The Bobcat Nation

What's your favorite recreation/vacation spot in The Big Sky State?

My all time favorite has to be Glacier, we went nearly every year as a kid.

We did a family trip to Fairmont last year, and that is a wonderful place for kids.

I'd love to be living in Western MT to go camping. From here we usually end up in ND, and the scenery is just not the same.

Glacier Park and the Kalispell area... also spent two weeks every summer at Lake Five... then another two weeks with my Grandparents who owned 20 acres where the Stillwater and Flathead Rivers meet. Hiking, fishing, camping, picking cherries.... wonderful memories.

I used to spend a lot of time at Holter lake. That and go floating from Craig to Great Falls. Glacier is my favorite spot, though.

ChiOCat wrote:What's your favorite recreation/vacation spot in The Big Sky State?

My all time favorite has to be Glacier, we went nearly every year as a kid.

We did a family trip to Fairmont last year, and that is a wonderful place for kids.

I'd love to be living in Western MT to go camping. From here we usually end up in ND, and the scenery is just not the same.

Okay, I'll venture my list of favorites because I was raised in the Valley after my parents migrated from the Glasgow area. I spent more than a few hours in and around Yellowstone and for most of the year I live in Columbia Falls now. Have a niece that moved to Alaska just after finishing her degree in--Chemical Engineering. When asked if she's ever been to Denali, her response is: "I grew up in Bozeman, Montana. What's another mountain?"

I really enjoy going to eastern Montana now, especiall Fort Peck. Put my boat in about anywhere and I can still camp pretty much anywhere and not have anyone for miles and miles. I also like to go into the area around Wibaux to Ekalaka for the same reason and can't wait until the road from Ekalaka to I-90 is done. Plus--it's not that big a road trip to the Black Hills. I really like the Yellowstone or Missouri Breaks because you can see something besides trees. Both the lower Missouri and Yellowstone are great float trips. Only part of northwest Montana I get the same views would be up around Eureka or the Mission Valley.

My favorite place in all of Montana, however, has to be the Tobacco Roots and all the old gold fields in that entire part of the state and Butte-Anaconda has the same lure for me it did when I was a kid. I guess what it comes down to for me is I'm from the short grass country where the grass only gets about beer can high and I like the badlands the best--even better than all the hot potting available in Yellowstone In fact, I'm taking my youngest kids to the same hot pots I went to growing up.

Sitting on Grennel (sp?) Glacier or on top of Mt. Washington (even though that is technically Wyoming).

Flathead, Bob Marshall, Smith River, Big Sky, Gravelly Mtns.

Cat Grad wrote: Only part of northwest Montana I get the same views would be up around Eureka or the Mission Valley.

I'm so homesick for Eureka. I really shouldn't go home during the summer!!!

Holland Lake in the Swan Valley near Seeley.

I love visiting Glacier and hiking it's trails, but it's not exactly a weekend trip. So, I'd say floating the Madison with a few of my favorite 12oz beverages and my very favorite - hiking the back country in Yellowstone. Before my son was born, we used to go nearly every weekend to explore some far flung trail away from the tourons.

ChiOCat wrote:

Cat Grad wrote: Only part of northwest Montana I get the same views would be up around Eureka or the Mission Valley.

I'm so homesick for Eureka. I really shouldn't go home during the summer!!!

I graduated from a Valley high school and eventually MSU and being homesick pretty much goes with the territory After all the years I spent in the South working and traveling all over with the Army Reserves, it's almost killing me being in the Flathead about 300 miles from Bozo! This has to be the worst kind of torture, being so close to home yet so far. I'll tell you what, I'll put my boat out on Koocanusa and catch a few of those really, really, really big rainbows and Bulls, send ya'll some pictures and ya'll run over to Beach and spend some time around Teddy's Cabin for me, would you? Also, savor the sunsets you get there, because no matter what beach I was ever on, they don't compare to Eastern Montana. Plus, the people over there speak the same language I do--after all the years I've been away! I'm sure you're aware there's some development going to happen around your home?

Hiking the high country and fishing the alpine lakes in the Beartooths outside of Red Lodge and Cooke City. Some of the most beautiful cutthroats in Shelf & Moon Lakes, grayling in Granite Lake, & Froze-to-Death Plateau. And in the winter, skiing at Red Lodge Mountain. Growing up in Billings, this area was close for hunting, fishing, skiing; it has it all. Now living in Helena, I don't get back as often as I would like.

Second would be golfing at Old Works & Fairmont. Third would be golfing in the Flathead. I could spend a whole summer there just golfing and never get bored. Fourth would be crappie and bass fishing in the Tounge River Resevoir area, and rounding out the top 5 would be skiing at Bridger Bowl!

1BadBobcat wrote:Hiking the high country and fishing the alpine lakes in the Beartooths outside of Red Lodge and Cooke City. Some of the most beautiful cutthroats in Shelf & Moon Lakes, grayling in Granite Lake, & Froze-to-Death Plateau. And in the winter, skiing at Red Lodge Mountain. Growing up in Billings, this area was close for hunting, fishing, skiing; it has it all. Now living in Helena, I don't get back as often as I would like.

Second would be golfing at Old Works & Fairmont. Third would be golfing in the Flathead. I could spend a whole summer there just golfing and never get bored. Fourth would be crappie and bass fishing in the Tounge River Resevoir area, and rounding out the top 5 would be skiing at Bridger Bowl!

Have to agree with BadBobcat on this one. Billings is in an ideal location where you can take in a host of different types of scenery/hiking/fishing. Not only do you have all of the above in reasonable driving distance you also have the Bighorn river (some of the best fishing in the world) as well as the BigHorn Canyon (offers some of the best diving in Montana as well if your into that). Ft Peck's BIG WATER fishing is also within quick reach as well for a weekend.

Too much to do and so little of the summer ( I dont' ski ).

aawww you mad me sad!!! I know totally dork answer but my fav place to relax and bum it, although i did have to do some work, was always my grandparents place in lincoln. that's right I said Lincoln, wanna make something of it

briannell wrote:aawww you mad me sad!!! I know totally dork answer but my fav place to relax and bum it, although i did have to do some work, was always my grandparents place in lincoln. that's right I said Lincoln, wanna make something of it

Lincoln's a great place. Being a Helena native I worked for the Forest Service summers during my college years and much of that time was spent in the Lincoln area and I spent quite a bit of time there backpacking, fishing & hunting.

My favorite is also Glacier. I am leaving on Wednesday for a 4 day 61 mile hiking adventure. I also have a fondness for the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness, never seen so many great mountain lakes not in a National Park. I can't believe none of you guys have mentioned Washington Grizzly Stadium. Technically early September is still summer!

CelticCat wrote:I used to spend a lot of time at Holter lake.

Same here. Nothin' like boating, tubing, waterskiing, and fishing at night with the lights on!!!

My all-time favorite is Yellowstone (yeah, I know, Wyoming, but you have to get there from here). My new favorite is our property by Hauser (almost enough to make me retire east of the divide, maybe with a condo downtown Missoula). My favorite public camping spot is Lewis and Clark Caverns State park. Can't really explain this, but I just love the place.

grizbeer wrote:My all-time favorite is Yellowstone (yeah, I know, Wyoming, but you have to get there from here). My new favorite is our property by Hauser (almost enough to make me retire east of the divide, maybe with a condo downtown Missoula). My favorite public camping spot is Lewis and Clark Caverns State park. Can't really explain this, but I just love the place.

When I was young, I used to like to float from Cardwell to the bridge at Sappington, especially after dark--years ago there used to be some pretty nice browns in that stretch that were as big as the float from Trident to Sixteen Mile. But then, when they started piling up below Toston, well...

The fishing is awesome on the Sixteen Mile, but watch out for SNAKES!

RyeCat wrote:The fishing is awesome on the Sixteen Mile, but watch out for SNAKES!

Nah, there's no snakes there, or Willow Creek, or along the lower Gallatin...