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Memoir by early Montana game warden highlights dangers, oddities

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Memoir by early Montana game warden highlights dangers, oddities


The bullet blasted via the entrance of the automotive’s windshield solely inches from Gene Tierney’s head, showering his face in shards of glass.

It was a stormy day in November 1957 when the shot was fired from a close-by ridge as Tierney drove up the West Fork of Careless Creek within the Massive Snowy Mountains.

“It didn’t take me many seconds to appreciate what had occurred,” Tierney wrote in his e book, “Cry of the Hunted,” printed in 1990. “I damned close to tore the door deal with off getting out, and I drug my rifle together with me. I lay within the mud and snow down by the rear wheel the place I may search for the ridge within the route the shot had been fired from.”

No different pictures had been fired. Tierney by no means conclusively recognized who had shot at him. A headline within the Nice Falls Tribune learn, “Recreation Warden Misses Loss of life.”

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By 1957, Tierney was a veteran sport warden for the Montana Fish and Recreation Division, now often known as the Montana Division of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. He was employed in April 1944, serving nearly 29 years earlier than retiring.

Tierney utilized for the job after an damage resulted in his honorary discharge from the Military Air Corps throughout World Struggle II. After returning to Montana, the concept of continuous his life as a farmer/rancher didn’t attraction to him, Tierney wrote.

“I recall having moved ten occasions by the point I used to be eighteen along with being farmed out 5 or 6 occasions to be nearer to high school.”

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With an curiosity in wildlife and regulation enforcement, he determined to use for a warden job.







Four generations

This Tierney household picture exhibits Gene in his warden uniform, his son Invoice holding his son Curtis, and Gene’s father John Tierney in 1971.

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Household

His memoir recounts particulars from his work throughout an early period of wildlife regulation enforcement in Montana, in addition to humorous insights into rising up in a rural state throughout the Nice Despair. Along with his nation upbringing, Gene was good at regarding landowners within the locations the place he was posted as a warden, which included Helena, Purple Lodge, Polson and Harlowton.

“He beloved his job,” stated Invoice Tierney, Gene’s oldest baby and a longtime Billings resident. “He beloved to be within the open air.”

That’s mirrored within the foreword, the place Gene wrote: “I capitalize Massive Recreation Season as a result of in Montana it symbolizes and instructions the identical respect as if the phrases Father’s Day had been used.”

Regardless of his father’s busy schedule, since wardens had been anticipated to be on-call on daily basis all day, Invoice stated his father taught him the right way to hunt, shoot and ranch. Some nights, Gene introduced Invoice alongside as he sat on a hilltop at evening scouring the encircling land for unlawful spotlighting hunters.

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Bill Tierney

A Harlowton native, Invoice Tierney is a retired Billings securities firm department director. He’s the oldest baby of Gene Tierney, who authored the memoir about his days as a sport warden in “Cry of the Hunted.”



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“So I bought just a few evening adventures,” Invoice stated. “I assumed it was sort of boring on the time.”

But he was “all ears” when Gene and his fellow Fish and Recreation staff gathered and instructed tales. Invoice additionally bought excused from faculty every now and then to go along with crews as they planted hatchery fish in streams.

Likewise, Invoice’s son Curtis realized his outside expertise and ethics from his grandfather.

“He was an enormous in my life,” stated Curtis, an artwork supplier in Bozeman. “We shared a number of the identical pursuits.”



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Curtis Tierney

Curtis Tierney credit his love of looking, the outside, capturing sports activities and accumulating to his grandfather, Gene Tierney. He shot this buck the place he and his grandfather used to seek for arrowheads.




These pursuits included looking, the capturing sports activities, and a “nice ardour” for Montana, and exploring the state “with a army precision.” Gene was additionally a collector, filling a small house subsequent to his home alongside the Musselshell River along with his firearms assortment, arrowheads and pictures. Curtis referred to as it his “massive man cave.”

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“It was only a dream for any child,” Curtis stated, noting he would spend hours listening to his grandfather speak about gadgets in his collections.







Gene Tierney

Gene Tierney poses with geese and pheasants after a profitable day afield in his youthful days.

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Humor

Gene’s e book begins out on a humorous word.

“A few previous timers instructed me that as an alternative of being born, I crawled out from beneath a rock close to Shawmut, Montana, on a chilly day in October.”

Rising up, Gene recounts a Montana removed from being tame. Characters like trapper Rattlesnake Jack, clothed in animal skins, nonetheless roamed the countryside, together with bootleggers and plagues of grasshoppers.

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Find out about Montana’s sport wardens from Fish, Wildlife and Parks officers. (Video supplied by Montana FWP)


“Instances had been tough and the timid and weak had been now not round,” because the Nice Despair deepened, he famous. So those that remained had a considerably ornery humorousness. One teen loved placing burrs beneath saddle blankets. One other would depart carcasses of skinned skunks in mail packing containers. Maybe the worst had been two kids who starved a feral cat, fed it hamburger laced with cod liver oil and turned it free within the closed cloak room throughout a dance on the native faculty home.

Invoice laughed on the recollection of his father’s acquaintances’ youthful mayhem.

“You simply need to put your self again in that point,” he stated.

Gene even had his personal run-in with a warden whereas dwelling in Candy Grass County. He was strolling down a street with a restrict of three pheasants on opening morning when the warden pulled up in his car.

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“I didn’t brag to him that this was my second journey house that morning with birds,” Gene wrote.

Regardless of his success with pheasant, Gene wrote that when he was younger “deer had been nonexistent within the prairie and pine hills nation.”

“I used to be six years previous earlier than I noticed my first antelope after I was dwelling in what’s now often known as the center of the antelope nation,” he added.







Early warden

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Montana sport warden R. A. Waagner leans over the carcass of coyote on this 1903 picture. Early wardens had to offer a number of their very own gear and even transportation.




Challenges

By the point Gene grew to become a warden, nevertheless, sport populations had slowly climbed again, thanks partially to enforcement by officers like him, simply in time for a brand new onslaught of hunters and anglers following World Struggle II. Nonetheless, he referred to as the bag limits and seasons at the moment “haphazard.”

“It did turn into nearly deadly to the (mule deer) as they had been virtually hunted out in Montana,” Gene wrote. Throughout liberalized seasons, each hunter may kill as much as six deer.

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His superiors didn’t need wardens to anger the folks they had been citing, Gene famous. Legislators would normally have violations dropped for pals. The primary biologists employed had been secretive and stand-offish. At the very least one sporting membership cared nothing for wildlife preservation, the e book claims.

But Montana was an early adapter of state management over wildlife, with the massive sport seasons authorized in 1872. The primary sport wardens had been appointed in 1889, simply two years earlier than the company was shaped. Eight sport wardens had been initially employed to patrol the huge state. By the top of his profession, moreover imposing looking and fishing guidelines, Gene was additionally liable for boating and tenting legal guidelines, Invoice stated.







Bill's bull

Invoice Tierney inherited a love of the outside and looking from his father. He shot this bull whereas looking on household land close to Shawmut.

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Automotive troubles

Within the early Nineteen Fifties, the division issued wardens their first state autos, nicknamed “Sherman tanks” due to their tough, swaying experience, poor heaters that almost left the drivers hypothermic in winter, and quarter-inch gaps in some panels permitting snow and dirt to billow inside. The autos had been so poorly constructed that it wasn’t uncommon for them to actually disintegrate taking place the street. One warden held his along with seatbelt straps to make it to Helena and commerce within the deteriorating hulk.

In a single incident Gene recalled, he and a employed hand roped and tied up a mule deer buck that had turn into too pleasant at a ranch house and was feeding on the spouse’s backyard. As Gene drove down the street to relocate the animal, it broke free from its bonds and commenced thrashing round at the back of the rig.

“When the deer realized it was free and will rise up, he was similar to a mad squirrel in a cage,” Gene wrote. “I finished, bought out, slammed the door and stood by watching the buck tear up the within of the suburban.”

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He couldn’t free the animal till the lasso he had left across the deer’s neck may very well be minimize off via a rolled down window. After the deer was free, Gene inspected the harm to his spare clothes and the Suburban’s upholstery. Regardless of steam cleansing and repainting the inside of the car, he stated the odor of the deer lingered.

Talking of wildlife and autos, Gene writes about working at sport test stations and discovering bloated animals in trunks nearly twice their regular measurement as a result of they hadn’t been cleaned.

“We’ve got discovered unlawful fish and birds in all the pieces from the hub caps on a car to suitcases trying like a girl’s baggage,” he wrote.







Gene Tierney

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Gene Tierney joined the U.S. Military Air Corps throughout World Struggle II earlier than changing into a warden.




The tip

As Gene famous close to the top of the e book, one factor hasn’t modified for sport wardens throughout all of those years.

“You might be exposing your self to a state of affairs that’s not required of every other peace officer within the state. Roughly one half of the folks you test for any variety of causes (and half of that it’s important to write a ticket to) are armed with all the pieces from a .22 caliber pistol to a .300 H&H Magnum rifle.”

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But the writer confessed, after retiring from the power, it left a void in his life that was onerous to fill. So he labored as undersheriff in Wheatland County earlier than being pressured to resign by poor well being. He then took up hand-painting black and white images he had taken of the agricultural countryside.

Invoice recalled his father as somebody who was multi-talented, attributing it to his rural upbringing when people needed to make do with what that they had. Gene even constructed hydroplane racing boats later in life, together with repairing firearms.

In a 1983 Billings Gazette article, Gene defined to reporter Christene Meyers his reasoning behind the paintings.

“I noticed that a part of the Outdated West was quickly disappearing,” he stated.

The painted images had been one approach to protect an period Gene noticed slipping away in Montana, as does his e book.

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Eugene William Tierney Sr. died on Oct. 2, 1990, on the age of 68.

“I prefer to assume I helped contribute one thing to the Wildlife Heritage of Montana,” he concluded in “Cry of the Hunted.”

Invoice stated when he reread his father’s e book, it reminded him of a number of household historical past he had forgotten.

The e book will be bought on the Higher Musselshell Museum in Harlowton.

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There is a way for Montana residential property taxes to go down

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There is a way for Montana residential property taxes to go down



The upcoming property tax year could be a little easier on homeowners and renters than last year.

The operative word in that sentence is could. Here’s why this year could be easier, not a slam-dunk “will be easier.”

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Three policy-generated numbers mathematically merge in a complex equation to determine what you pay in property taxes: 1) the state’s assessed value of your property; 2) the state’s tax rate applied to your property; and 3) every city and county’s total ask in taxes for the year (for the sake of simplicity, schools won’t be part of this particular explanation).

Cities and counties determine the size of the property tax pie (No. 3); state policy determines the size of your slice (Nos. 1 and 2). State law already caps how much cities and counties can increase the size of the pie, with a few exceptions falling outside of that cap, including voted bonds and levies and new properties that have come online in the last year.

2024 is not a reappraisal year, so the value of your home will not go up, for tax purposes. The Legislature also won’t meet this year, so the residential property rate will remain at 1.35%. So, for many jurisdictions across the state, if there are no voted bonds or levies, residential property taxes should only increase by the statutorily mandated one-half of the 3-year average of inflation. That should be the case, but it won’t be. Given that the tax pie is finite, if one piece gets smaller, another must get bigger.

There are 16 classifications of property, each with a different appraisal method and tax rate. The centrally assessed tax classification (telecoms, railroads, pipelines, airlines and NorthWestern Energy) appeal their valuations every year, regardless of where we are in the re-appraisal cycle. This process is underway, and they had until June 20 to submit their protests. These industries have deployed fleets of attorneys to Helena to contest their valuations. These negotiations happen behind closed doors and are always successful in reducing values for these industries.

This dramatically affects residential property taxpayers. When corporations in these industries successfully argue for a reduction in their value, they reduce the taxes they pay and increase yours. When the national telecoms, railroads, airlines, pipelines and NorthWestern Energy get a tax break in Montana, the size of their piece of the property tax pie gets smaller. That means someone else’s piece necessarily gets bigger – yours. When these corporations’ property taxes go down, yours go up. Residential taxpayers cover the costs of tax breaks for the centrally assessed industries. Even if cities’ and counties’ total tax levies remain the same this year, the state granting a reduction in value for centrally assessed property will make residential property taxes go up.

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But it doesn’t have to be this way.

If the centrally assessed industries were to acknowledge the massive property tax gut punch for homeowners and renters in 2023 and just sit out this round of appeals, that could really help your 2024 property taxes. For many of these national corporations, Montana is a tiny piece of their market. These reductions won’t matter much for them, but the property tax increases for Montanans sure will.

National telecoms, railroads, pipelines, airlines and NorthWestern Energy should just say no when it comes to appealing their respective valuations. The Montana employees and customers who need to afford to live here deserve your consideration more than your shareholders.

That’s not the only way to avoid this situation, though. If the Department of Revenue, at the direction of the governor, didn’t cave during these negotiations but instead stood tall for homeowners and renters and didn’t reduce these valuations, that could keep your property taxes down.

The state’s Property Tax Task Force is meeting now. Productive property tax conversations are happening in interim legislative committees and across the state. But 2025 is a long way off in terms of relief. Things could be better this year. National telecoms, railroads, airlines, pipelines and NorthWestern Energy should not appeal their valuations. And if they do, the Department of Revenue should make the negotiations public.

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That actually would help.

Missoula County Commissioners Dave Strohmaier, Juanita Vero and Josh Slotnick.



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Crews battle Montana Creek Fire along Parks Highway south of Talkeetna

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Crews battle Montana Creek Fire along Parks Highway south of Talkeetna


By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: 40 seconds ago Published: 1 hour ago

Firefighters on Saturday were battling a rapidly growing fire about 2 miles northeast of the community of Montana Creek — near Mile 95 of the Parks Highway — as warm, dry conditions in much of the state fueled additional fire activity.

The Montana Creek Fire, which was reported around 3:15 p.m. Saturday, grew quickly from a quarter acre to about 20 acres, Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection officials wrote in an update. By 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the fire was estimated between 70 and 100 acres, KTNA reported, based on information from state fire officials.

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At least three wildland fire engines, two helicopters, two scoopers, a fire retardant aircraft and a load of smokejumpers were responding, among other resources, fire officials wrote in their post. Flames up to 5 feet were observed and trees were torched as the blaze burns in an area with black spruce, fire officials wrote.

Crews were making progress Saturday evening, a public information officer told KTNA.

The Parks Highway remained open Saturday evening, but drivers were asked to slow down and use caution in the fire area as crews continued to fight the blaze and work between Mile 94 and 98, fire officials said. Alaska State Troopers said around 5:30 p.m. Saturday that residential roads between Mile 94 and 98 were “only open to residential traffic.”

The Upper Susitna Community & Senior Center said on Facebook that it was open for anyone needing shelter as a result of the Montana Creek Fire.

State fire officials said that burn suspensions continue to remain in effect for the Matanuska-Susitna, Valdez/Copper River, Fairbanks, Delta and Tok areas until conditions improve.

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On the Kenai Peninsula, a wildfire near Tustumena Lake in the Kasilof area forced evacuations of the nearby Tustumena Lake Campground, borough officials wrote in a social media post.

Personnel from Central Emergency Services and the state Division of Forestry and Fire Protection were responding to the fire, and more air and ground resources were on the way, Kenai Peninsula Borough officials wrote.

The borough said its Office of Emergency Management has activated a call center at 907-262-4636 for non-emergency calls about the Tustumena fire management operations.

In Interior Alaska, crews are monitoring and responding to multiple wildfires, including some that have been burning for several days.

Additional information about wildfire response in Alaska is available at akfireinfo.com.

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9 Ideal Montana Destinations for a 3-Day Weekend in 2024

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9 Ideal Montana Destinations for a 3-Day Weekend in 2024


The majestic state of Montana, home to several national parks and a multitude of state, city, and county parks, is also home to a plethora of historical and cultural locales as well. Montana is known by some as the Land of Big Sky and others as the Treasure State, a premier location for some of the best weekend getaways in the United States. Discover nine of the most ideal three-day weekend retreats, from Glacier National Park and the Going-To-The-Sun road to Whitefish Lake and Whitefish Lake State Park, that will astound and excite every member of the family.

West Glacier

Hiker in Glacier National Park, Montana.

The pastoral town of West Glacier is home to the Glacier National Park, which offers a multitude of outdoor activities, like kayaking and fishing in Lake McDonald and taking a drive with the family along the Going-to-the-Sun road. It is also home to many restaurants and other establishments that are worth visiting, especially if you haven’t had the opportunity before. Belton Grill at the Historic Belton Chalet serves up a tasty Pappardelle and the Great Northern Railway Cafe has everything from frozen yogurt to a fresh Reuben sandwich. There are also a variety of shops in West Glacier, like Swan Mountain Outfitters, that are ready to provide anything you might need, on the trail or otherwise.

Big Timber

Welcome sign to Big Timber, Montana, along Interstate 90.
Welcome sign to Big Timber, Montana, along Interstate 90. Editorial credit: melissamn / Shutterstock.com

The town of Big Timber, home to Crazy Mountain Museum, Natural Bridge Falls, and the Big Timber Pro Rodeo, is also home to less than two thousand permanent residents. This does not prevent this quaint mountain town from having several attractions perfect for that 3-day weekend getaway. Many great eateries and lodging choices are in Big Timber, including Grand Hotel & Restaurant, offering a tasty meal as well as a comfy bed, the Big Timber Bakery, serving up a great Reuben sandwich, and Valley Guest House B&B, famous for its views of the scenic mountains. Plus, upon arriving in town, visitors can stop by the Sweet Grass County Visitor Center for an updated list of all the events taking place in town.

Kalispell

Scenic street view of shops and hotels in Kalispell, Montana, gateway to Glacier National Park.

Scenic street view of shops and hotels in Kalispell, Montana. Editorial credit: Nick Fox / Shutterstock.com

The town of Kalispell, located in Flathead County, is a great place to spend a 3-day weekend, either with friends or family. Home to three state parks – Flathead Lake, Wild Horse Island, and Lone Pine – there is so much to do in this small town that it might take many weekends to be able to see it all. The Conrad Mansion, built in 1895, and the Northwest Montana History Museum provide a keen sense of history, while several fun parks, like Woodland Water Park, are available to entertain kids of all ages. For that home away from home feeling, the Lonesome Dove Guest Ranch offers guided horseback riding, free wifi, and free breakfast the next morning.

Ekalaka

Main Street in Ekalaka, Montana.
Main Street in Ekalaka, Montana. Image Credit: Flickr via Jimmy Emerson

Looking to get away from everything and still have fun? The quaint town of Ekalaka, located on the southeastern corner of Montana, might be the ideal choice for you. With four hundred permanent residents, this pastoral town is home to farms and ranches. Yet there are many outdoor attractions in Ekalaka that make it worth the visit. Known for offering up millions of years of Montana history, Carter County Museum is home to everything from dinosaur fossils to ancient military artifacts.

Medicine Rocks State Park, visited by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1884, showcases Medicine Rocks, which are sandstone pillars perforated with many holes. Some dining and lodging choices include eating at the Wagon Wheel Cafe and staying at the Guest House Hotel, both of which are only steps away from the museum.

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West Yellowstone

Shops along Canyon Street in West Yellowstone, Montana.
Canyon Street in West Yellowstone, Montana. Editorial credit: Matthew Thomas Allen / Shutterstock.com

On the western side of Yellowstone National Park, the town of West Yellowstone, hence the name, is known for several outdoor amenities that are excellent for getting all the family to commune with nature. Hebgen Lake, Yellowstone River, and Earthquake Lake are close enough to town for water adventures, like kayaking, swimming, boating, and fishing. Plus, the Diamond P. Ranch is right outside of town, offering guided horseback riding tours through the magnificence of the Gallatin National Forest.

There are also several activities available in town, the Museum of the Yellowstone and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. You can also sleep comfortably at West Yellowstone Bed & Breakfast, located only five minutes from the western entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Hungry Horse

Hungry Horse Reservoir view from Mount Doris 4-wheeling trail.

Hungry Horse Reservoir view from Mount Doris 4-wheeling trail.

The quaint town of Hungry Horse, situated along the Flathead River, is best known for Hungry Horse Reservoir, Hornet Lookout, and the Huckleberry Patch, a great place to taste a delicious slice of Huckleberry Pie. Downtown Hungry Horse is also only fifteen minutes away from the western entrance of Glacier National Park and quite close to Lion Lake and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Reserve, which is more than a million acres of untamed wilderness named after Bob Marshall, who was one of the founders of the Wilderness Society. If you’re looking for an elk and buffalo burger, the Great Bear Cafe is famous for theirs. Glacier B&B offers a comfy bed and a delicious breakfast the next morning.

Anaconda

Welcome sign at the entrance to Anaconda, Montana preserve park.
Welcome sign at the entrance to Anaconda, Montana Preserve Park. Editorial credit: Cheri Alguire / Shutterstock.com

Possibly one of the best places to choose for that 3-day weekend getaway with the family, the town of Anaconda has many outdoor attractions that urge visitors to return year after year. Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park showcases the tallest free-standing brick structures in the world. Lost Creek State Park offers ample opportunities for hiking, biking, and fishing, along with stunning views at Lost Creek Falls. There are also several excellent dining choices in Anaconda.

Donivan’s is great for their crab legs and parmesan fries, O’Bella serves up fresh, made-from-scratch Italian cuisine, and Peppermint Patty’s makes a mean pork chop sandwich. Plus, the Hickory House Inn offers free parking, free wifi, and a free breakfast each morning.

Helena

Urban life and traffic in downtown Helena, Montana.
Urban life and traffic in downtown Helena, Montana. Editorial credit: Michael Gordon / Shutterstock.com

The picturesque town of Helena, perhaps known best for being the capital city of Montana and home to the cathedral of Saint Helena, is also home to around thirty thousand people. This does not inhibit this magnificent town from being peaceful and quaint. Neither does it prohibit it from having a plethora of activities and attributes available to engage the attention of those who visit. Mount Helena City Park, over six hundred acres of trails and paths, awaits to challenge even the most intrepid of hiking enthusiasts. The Holter Museum of Art and the Montana Historical Society Museum are available to arouse even the strongest cynic, and the Tizer Botanic Gardens, ten miles south of Helena in Jefferson City, is ready to astound even the most passionate gardeners.

Whitefish

Drone view of Whitefish Lake, Montana.
Drone view of Whitefish Lake, Montana.

Twenty miles to the east of Hungry Horse and twenty miles north of Kalispell, the town of Whitefish is best known for being home to Whitefish Lake, a five square mile natural body of water, and Whitefish Lake State Park, providing an opportunity for outdoor water sports, including line fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, and camping. Along with the recreational wonders of the lake and park, Whitefish is also home to Whitefish Depot, an example of Tudor Revival architecture showcasing the town’s history. There are also some great restaurants and lodging choices in town, including Loula’s Cafe for a tasty breakfast, the Craggy Range for a great burger and fries, and the Garden Wall Inn, in case you wish to sleep indoors.

Discover Montana’s Best Weekend Getaways

In conclusion, there are so many natural, historical, and cultural attributes in this majestic western state that it might be difficult to pick just one. The good thing is that you don’t have to. Whether you are in the southeast, up north, out west, or even somewhere in the center, there is something for every member of the family in Montana. Whether it is camping in Glacier National Park, learning the history of Medicine Rocks, or trying a tasty burger at the Great Bear Cafe, enjoy a great 3-day weekend this year.

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