Montana

10 Montana Towns that Were Ranked Among US Favorites for 2024

Published

2 years ago

August 20, 2024

10 Montana Towns that Were Ranked Among US Favorites for 2024

The state of Montana, layered with sun-dappled valleys and majestic mountain peaks, has a vast variety of natural and historic venues. Whether it is the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in West Glacier, or Avalanche Lake in Essex, each of these locales is instrumental in providing revenue and popularity for the towns they sometimes surround. Here are ten “Treasure State” towns that were the most popular among a much more extensive list. From Whitefish and the Flathead National Forest to Big Timber and Natural Bridge Falls, these ten towns were consistently ranked as favorites among those within the United States.

Whitefish – Flathead County

The downtown area of Whitefish, Montana. Editorial credit: melissamn / Shutterstock.com

The town of Whitefish is a haven for historical buffs and avid outdoor enthusiasts, no matter what season it may be. The southern banks of Whitefish Lake feature a variety of trails that range from easy to complex, including the Skyles Trailhead and Whitefish River Trail. Whitefish is also known for Whitefish Mountain Resort, offering some of the best skiing and snowboarding in Montana. There are also several popular attractions in downtown Whitefish, including Whitefish Depot, originally constructed in 1928; the Whitefish Farmers Market, offering fresh local produce, as well as a variety of other notable items; and Tally Lake Campground, which has a variety of different sites, including R.V. and tent sites.

Livingston – Park County

View of Livingston, Montana, from Interstate 90. By Tim Evanson – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Situated along the southern edge of Montana, just over a hundred miles west of the city of Billings, the town of Livingston boasts a variety of natural landmarks, such as Sacajawea Park, the Mayor’s Landing, and a portion of the Yellowstone River. Yet this town of barely eight thousand residents also includes a plethora of historical and cultural attributes as well. The Livingston Depot Center and the Yellowstone Gateway Museum provide a historical aspect to the town and surrounding area, while the Livingston Westside Residential Historic District symbolizes a connection to various famous residents of Whitefish’s past, including Charles Garnier, Edward Talcott, and Hugh J. Miller.

West Yellowstone – Gallatin County

Aerial view of city buildings and streets in West Yellowstone, Montana. Editorial credit: GagliardiPhotography / Shutterstock.com

West Yellowstone may perhaps be one of the most popular, most influential towns in all of Montana and possibly even the entire Rocky Mountain Range. Home to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, Earthquake Lake, and Diamond P Ranch, there are several fun and exciting things to do for the outdoor enthusiast in and around West Yellowstone. Plus, downtown West Yellowstone has several fine mom-and-pop shops and restaurants, including Canyon Street Grill and Timberline Cafe. Then, there is the tip of the iceberg. The town of West Yellowstone sits adjacent to Yellowstone National Park, which offers everything from experiencing Old Faithful and Fairy Falls in person to enjoying a casual dip at the Mammoth Hot Springs.

Red Lodge – Carbon County

Street view of Red Lodge, Montana. By Chris06, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

In the Beartooth Mountain Range, the town of Red Lodge is a haven during any season. In the dead of winter, this town of barely two thousand residents features Red Lodge Mountain, a ski resort that offers more than seventy snow-covered trails, plus numerous dining options, like the PREROGATIvE Kitchen and Carbon County Steakhouse. Throughout the rest of the seasons, and especially during the heat of summer, locales like Wild Bill Lake, the Silver Run Trails, and the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary offer a sense of nature at its very best. There are also several historical attributes within the town of Red Lodge, including the Carbon County Historical Society & Museum and the Charles Antilla Building, which was built in the early 20th century.

Anaconda – Deer Lodge County

Welcoming signboard at the entry point of the preserve park in Anaconda, Montana. — The preserve park in Anaconda, Montana. Editorial credit: Cheri Alguire / Shutterstock.com

The town of Anaconda, first founded by Marcus Daly in 1883, is currently home to about ten thousand permanent residents. The town of Anaconda includes a variety of attributes that urge visitors to return every year, like Georgetown Lake, Smoke Stack Park, and Lost Creek State Park, which host several historical activities. Copper Village Museum and Art Center offers a multitude of activities, from Art in July in Washoe Park to Smeltermen’s Heritage Days in August to September’s Wildlife Expo. There are also several mom-and-pop shops and restaurants in downtown Anaconda. Peppermint Patty’s serves excellent comfort food, while Barclay II offers more of an elegant dining experience.

Polson – Lake County

View of Polson and Flathead Lake from the west, looking northeast. By Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Situated on the southern shores of possibly the most famous lake in Montana, the town of Polson is a virtual oasis of historical and natural amenities. The Miracle of America Museum, sometimes referred to as the “Smithsonian of the West,” is the southern portion of Flathead Lake, and Finley Point State Park is all called Polson home. The Miracle of America Museum features almost forty thousand artifacts, including a 1937 Hudson Terraplane and a 1912 Harley. Flathead Lake offers a plethora of excellent fishing opportunities, several unique hiking trails, a variety of exhilarating scenic drives, and even swimming, picnicking, and camping. Finley Point State Park, which is actually at the end of a peninsula on Flathead Lake, offers camping as well, along with ample chances to enjoy the lake, either by boat, kayak, or paddle boat.

Kalispell – Flathead County

Stores along South Main Street in Kalispell, Montana. By Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The town of Kalispell, at the opposite, or northern, end of Flathead Lake, home of approximately twenty-five thousand residents, is larger than most of the towns on this list. Yet, Kalispell offers many excellent attributes while still maintaining that ambiance of a quaint Montana town. Wild Horse Island State Park allows guests to capture glimpses of eagles, osprey, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and, of course, wild horses. Downtown Kalispell offers great many attractions, including the Woodlands Water Park, the Hockaday Museum of Art, and the Northwest Montana History Museum. The Northwest Montana History Museum showcases exhibits that relate to the history of Kalispell, as well as northwestern Montana.

Big Sky – Gallatin and Madison Counties

From the Beehive Basin Trail, the Lone Mountain Trail, and the Ousel Falls Trail to the Big Sky Resort, Yellowstone Club, and the Geyser Whitewater Expeditions, the town of Big Sky is an ideal haven for the outdoor enthusiast. There are also a vast variety of historical and cultural attributes to the town of Big Sky as well. The Crail Ranch Homestead was first established as an almost thousand-acre ranch and homestead in 1902 by Augustus Franklin Crail and now stands as an informational museum portraying what it was like to be a Montana rancher in the early 20th century. Plus, for those who love to ski, Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin merged to make the town of Big Sky the largest acreage to ski and snowboard in all of America.

Hamilton – Ravalli County

Main Street in Hamilton, Montana. By Itsa Ortiz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The pastoral town of Hamilton, with an approximate population of five thousand people, features the Daly Mansion, first constructed in 1889 by Marcus Daly, the founder of Hamilton and well-known “Copper King” of Montana, after he purchased the homestead from Anthony Chaffin in 1886. The town of Hamilton showcases a wealth of other historic attractions, including the Ravalli County Museum and Historical Society, featuring the history of Ravalli County, and the Daly Mansion Preservation Trust, within the Daly Mansion and open to visitors from ten to three daily. There are also several remarkable dining opportunities in downtown Hamilton, including Hangar Cafe, Nap’s Grill, and River Rising, which serves a tasty breakfast, brunch, or lunch option.

Big Timber – Sweet Grass County

Big Timber, Montana, Town Hall. By Mike Cline, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Along with the Natural Bridge Falls picnic area, the Lions Club Park, and the first woolen mill in Montana, which was constructed in 1901, the town of Big Timber has a plethora of natural and historical attractions. Crazy Mountain Museum displays a historical aspect to Big Timber and Sweet Grass County through exhibits such as the Pioneer Room, which showcases the lives of the first settlers of Sweet Grass County, and Cobblestone City, which displays a mini diorama of the town of Big Timber in the year 1907. There are also several excellent dining and lodging choices in and around Big Timber, including the Timber Bar, serving a delicious Prime Rib sandwich w/fries, and the Grand Hotel B&B, both of which are on McLeod Street.

Explore Montana’s Treasured Towns

In conclusion, whether it is visiting the Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin in Big Sky for some of the best skiing in the United States or staying overnight at an excellent bed & breakfast in Kalispell, or even camping for the weekend at Finley Point State Park on the southern edge of Flathead Lake, there is something for everyone in the great state of Montana. From Whitefish and Whitefish Mountain Resort to Big Timber and the Natural Bridge Falls picnic area, the exhilarating activities and stunning panoramic vistas are well worth visiting at least a few of these ten towns that were ranked among U.S. favorites.

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Montana

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.

Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:

The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….

There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:

While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.

The Missoulan article includes this response:

In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”

As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.

Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Montana

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.

“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.

It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.

(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”

But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.

“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.

Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.

“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.

The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.

“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.

While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.

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