It’s an easy launch. Water levels and flow on the Missouri River in … Read more

Tiber Reservoir/Lake Elwell – Recreation Around the Lake in Central Montana

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Most people think of Tiber Reservoir/Lake Elwell as a place for boating, camping and fishing and those are probably the activities that most people do. However, there are a lot more activities you can do at Tiber. First, some history – the reservoir or lake, whichever you choose to call it, has 181 miles of shoreline (in two different counties) and was created when an earth-filled dam was built on the Marias River in 1956. … Read more

My First Visit to Arod Lakes

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I had heard about Arod Lakes for several years and always planned to stop by when I was in or near the Choteau area. Well, it finally happened when I was taking a short-cut from I-15 near Collins and heading west to Fairfield. After taking a wrong turn I saw a sign for Arod Lakes. The month of May in Central Montana has been a bit wet – snowmelt and rain have all contributed to beautiful green grass, … Read more