Things To Do
Black Coffee Roasting Company
Great spot for pastries, light breakfast items, and really good coffee.
Clyde Coffee Roasters
A bright and open space on a lively street, close to many interesting shops, parks, etc. Good food, too!
Burns St. Bistro
A North Side staple. Good for larger groups. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Five on Black
Quick and interesting lunch spot
Tagliare Delicatessen
The best sammies in town. Large and easily split. No dining indoors, but take it to one of the many nearby parks or UM's campus and enjoy the views!
The Camino
Come for the vibe, stay for the margs.
Biga Pizza
Cozy place for small group dining. Excellent farm-to-table pizza!
Florabella
Upscale Italian in a newly renovated neighborhood spot. Good for groups!
Draught Works Brewery
This is Libby and Charlie's favorite brewery in Missoula - they have a great patio and an authentic Missoula "vibe." L&C crossed paths many times here, often without knowing it.
Highlander Beer - Missoula Brewing Co
A great spot to sit outside with friends. Pizza, sandwiches, etc. Close to Reserve Street for those staying out there!
Dive Bars
Some favorite local haunts for late night meetups: Charlie B's The Union Club Al's and Vic's Flippers For fancier cocktails: Montgomery Distillery Plonk Bar Plata
Mount Sentinal "M" Trail
Gorgeous, classic hike with views of the valley. Starts near campus. Steep switchbacks but well worth it!
Caras Park
Waterfront river trail that follows the Clark Fork river. Take Higgins Bridge across and you'll be on the "Hip Strip" full of fun shops and restaurants!
Flathead Lake
The largest freshwater lake in the lower 48! It's huge and beautiful and only an hour drive north from Missoula.
Rafting and other water sports
There are numerous raft guide companies around Western Montana and all seem to provide great services. -The Blackfoot River a bit Northeast of Missoula is awesome and mellow; check out ZooTown Surfers to see some of their packages. -The middle fork of the Flathead River is beautiful and a little bit spicier than the Blackfoot. This river meanders between Glacier NP and the Great Bear Wilderness area. Check out Glacier Raft Company to get some ideas. - The Last Best Ski and Paddle Shop (aka LB Snow) rents a bunch of different river gear. They have a shop in Missoula and on the Blackfoot river. Check these guys out if you're interested in a more DIY adventure.
Glacier National Park
A bucket list item! The Crown of the Continent is about a 3 hour drive north of Missoula (passing around Flathead Lake- cross both off of your list!) and worth it to see Lake McDonald or hike to Avalanche Lake. Charlie proposed on the Going-to-the-Sun Road!
Surfing (in Montana!?)
Missoula has a man-made river wave in the heart of downtown and people surf it all year! You can rent a board from a few different shops in town if you're keen to try.
Outdoor recreation abounds
There is far too much outdoor recreation in and around Missoula. The links above have some of the classics, but we've only scratched the surface. If you're interested in a particular activity, please reach out and we can spray you with beta. In particular, there's plenty of - Hiking/running: the Rattlesnake corridor a few miles north of Missoula has a nearly endless system of trails, mostly moderate in nature. The Bitterroot mountains south of Missoula have more variety with big, craggy peaks and long glacially carved canyons. - Cycling: tons and tons of mountain biking and gravel grinding. - Climbing: there's not as much of this around, but it exists! Lost Horse canyon for bouldering, Mill creek for sport and single pitch trad. - Fishing: a few rivers run through it; all the rivers around Missoula offer great fly fishing as do some of the more difficult to access mountain lakes.