SCENIC DRIVING PINTLER SCENIC ROUTE. TEMPEST TECHNOLOGIES
1. PARK-TO-PARK CORRIDOR
Yellowstone National Park to Glacier National Park – 412 miles As you make your way through Southwest Montana, you’ll experience the full range of cultural treasures, historic sites and natural wonders that make up this diverse region. Plan at least two days with an overnight stop in historic Butte. This route is dotted with unique natural features. Between West Yellowstone and Ennis, pause at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center to witness and learn about the awe-inspiring aftermath of a 1959 earthquake that formed the lake. About 18 miles east of Butte, take a side trip at the Pipestone exit and follow signs north of I-90 to Ringing Rocks, a unique geological formation where massive boulders ring like bells when struck with a hammer (the gravel road may be impassible outside summer months). A bit closer to Butte, the unique rock formations at Homestake Pass, part of the volcanically created Boulder Batholith, are a sight to behold. If you’ve got a mind to fish, cast a line in the Madison, Ruby, Jefferson and Blackfoot rivers. Birders will want to pause at the Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area just off I-90 at Warm Springs.
Along the way, make sure to check out some gems of Southwest Montana’s culture, both present and past. An overnight stop in Butte will give you a chance to explore the city’s sprawling historic district, where you’ll find unique shopping, dining and lodging. Along Montana Highway 287, explore two of the West’s bestpreserved ghost towns, Virginia City and Nevada City. Stop in Whitehall to admire the town’s murals depicting the Lewis and Clark Expedition. History buffs will also want to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Park in Twin Bridges. Make sure to look out for the Doncaster Round Barn, a three-story barn that’s on the National Register of Historic Places, about 1½ miles north of Twin Bridges. Plan time to stop in Deer Lodge to tour two of the region’s most dynamic museums: the Old Montana Prison Complex and Grant-Kohrs Ranch—the only working cattle ranch in the country that is also a U.S. National Historic Site. And if you happen to be in the area over Labor Day weekend, don’t miss the Helmville Rodeo, aptly touted as “the biggest little rodeo in Montana.”
You’ll probably find yourself pausing plenty more times along the way as you pass along the Ruby River Valley Scenic Route and through the long shadows of the Tobacco Root, Garnet, Mission and other majestic mountain ranges. FROM WEST YELLOWSTONE (If starting in West Glacier, simply reverse these directions): •T ravel north on U.S. Highway 287 out of West Yellowstone. •A t Ennis, turn west on Montana Highway 287 (note: U.S. Highway 287 heads north from Ennis). •A t Twin Bridges, take Montana Highway 41 and then travel north on Montana Highway 55. • At Whitehall, travel west on I-90. (Recommend overnight stop in Butte.) •A t Garrison Junction, veer east onto U.S. Highway 12. •A t Avon, head north on Montana Highway 141. •C ross the Blackfoot River and turn west on Montana Highway 200. •A t the junction with Montana Highway 83, head north. •A t Bigfork, head north on Montana Highway 35. • Entering Kalispell, take U.S. Highway 2 north to the Glacier National Park entrance.
800.879.1159 • SOUTHWESTMT.COM
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