Julie & Jason
Things To Do
Red Lodge
The wedding is in Red Lodge so you should stay in Red Lodge! This Yellowstone gateway town is a pretty small tourist trap by other standards but theres alot to do. Plenty of good food in town, skiing in the winter, and access to the Beartooth Highway and Yellowstone. Spend some time here just enjoying a walk down the street and stopping in the shops. Get some huckleberry ice cream while you're at it!
Yellowstone National Park
If you do anything....go to Yellowstone. Loaded with wildlife, thermal features, and scenery Americas 1st National Park is big and amazing. The only thing you'll need to bring is patience. The park gets ALOT of tourists in the summer months and Labor Day weekend is considered the end of peak tourist season. Regardless GO!
Billings - Montana's Trailhead
Billings Montana is where we live and we love it! Not too big...not too small this town has everything you need. Not a touristy place per se, there are lots of things to do downtown or take a day hike on top of the rims. Visit Pictograph Cave State Park or enjoy the overlooks from Sacrifice Cliff. Take some time to visit the historic Moss Mansion downtown.
Grizzly Bar - "Where the Hell is Roscoe?"
The Grizzly Bar is West of Red Lodge on Highway 78 in the little nothing of a community called Roscoe. Roscoes claim to fame is the Grizzly a pretty good eatin' place. They have lots of hospitality so make sure you stop in and get a super rare steak!
Bear Creek Saloon Pig Races
The Bear Creek Saloon and Restaurant is located in Bear Creek Montana, a historical mining town east of Red Lodge. During the summer season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) pig races are held Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. There are 12 nightly races on a 15 minute schedule featuring such stars as Makin' Bacon, Knuckles and Nota Hot Dog. The winning pig pays out one-half of each $50 race pot. The other half goes toward scholarships for Carbon County high school students. Note: you must have a reservation now to see the pig races.
Quick Stop Drive In
On your way from Billings or Red Lodge stop by the Quick Stop and get some ice cream. Its the bomb!
Custer Gallatin National Forest
The Beartooth Mountains are managed by the Custer Gallatin National Forest. If you want to stay close to town and do some hiking or anything else outdoorsy like a day hike into the mountains, a good place to go get advice on trails and conditions is the Beartooth ranger district office which is located right off US 212 on the south side of town. Just make sure you bring bear spray!
Big Game Archery Season Opener
September 5 is the big game archery season opener. If you're into hunting and are looking to stay for longer, Montana has some of the best hunting in all of the West. This time of year will see elk in the rut so the rush of getting up close and personal with a bugling elk is a definite possibility. Make sure you get your tags!
Trout Fishing Bighorn River
The Bighorn River is nationally recognized as one of the premiere trout streams in the US. As such, it is a very popular destination spot for anglers. Good trout fishing, particularly for brown trout, can be had between the Bighorn Access Site and the Two Leggins Access Site, although the numbers of trout per mile are less than found further upstream.
Beartooth Highway
One of the USAs greatest scenic byways, the Beartooth is one awesome ride to 10,000 feet above treeline from Red Lodge and eventually to the Chief Joseph highway or on to Cooke City and Yellowstone. The Beartooth can be closed anytime due to snow so it is not advised to travel there if there is weather. Take the Chief Joseph instead.
Top of The World Store
Just after the Beartooth Pass, the top of the world store is literally a gas station/tourist trap in the middle of the wilderness. Good photo opportunity though!
Chief Joseph Highway
The Chief Joseph highway is another great scenic byway that can get you access to the Beartooth/Absarokas and Yellowstone. If the Beartooth highway is closed due to inclement weather this highway will usually remain open as its a bit lower elevation. Its an awesome drive as well with lots of scenery. You can take the Chief Joseph south of Red Lodge by taking MT 308 to MT 72 which turns into WY 120. The scenic byway heads west of WY 120 just south of Clark WY. Eventually the Chief Joseph intersects with the Beartooth Highway east of Cooke City.
Cooke City-Silver Gate
Cooke City is a small little tourist trap just outside of the NE entrance at Yellowstone. It also is the smallest as the only access is from the Beartooth Highway which is closed in the winter. In fact, in the winter Cooke City can only be reached through Yellowstone which keeps the Lamar Valley and Gardiner road plowed.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
The Little Bighorn was Custers last stand, and it also was the plains tribes last stand as well in a way. If you like history and have time make sure you pay this place a visit. Simply take I90 east to I94 from Billings.
Custer Battlefield Trading Post & Cafe
Across from the Little Bighorn battle field is this Crow store with lots of stuff. Some of it old, but alot of it authentic. The proprietors are Crow locals and make amazing Indian tacos!
Pompeys Pillar National Monument
Pompeys Pillar is a Lewis and Clark national monument. When both captains split up after returning to St Louis, Clark carved his initials into this giant sandstone rock. A small easy to get to monument really close to Billings east on I90.
Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range
If you have four wheel drive and aren't afraid of sketchy, rough, mountain roads, a popular place to visit is the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range which is managed by the BLM. Protected in the 60s, there is approximately 120 wild Spanish mustangs that live at the top of the Pryors in the summer. Beware though. This is an all day trip and the road to the top is ROUGH, but if you can handle the adventure the views from the top of the Pryors are out of this world!
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
The Bighorn Canyon is a really cool place. Just east of the Pryor Mountains the best way to see it is by traveling through Wyoming. The park was established in 1966 to preserve the area’s natural and cultural resources and provide for public enjoyment after Yellowtail Dam was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) on the Bighorn River. The depth of Bighorn Canyon is approximately 1,000 feet deep at Devil Canyon and 2,500 feet deep on Bull Elk Ridge.
Cody Firearms Experience
Do you like things that go boom? The Cody Firearms experience has any gun you want to shoot for a fee. Welcome to the West!
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
We have not visited Cody's famous museum of the West, but we hear it is awesome. If you want to relive the Wild, Wild, West (or go back in time to when you played cowboys and indians) this may be the trip you're looking for!