Sluice Box State Park in Montana.

Montana’s State Parks, though not as well known as Glacier National Park or Yellowstone, offer beautiful and historic vacation opportunities, including Sluice Boxes State Park in the Little Belt Mountains South of Great Falls.

Sluice Boxes State Park, established in 1970, consists of the northern most 8 miles of the Belt Creek canyon in the Little Belt Mountains. Soaring cliffs and precipitous ledges mark the Belt Creek Canyon as it slices out of the Little Belt Mountains and winds toward the town of Belt.

Train bridges left over from the mining boom era have been removed, so visitors must cross the creek on foot – a difficult undertaking during high water flows.

Because of these crossings, hiking in the Sluice Boxes is limited to low water season, generally mid-July through September. The spring-fed water is cold year round and weather in the Little Belt Mountains changes on a whim, so be ready for anything.

When mining was the main economic force in Montana, boom town sprung up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. The Little Belts experienced plenty of these pop-up towns that came and went, and today only the small recreational communities of Monarch and Neihart remain.

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Bannack's famous historic buildings.

Montana is well known for it’s amazing National Parks, including Glacier and Yellowstone. But if you’re in Montana for a vacation, you should also consider some of the lesser known, but no less beautiful state parks, such as Bannack.

Bannack State Park sits at 5,837 feet and encompasses 1,529 acres. There is a campground here with 28 sites and a group picnic site.

The campgrounds include vault toilets, grill/fire rings, firewood, picnic tables, trash cans, drinking water, and access to Grasshopper Creek for fishing. Flush toilets are located in the visitor center. A tipi is available to rent from the center.

The Park is great for fishing, camping, picnicking, bicycling, horseshoes, volleyball, hiking, wildlife viewing, interpretive programs, photography and cultural events are all available.

Bannack State Park has what is considered to be the best kept of all Montana’s ghost towns, is a registered historic landmark, and the site of Montana’s first major gold discovery in 1862. This was the gold strike set off a rush, swelling Bannack’s population to more than 3,000 by 1863.

But as gold values dwindled, Bannack’s boom population was busted. The result now is 50 historic buildings lining Main Street. The buildings have quaint log and frame structures from Montana’s early days.

The third week of each July, the park holds Bannack Days, where you can see historic displays, and participate in activities and events. The Bannack visitor center does tours and is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

In the winter, come to the park for great ice skating.

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Waterfall in Montana's Lost Creek Falls State Park.

Montana is well known for two big National Parks, Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. But all across the state there are smaller state parks that offer excellent outdoor activities. This includes Lost Creek Falls, a great place for camping, fishing, picnicking, bicycling and wildlife viewing in Montana.

At this Montana State Park, you’ll find stunning limestone cliffs with pink and white granite rock  formations shooting 1,200 feet above the narrow canyon floor. In the northwest corner of the park, a waterfall cascades over a 50-foot drop to provide one of the most scenic and popular spots in the park.

Here you’ll find great wildlife viewing, particularly for mountain goats and bighorn sheep which can often be seen on the cliffs.

The Lost Creek Falls park has 25 sites in the park that offer vault toilets, grills/fire rings, picnic tables, drinking water and interpretive displays. RV/trailer size is limited to 23′ and maximum length of stay is 7 days during a 30 day period. Pets must be on a leash. The park itself is 502 acres in size and is 6,211 feet in elevation.
You’ll find Montana hotels, Golf courses and museums located nearby in Anaconda. This park has been designated ‘primitive’ so there are no fees and facilities and services are limited. Remember to pack in-pack out your trash!

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Montana, besides its many outdoors activities, also provides great opportunities for learning about the history of the old west on your vacation, through it’s many intriguing museums.

The Anaconda Railroad and Mining Museum looks at Anaconda’s railroad history and relation to the local mining industry and Butte, Montana. The Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway was built by famous Montana copper king Marcus Daly. The idea was to avoid the gouging fees by the railroad monopolies, but it also had the effect of employing many of the citizens of Anaconda and Butte. The museum operates out of the two northeast bays of the the old railroad.

The Anaconda Railroad and Mining Museum features a model railroad, depiciting the entire course of the this railroad system from the Butte hill to the Anaconda roundhouse. On a Montana family vacation? Then this is certainly a must-see.

Besides this awesome model train, there is interesting historic railroad equipment, a real telegraph demonstration, scale models of the roasters and furnaces of the smelter and historical photos from the smelter and the railroad.

You’ll find that the gift shop has great educational literature regarding local railroad and smelter history. In addition, they will have a large supply of HO gauge engines and cars for sale, models for assembly to add more model railroad interest to the gift shop.

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Among all the great things to do on a Montana vacation, you’ll find one of the most rewarding to be learning about the cultural history that our great state has held onto. This includes the history of tribes in Montana, such as the Northern Cheyenne.

Approximately 5,000 Northern Cheyenne, along with members of other tribes and with non-Native Americans, live on a reservation centered around Lame Deer, Montana.

The Northern Cheyenne Reservation is located southeastern Montana, where you’ll find a unique landscape, rugged and wild. The consists of 445,000 acres with the Tongue River to the east and the Crow Reservation to the west.

Things to see on the Northern Cheyenne reservation

Chief Two Moons Monument

This historic monument in Busby, Montana was built in 1936 in memory of Chief Two Moons, who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Northern Cheyenne Gift Shop

The Cheyenne Chamber in Lame Deer hosts the tribal gift shop, showcasing Native American art and beadwork. An RV Park is also available for overnight stays. Call (406) 477-8844.

St. Labre Indian School and Museum

This school in Ashland, Montana was established in 1884 by the Franciscan Order. The visitor center, museum and Ten Bear Gallery are important showplaces of Cheyenne heritage. Call (406) 784-4500.

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One of the most interesting things you can do on a Montana vacation is take a cultural tour of Montana’s tribes, including those of the Flathead Reservation.

The Flathead Indian Reservation is shared by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. The tribes are a combination of the Pend d’Oreille, the Salish, and the Kootenai.There about 4,500 that live on or near the Flathead reservation.

You’ll find the Flathead Reservation north of Interstate 90 between Missoula and Kalispell. Here you’ll see fertile valleys and towering mountain peaks of northwestern Montana’s Mission range surround the 1.2 million acres reservation.

Things to do and see on the Flathead Reservation

The Peoples Center in Pablo, Montana tells thousands of years of history for the Salish, Pend d’Oreille and the Kootenai that inhabited western Montana and the surrounding region through a museum, an exhibit gallery, tours, educational programs and a quality gift shop.  Call (406) 675-0160.

Flathead Lake State Park

Flathead Lake is one of the largest and most pristine bodies of water in the West. Interesting sightseeing opportunities here include Wild Horse Island and five other scenic state units on the reservation:  Big Arm, Finley Point, Yellow Bay, Wayfarers and West Shore. All units offer camping, fishing, boating and swimming except for Wild Horse Island. Call (406) 752-5501.

The National Bison Range/Pablo National Wildlife Refuge

Approximately 500 bison roam nearly 20,000 acres of natural grassland near Moiese, Montana. It’s a great place to see wildlife in general, and you’re likely to see elk, bighorn sheep, antelope her at any time of year. Call (406) 644-2211

Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and State Wildlife Management Area

This area near Ronan, Montana is one of the state’s designated Wildlife Viewing sites. It is an exceptional wetland complex, excellent for birdwatching. (406) 644-2211

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Besides all the great skiing, hiking, fly fishing and mountain biking, Montana is known for its great western cultural tourism, and this is especially true when it comes to Native American cultural tours.

One of the great tribes to learn about in Montana are the Sioux, a tribe that can be found in Poplar, Montana, on the Fort Peck reservation near Fort Peck, Montana. The tribe is made up of about 10,000 members. They are originally from Canada, and came down into Montana in the early 1800s.

Officially the Sioux tribe is made up of the Lakota, Nakota and Dakota bands, who share common language and customs. A good time to visit is from July 30 to August 2, when the tribes hold the Wadopana Celebration, Montana’s longest-running powwow, where you can see dancing, tribal ceremonies, garb and much more in Wolf Point, Montana.

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Poplar, Montana.

You’ll find Poplar, Montana at the confluence of the Poplar and Missouri rivers in northeastern Montana. It’s a great place for fishing, viewing the unusual landscape of this region of Montana, and for cultural tours of Montana’s Native American heritage.

Poplar is located on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The Poplar Museum and Tribal Museum feature artifacts and information on their interesting history.

You’ll find are many tribal celebrations held here throughout the year.

Poplar is also part of Montana’s history with early explorers Lewis and Clark, who on May 3, 1805 camped on the Poplar River about 3.5 miles upstream from here it joins the Missouri.

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View of Fort Peck Lake, a great Montana vacation spot.

The town of Fort Peck, Montana offers great entertainment, recreation opportunities and cultural tourism, as well as a chance to see one of the world’s largest dams.

A scenic overlook east of the dam on Montana Highway 24 offers views of Fort Peck Lake and historic information on Lewis and Clark’s journey through northeast Montana.

Fort Peck Lake is a Montana must-see for its size and vacation recreation opportunities. The Lake is surrounded by the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, where you can camp freely. There are six recreation areas just a few miles from the dam, providing access for water sports, fishing and hunting. One, the Beaver Creek Nature Trail, starts at the campground downstream from the dam and leads through wildlife habitat. There’s also Pines Recreation Area, about 20 miles southwest of the dam, a great place for photos.

To learn more about local biology, check out the Leo B. Coleman Wildlife Exhibit, near the Fort Peck Theater. The Fort Peck Theater, by the way, is another local must-see. It was built back in the 1930s as a movie house, but now hosts the local theatre company during the summer. For cultural tours, visit the Fort Peck Museum to view its collection of Native American  artifacts and fossils uncovered during the construction of the dam.

The town of Fort Peck has an interesting history, as it was planned and build by federal workers to be the headquarters for the building of the dam in 1933.

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Historical photo of Crow indians.

If you’re looking for a cultural tour of aboriginal peoples in the United States, Montana should certainly be high on you list of vacation spots. Among the Montana tribes you may want to see are the Crow.

The Crow reservation is located near the southeast corner of Montana, not to far from Billings, Yellowstone National Park and Red Lodge ski resort.

The Crow are considered to be the first of the eastern U.S. tribes to move into Montana, after Europeans displaced what had been a Great Lakes region tribe. They are believed to have entered Montana in the early 1600s.

Each year, the Crow hold a summer Native Days festival, where you can see tribal dances, games and clothing, learn about Crow traditions, and hear live music. For 2010 the festival takes place June 24 to 27.

On the map below, you’ll the Crow Agency to the east. Slightly to the northwest, you’ll see a push pin on Billings, Montana, where you can find great hotels and transportation. To the southwest, you’ll see Red Lodge ski resort. Continuing southwest, you’ll find the Cooke City and Gardiner, Montana entrances to Yellowstone.

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