Montana
Is Montana Road Trip Friendly? A Look at the Data
Who doesn’t love a summer road trip? Cruising down the highway with the radio cranked up and your favorite snacks in hand. Stopping at all of the weird roadside attractions to grab a quick selfie, and then you’re back on the road heading to the next stop.
Some states are more popular than others when it comes to road trips, but what about Montana? Where do we rank on that list? We have Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Flathead Lake, and several other things to do and see. Surely Montana is near the top, right?
According to our friends at WalletHub, Montana’s ranking might surprise you.
WalletHub looked at all 50 states to determine their ranking. The criteria used were the following:
- Costs Rank
- Safety Rank
- Activities Rank
Before we reveal Montana’s ranking, let’s look at some of the best road trips in the state.
5 Of Montana’s Best Road Trips
For those looking to hit the highway, Montana has over 70 thousand miles of open road and many of those roads lead to some of the most beautiful places in the world. If you love a good road trip and want to spend time with family or friends, here are 5 of the best Montana road trips.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
So how did Montana stack up compared to the other 49 states?
According to the data, Montana is near the bottom when it comes to the best states for road trips. Out of the 50 states, Montana is ranked 47th. Why is that? Well, it has to do with the criteria mentioned above. Montana ranks 31st in Costs, 37th in Safety, and 34th in Activities.
If you were wondering which state came in 1st, that honor goes to our friends down in Texas followed by Minnesota and New York for 2nd and 3rd.
Which states are ranked lower than Montana?
You’ll have to head to the northeast to find states ranked lower than Montana. The states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware rank 48th, 49th, and 50th. Yep, even Hawaii and Alaska beat out Montana.
Do you agree? Do you think Montana is near the bottom when it comes to the best states for road trips? Let us know by sending us a message on our station app.
The 10 Highest Rated ‘Hidden Gem’ Attractions In Montana
Here’s a list of the best hidden gem attractions in Montana!
Gallery Credit: jessejames
The Best “Old School” Diners In Montana
For those who love a walk down memory lane, Montana has more than a couple of “Old School” diners that have been serving locals and visitors across The Treasure State for decades. We take a look at the very best.
Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf
Montana
Powerhouse Football Team Drops Incredible Hype Video For Legendary Rivalry Game
Montana State brought its fastball for the team’s Brawl of the Wild hype video.
The Bobcats will take the field Saturday against the Montana Grizzlies in the latest installment of one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.
Fans of the Bobcats and Grizzlies hate each other. They’re the only two major schools in the state, and both are FCS powerhouses.
The bitterness runs deep between the fans, and once a year, they come together on the gridiron to earn bragging rights for a year.
Montana State drops epic hype video for Brawl of the Wild against Montana.
If you’re going to play in a monster college football game, then you need a great hype video to get the fans juiced up.
Well, the Bobcats brought their A-game with a hype video featuring Journey’s classic hit song “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).”
Smash the play button below, and then hit me with your reactions at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
That video goes insanely hard. That’s one of the best hype videos I’ve seen all season long, and I’m not at all surprised that it’s for the Brawl of the Wild.
The 11-0 Bobcats battling it out with the 8-3 Grizzlies is exactly what fans want to see in the final game of the regular season, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
MSU is looking to go undefeated. Montana is looking to play spoiler and improve their position for the FCS playoffs.
This is what it’s all about, and do not sleep on the Brawl of the Wild simply because it’s FCS action. As someone who used to live in Bozeman, I can tell you that the environment will be nuts Saturday and the city and Bobcat Stadium will be rocking.
You can catch the game at 2:00 EST on ESPN+. It should be one of the best of the weekend. Let me know your thoughts on the Brawl of the Wild at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Montana
'Montana Bar Fairies' expanding to Bozeman starting Cat-Griz weekend as Gallatin County DUIs increase
BOZEMAN — People in downtown Bozeman who choose not to drink and drive after a night out will soon see fairies giving them a gift to thank them for their good choices.
“Montana Bar Fairies is a nonprofit that my daughter and I started because my son was killed by a drunk driver in the Flathead, on March 23rd, after celebrating his 21st birthday,” says Beth McBride.
Bobby Dewbre was set to graduate from Flathead Valley Community College with a welding certificate before he was hit by a drunk driver while waiting for his sober ride.
To ensure no other family experiences the grief they do, Beth McBride and her daughter Carli Dewbre decided to start Montana Bar Fairies.
“My daughter drove by a bar early in the morning on her way to work and she saw some cars in the parking lot. And she called me up and she said, ‘Mom I wish there was a way that we could thank people for not drinking and driving, for leaving their cars,’” McBride recalls.
The nonprofit began in Kalispell almost a year ago, but an increase in DUI-related accidents in Gallatin County brought the Bar Fairies to Bozeman.
“There seems to be a desire for the community here to say, ‘You know what? We’re done.’ It’s over. We’re not accepting drunk driving anymore. It’s time to save lives,” says McBride.
According to the Gallatin County DUI Task Force, Gallatin County consistently ranks in the top five most dangerous counties in Montana for impaired driving—with Bozeman Police issuing a majority of all DUIs in the county.
Bozeman’s Bar Fairies chapter director and MSU student, Patricia Hinchey, says there’s no better time to start their work in Bozeman than the weekend of Cat-Griz.
“Sunday morning, we’re going to be going really early and placing coffee cards on cars, around downtown, in the parking lots, along the streets. And so, if you’re lucky, you might get a coffee card thanking you for not drinking and driving after the Cat-Griz game,” Hinchey says.
Included with each coffee card is a card with a story of someone who lost their life to a drunk driver. Patricia says they’re looking for Bozeman families willing to share their story, as well as more volunteers.
“We want to take Montana from the worst state for DUI fatalities to zero. And we need the community’s help to do that,” says McBride.
Contact Hinchey for help with Bozeman’s chapter at Patricia@montanabarfairies.org
Learn more about Montana Bar Fairies at their website.
Montana
What’s At Stake For No. 1 NDSU at No. 4 USD & No. 9 Montana at No. 2 Montana State?
The FCS playoff picture will take shape with Week 13 games a day before FCS Selection Sunday.
The Top 4 seeds could be pretty clear, depending on results. The Top 5 seeds could also get real messy, depending on results.
Two Top 10-ranked matchups will especially impact the order of the overall Top 8 seeds: No. 1 NDSU at No. 4 USD and No. 9 Montana at No. 2 Montana State.
What does this weekend’s result mean for these four teams and their playoff positioning? We’ll go through the scenarios below.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll say things go chalk and No. 5 UC Davis wins at Sac State and No. 3 SDSU wins at No. 18 Missouri State, which is no guarantee, but they would be big upsets if Davis or SDSU were to lose.
If Montana State & NDSU Win
NDSU and Montana State should be the Top 2 playoff seeds with home-field advantage.
It will be a healthy discussion in the selection room and during the committee member voting process on who the No. 1 seed is.
- NDSU: 11-1 overall, 11-0 vs. the FCS, 5 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 1 strength of schedule
- MSU: 12-0 overall, 3 currently-ranked wins, 3 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS
NDSU has been ranked No. 1 for most of this year, and the committee could have the same mindset as voters, similar to 2022.
Two years ago, Sac State had a better on-paper resume than SDSU, but SDSU, who was ranked No. 1 for most of the season, got the top seed. Sac State was 11-0 with an FBS win, four ranked wins, and the No. 4 SOS. SDSU was 10-1 overall, 10-0 vs. the FCS, three ranked wins, and the No. 5 SOS.
Seeds 3-4 behind NDSU and MSU would probably be SDSU and UC Davis, assuming they win on Saturday.
- SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
- UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
Mercer, Idaho, or UIW could fight for the No. 5 seed after this.
With a loss, Montana would finish 8-4 overall/vs. the FCS with two currently-ranked wins. The Grizzlies will likely get a 9-16 seed and host a first-round game.
With a loss, USD will be nervously wondering if it’ll get a first-round bye. The Coyotes would finish 8-3 overall with only seven D1 wins and zero currently-ranked victories. How does that stack up to other teams with nine or 10 D1 wins who are fighting for a Top 8 seed? USD’s No. 8 SOS could help its argument, and if it were to lose to NDSU, a close loss would be important for the “eye test” instead of getting blown out.
If Montana State & USD Win
Montana State should jump to the No. 1 seed at 12-0, three currently-ranked wins, three Top 10 wins, and an FBS win.
With a loss, Montana would finish 8-4 overall/vs. the FCS with two currently-ranked wins. The Grizzlies will likely get a 9-16 seed and host a first-round game.
Seeds 2-5 then get very interesting in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed behind Montana State (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):
- UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
- NDSU: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 4 currently-ranked wins, 1 Top 10 win, No. 1 SOS, FCS loss to USD
- USD: 9-2 overall, 8-1 vs. the FCS, 8 D1 wins, 1 currently-ranked win, 1 Top 10 win, No. 8 SOS, FCS loss to SDSU
- SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
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If Montana & NDSU Win
Montana should get into the Top 8 seeds at 9-3 overall/vs. the FCS with three currently-ranked wins, one Top 10 win, and the No. 18 SOS. The Griz would likely be in the 6-8 seed range.
NDSU should secure the No. 1 seed with a win and a Montana State loss. The Bison would be 11-1 overall, 11-0 vs. the FCS, five currently-ranked wins, two Top 10 wins, and the No. 1 SOS.
Seeds 2-4 then get very interesting in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed behind NDSU (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):
- UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
- MSU: 11-1 overall, 11 D1 wins, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS, FCS loss to Montana
- SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
Mercer, Idaho, or UIW could fight for the No. 5 seed after this.
With a loss, USD will be nervously wondering if it’ll get a first-round bye. The Coyotes would finish 8-3 overall with only seven D1 wins and zero currently-ranked victories. How does that stack up to other teams with nine or 10 D1 wins who are fighting for a Top 8 seed? USD’s No. 8 SOS could help its argument, and if it were to lose to NDSU, a close loss would be important for the “eye test” instead of getting blown out.
If Montana & USD Win
Montana should get into the Top 8 seeds at 9-3 overall/vs. the FCS with three currently-ranked wins, one Top 10 win, and the No. 18 SOS. The Griz would likely be in the 6-8 seed range.
Seeds 1-5 would be an absolute battle in this scenario. The committee would have to sort through these teams to seed the Top 5 (assuming SDSU and UC Davis win on Saturday):
- UC Davis: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 15 SOS, FCS loss to MSU
- MSU: 11-1 overall, 11 D1 wins, 2 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, FBS win, No. 22 SOS, FCS loss to Montana
- SDSU: 10-2 overall, 9-1 vs. the FCS, 9 D1 wins, 3 currently-ranked wins, 2 Top 10 wins, No. 3 SOS, FCS loss to NDSU
- NDSU: 10-2 overall, 10-1 vs. the FCS, 4 currently-ranked wins, 1 Top 10 win, No. 1 SOS, FCS loss to USD
- USD: 9-2 overall, 8-1 vs. the FCS, 8 D1 wins, 1 currently-ranked win, 1 Top 10 win, No. 8 SOS, FCS loss to SDSU
Uffda. Good luck!
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