Montana is called the Last Best Place for a reason – life here is incredible. That being said, there’s no denying that the Treasure State holds its share of secrets, hauntings, and conspiracy theories. We think those stories are pretty spooky, so here are seven of our favorite scary facts about Montana. Read them…if you dare.

1. Montana has an unusually high number of UFO sightings, and some of the stories are quite compelling, like the 1950 Great Falls incident.
Val Astraverkhau/Flickr
In August of 1950, Nick Mariana managed to capture footage of some unidentified objects in the sky. Air Force officials that watched the footage claimed the reflections were reflections from two nearby F-94 jet fighters, but when Nick watched his film again, he noticed the first 35 frames were missing.
2. We have a haunted prison.
Aaron Hockley / Flickr
The Old Montana Prison Museum is a fascinating place to visit. But if you get an eerie feeling when you're there, it might not be your imagination. There have been reports of paranormal activity there for decades, which isn't overly surprising since it was the site of several deadly riots.
3. We may or may not have a ghostly hitchhiker on Highway 87.
Kevin Dooley / Flickr
The Hitchhiker of Black Horse Lake just might be our creepiest urban legend. Apparently, if you're driving down the highway near Great Falls, you might witness a Native American man slamming into your car. But when you pull over and get out, he'll be gone... until he appears in the rear view mirror as you're driving away, seemingly fine.

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4. We even have a haunted hot springs.
lunardawg / TripAdvisor
Boulder Hot Springs is a beautiful, relaxing place to visit. It is also rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Simone, a a prostitute who was murdered in a hotel office. Simone wears white and has been spotted by both guests and employees. Others have smelled her perfume or heard the sounds of men arguing in empty rooms.
5. Someone may or may not have made real contact with aliens in Montana.
Heinz / Flickr
In 1940, an employee of the Northwest Mining Company named Udo Wartena heard a strange noise one night when he was working near Canyon Ferry Lake. He climbed up to a viewpoint so he could see better, and that’s when he noticed a disc-shaped craft hovering in a field. According to Udo, a staircase descended and a man spoke to him. He invited Udo onto the ship, where he met another man. The men invited Udo to go with them on the ship, but he declined. Obviously, this seems like a hoax, but the fact that Udo kept it a secret until he was on his death bed makes us wonder.
6. Even our crown jewel, Glacier National Park, is rumored to be full of ghosts.
Diana Robinson / Flickr
The Lake McDonald Lodge and the Many Glacier Hotel have a long history of paranormal activity, and given the number of people who have perished in the park, there's no doubt that it's harboring some secrets.
7. Flathead Lake (possibly) has a monster.
Serena Washington / Flickr
Many people have reported seeing a large eel-shaped creature in Flathead Lake, similar to the Loch Ness Monster. It's easy to dismiss these claims until you realize every witness describes the creature's traits the exact same way.

 

Need more proof that Montana is a little eerie? Take a drive down one of our haunted streets. See what happens!

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Scary Facts About Montana

Tori Jane | June 06, 2022

What are some genuinely spooky places in Montana?  

Montana is a beautiful state, sure – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its share of super creepy, super spooky places. In fact, we might just feel like saying Montana is one of the spookiest states. We have lots of favorite spooky places in Montana. Some of them include historic places like Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, which is the site of up to 400 deaths during the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. There’s also an old, 1870s-era prison – the Montana Territorial Prison – which is said to be haunted by the spirits of both convicts and staff members who met a violent end here. 

Are there any infamously haunted places in Montana?  

Does it get any more interesting than haunted places in Montana? We think not! Other than the places mentioned above, there are seriously hundreds of spots in Big Sky Country thought to be haunted by wayward – and sometimes angry – spirits. In Boulder, for instance, you’ll find the Boulder Hot Springs, an old inn built back in 1881 where folks still encounter guests who never left – not even in death. Another spooky but interesting place in the haunted Montana annals is the old Grand Union Hotel, built in 1846 (we’re sensing a pattern here).  

Is Montana a scary place to live?  

Honestly? No. Despite all the spooky activity in Montana, it’s still a wonderful place to live with so much ridiculously stunning natural beauty that it’s super easy to forget there are haunted places within at all. It’s safer than more than half of the states in the USA, with a violent crime rate of just 4.2 for every 1000 residents. It helps that so much of this beautiful state is rural, and far away from the bustle of a big, dangerous city.

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