Rugged, mountainous, and breathtakingly beautiful, northwest Montana is an underrated treasure. While Glacier National Park offers unparalleled access to outdoor recreation and stunning scenery, it's far from the only gem in that corner of the Treasure State.
The Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway is a short, sweet road trip that takes you from Libby to Eureka (or vice versa). This is one of northwest Montana's best-kept secrets, and it's definitely worth the drive.
The lake was formed behind Libby Dam, which was completed in 1974. It was named when the Corps of Engineers conducted a contest to name the lake. The woman who won combined the first three letters from the words Kootenai and Canada, adding USA to create the name Koocanusa.
Lake Koocanusa is also home to the Koocanusa Bridge, which spans its entire length.
This charming Tobacco Valley town has a brewery, cafes, shops, and the Tobacco Valley Historical Village.
This scenic byway is perfect for exploring a little-known part of northwest Montana. Have you ever been to Lake Koocanusa? While you're in the area, don't miss seeing Kootenai Falls.
One of the best ways to explore the landscape is by embarking upon a road trip across the country. For many, Montana is a bucket-list destination, but some may be unsure where to begin when planning their next road trip. We've done the hard work for you by selecting the 11 best road trips in Montana that are sure to capture the hearts of travelers of all ages. Browse the list below for the best road trips in Montana to get your adventure started.
This scenic road trip is the perfect option for those that can only spend a day or perhaps only an afternoon exploring but still want to soak in Montana's natural beauty. You'll begin your journey along the Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway in the town of Libby in northwestern Montana. You'll travel along a nicely paved 67-mile scenic highway that winds along the shores of Lake Koocanusa. Take your time, soak in the views, and be sure to stop for pictures along the way. You'll end your journey in the little town of Eureka, which is charming in and of itself and well worth exploring and stopping for a bite to eat.
Route: Bannack State Park > Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park > Lost Creek State Park
Distance: 165 miles
Trip Time: 2 hours 55 minutes driving time
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Pack up and head out for a weekend away exploring 3 of Montana's most unique and beautiful state parks. This road trip starts you off in the well-preserved ghost town of Bannock. In fact, it's Montana's best-preserved ghost town, and you'll enjoy being able to step back to its founding days in 1862 in the midst of a gold rush in the area. Next, you'll make a visit to Montana's first state park, Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park. Explore labyrinths of limestone cave systems underground on one of the guided cave tours (when in season from May through September). Lastly, you'll wrap up your weekend road trip adventure at Lost Creek State Park. This beautiful state park is a nature lover's paradise; explore endless hiking trails, waterfalls (such as Lost Creek Falls), beautiful scenery, and more to bring your weekend adventure to a close.
Route: Whitefish Lake > Flathead Lake > Swan Lake > Seeley Lake
Distance: 114 miles
Trip Time: 2 hours 13 minutes driving time
If you have a love for the water, whether it be for fishing, boating, water sports, or just relaxing by the water, we've got the road trip for you. This best lakes in Montana road trip takes you to some of the most beautiful lakes in the state. You'll begin by exploring one of Montanan's most beloved lakes, Whitefish Lake, which is popular for fishing, water skiing, boating, paddle boarding, and more. Whitefish Lake State Park also has a great swimming beach. You'll then make your way to the famous Flathead Lake, which is arguably the most beautiful lake in Montana. Next, head over to the peaceful Swan Lake (an amazing fishing spot) before finishing your adventure with Seeley Lake, a very popular vacation spot with some adorable cabins for those who'd like to take a little more time to rest and relax in nature.
Route: Flathead Lake > Lake McDonald > Logan Pass > Going-to-the-Sun Road > Running Eagle Falls > Lake Five > Whitefish Lake
Distance: 217 miles
Trip Time: 5 hours 34 minutes
Glacier National Park is Montana's most iconic national landmark with over 700 miles of trails through some of the most majestic mountain landscapes you'll ever witness. This Glacier National Park road trip takes you through the most beloved and picturesque vistas in the park. You'll start your journey at the beautiful Flathead Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Treasure State, before heading into the park. You'll make your way to Lake McDonald, which is arguably the most iconic and beautiful lake in the park. Drive up the high-elevation Logan Pass to see some truly jaw-dropping viewpoints of the park. Next, drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, which has a reputation for being the most beautiful drive in the country. You'll then take a hike to view Running Eagle Falls, then visit beautiful Lake Five before wrapping up this incredible road trip at Whitefish Lake, another stunning Montana lake.
Route: Missoula > Blackfoot River > Garnet Ghost Town > Beavertail Hill State Park > Missoula
Distance: 89.4 miles
Trip Time: 2 hours 23 minutes driving time
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This charming road trip is the perfect day trip to take during springtime. You'll begin your day of adventure in the adorable town of Missoula in far western Montana. You'll meander along the flank of the picturesque Blackfoot River, made famous by the book "A River Runs Through It". Continue toward the ghost town of Garnet, named after the mineral found there. Explore the town itself or hike one of the many trails in the area before heading back toward Missoula. We highly recommend exploring Beavertail Hill State Park in Clinton before you get back to town for a full day of exploration.
Montana has 120 gorgeous waterfalls scattered across the state, and this road trip will take you to explore some of the best of them. You'll begin your waterfall adventure with a visit to Crow Creek Falls, which you'll find at the end of a 5-mile hike: it's well worth the journey. Then you'll drive 2.5 hours to Palisade Falls and enjoy a mile-long nature walk round-trip to the falls. Next, you'll head to Emigrant, where you'll reach Grotto Falls after another 2.4-mile trail. Champagne Falls is next, and finally, you'll conclude your journey at Ousel Falls, arguably the pretty waterfalls on this road trip near the charming town of Big Sky.
Route: Missoula > Jewel Basin > Glacier National Park > Glacier > Libby > Thompson Falls
Distance: 476 miles
Trip Time:9 hours 18 minutes driving time
Autumn in Montana is a magical time of year when red and golden hues bathe the landscape. For those wanting to do some leaf peeping, this fall colors road trip
will take you to some of the most beautiful locations in the state for fall colors. You'll start your journey in the charming town of Missoula, which offers plenty of fall foliage to get your journey started. Navigate to Jewel Basin for some hiking and exploring among the leaves before heading to Glacier National Park. maples, aspen, and larch trees cover the mountainous landscape, creating spectacular scenes everywhere you look. Head to the town of Glacier, then continue your journey along Highway 2 to Libby and enjoy all the colors along the way. Wrap up your trip riverside in Thompson Falls and immerse yourself in nature as you close out the day.
One of the best traditions for those looking to get into the Christmas spirit is embarking upon a Christmas lights road trip. This road trip
through Montana is the perfect winter adventure that is sure to delight the whole family. Begin your holiday-themed adventure in Big Sky, also known as Montana's Christmas Village. Head out for the Christmas Stroll if you time your visit just right, or just enjoy the lights and the surrounding snowy mountains that make this town so majestic. Next, head to Bozeman where you'll be swept away by Christmas charm. Lastly, end your merry journey with the Holiday Nights experience at Zoo Montana in Billings for a truly magical Christmas adventure.
Route: The Montana Dinosaur Center > Museum of the Rockies > Great Plains Dinosaur Museum > Frontier Gateway Museum > Makoshika State Park
Distance: 736 miles
Trip Time: 11 hours 41 minutes driving time
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Who doesn't love the idea of a dinosaur-themed road trip? Kids and adults alike will be mesmerized by this journey back through time. Begin with the Montana Dinosaur Center where you can dig for fossils and explore their museum. Then, check out the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the country at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. You'll explore a few more dinosaur-themed museums in Montana before ending your journey at Makoshika State Park, where many fossil discoveries have been made. You'll want to carve out a couple of days to fully enjoy all the fun sights on this trip, but it'll be well worth it.
Route: Lolo Hot Springs > Skalkaho Falls > Humbug Spires Wilderness Area > Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park > Seeley Lake > Holland Lake > Flathead Lake
Distance: 491 miles
Trip Time: 8 hours 56 minutes driving time
This road trip takes you through some of Montana's most unique and beautiful natural wonders. You'll begin with a relaxing soak in Lolo Hot Springs before heading out to admire waterfalls, limestone caves, and several picturesque lakes. What's great about this scenic road trip is that you'll be exploring lesser-known parts of the state, so your likelihood of encountering large crowds will be decreased. Relax and take in the sights and experiences of Montana.
The Treasure State is home to many charming and adorable small towns, and this road trip takes you on a magical journey to explore the best of them. You'll begin your journey in Philipsburg, which has one of the most adorable historic downtown areas you'll ever see. You'll then make your way through other quaint little towns such as Darby, Hamilton, and Stevensville before you wind up your journey in Deer Lodge. You'll love this small-town road trip in Montana.
Which of these road trips or destinations are you most excited to add to your Montana road trip itinerary? Let us know and tag a travel buddy in the comments below!
If you're looking for more road trip ideas in Montana, check out our road trip hub to discover our hand-curated selection of the best travel adventures you can possibly experience on the road. For road trip planning and packing tips, check out OnlyInYourState's Ultimate Road Trip Packing List. Whether you're leaving for a single day or a week-long road trip, you can't forget the snacks: here are 50 on-the-go snack ideas perfect for traveling.
Looking for even more to explore? Check out this list of some of the very best hikes in Montana:
This Scenic Drive Runs Straight Through Montana’s Glacier National Park, And It’s A Breathtaking Journey
Driving through Glacier National Park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road offers breathtaking views and a memorable experience of Montana's diverse landscape.
Of course, just about any drive in Montana is going to show you incredible views and lots of opportunities for attractions. We might be biased, but we think that practically around every corner on Montana's scenic drives is a forest, mountain, or lake just waiting to be explored. We love having such easy access to these beautiful landscapes - it's one of the best things about Big Sky Country. One of the state's most amazing treasures is Glacier National Park. If you've ever found yourself wondering "Can you drive through Glacier National Park," the answer is a resounding yes. The Glacier National Park scenic drive is a fantastic way to remind us just how lucky we are to be in Montana. This is one drive you'll undoubtedly want to check out.
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Enjoying the Glacier National Park scenic drive is truly one of the best ways to take in the beauty of Montana's diverse landscape. This incredible park has several different routes leading to different areas of the more than one million acres that make up this amazing landscape.
However, there's one that really stands out. Those wondering "can I just drive through Glacier National Park?" will most definitely want to explore this amazing road.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is about 50 miles long. It crosses the entirety of Glacier National Park and runs from the east entrance to the west entrance.
This incredible scenic drive travels through Logan Pass and across the Continental Divide. It reaches a height of 6,646 feet, which, as you can imagine, provides some absolutely magnificent views.
Wondering about the road's unusual name? The route gets its name from nearby Going-to-the-Sun Mountain. You can easily catch a glimpse of it if you look east when driving through Logan Pass.
This is one route you'll want to take your time with. Along the road, there are quite a few places where you can stop and enjoy the park's many hiking trails.
The drive will take a few hours to explore in its entirety, and you can easily stretch it out to a day-long adventure.
Taking the drive during the summer is ideal, since there's a greater chance that all areas of the road will be open. However, keep in mind that this is also the busiest time of year.
This is certainly one of the most beautiful drives in the western United States, but it's definitely not a secret.
And, while we'd love to keep the journey hidden all for ourselves, it wouldn't be fair to expect others to not take in the incredible views from the park.
Next time you're in the area, make plans to visit and take this can't-miss Glacier National Park scenic drive. It's an amazing experience!
Check out this video of the drive from Youtube user davidegg22:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ8_l2I3A-I
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is open year-round near the park's West Entrance, but if winter conditions are bad, the entirety of the road may not be open until late June, or often a little later. Be sure to keep an eye on the official National Park Service website for current conditions and closures. As of summer 2023, all vehicles that are accessing the road are required to have a reservation during peak hours.
If you ask us, there's nothing better than exploring Montana, and this is such an incredible way to do it. The drive can be lengthy and you don't want to risk getting hungry. Check out our list of Best Road Trip Snacks for on-the-go, mess-free options that will keep the whole family happy.
