Travel and Leisure listed the 20 best places to visit in Montana, and six of them are within an hour and a half’s drive from Missoula’s city center. Blending outdoor recreation with big-city amenities, Missoula’s spots on the list represent the diverse variety of natural wonders that lie within minutes of this cultural hub. Whether you’re in the mood to explore a vast wilderness area, or you prefer to explore a dynamic culinary scene, Missoula’s got it all.
Missoula
When it comes to Missoula, folks who visit rave about the “hidden gem” that lies in the heart of western Montana. For Jason Pittman—ranch manager at Alpine Falls Ranch—he says, “beyond all the outdoor adventure at your fingertips, places like downtown Missoula are also full of breweries and restaurants with live music, great food and drinks, and cool locally owned shops featuring independent artists, art galleries and museums. It also has great architecture and plenty of historic sites for history buffs,” and we couldn’t agree more. As the perfect mix of outdoorsy, academic, classy and a little weird (in the best way), Missoula truly has something for everyone.
Lolo National Forest
Sitting at 2 million acres, you’d be surprised to learn that Lolo National Forest is one of Montana’s smaller forests, while completely engulfing Missoula on all sides. Topographically rich, the land features some of the state’s most unique physical features, including waterfalls, rivers and valleys. For the outdoor fiend, this area offers ample year-round recreation opportunities, including hiking, biking, fishing, swimming and camping.
Garnet
Drive an hour east of Missoula, and you’ll find Garnet—an abandoned mining town that has been well-preserved in the near century since the last residents left. Pittman calls Garnet a "real, well-preserved, Old West ghost town." This easy day trip is particularly unique during the winter months, when visitors can snowshoe and cross country ski though the town’s historic streets.
Lookout Pass
For some of the best alpine skiing in the western part of the state, drive an hour and a half northwest to Lookout Pass. Bordering the Montana-Idaho border, this mountain offers affordable lift tickets, short lines and some of the best snow in the region. Pittman recommends it for anyone “who wants to experience Rocky Mountain skiing without having to drive five hours.”
Clark Fork River
Flowing directly through downtown Missoula, this river is what people talk about when they say “the heart of the city.” No matter the time of year, you’ll find people fishing, floating and relaxing in and by the Clark Fork River. Summertime is a particularly exciting season for river goers, and you’ll see groups of people in tubes floating through the city on any given afternoon. For anglers in pursuit of trout, the Clark Fork is also home to some of the best trout fishing in the state.
Seeley Lake
In desperate need of a lake day? Sitting a cool 70 minutes from Missoula is Seeley Lake in the heart of the scenic Seeley-Swan valley. Avery Patrick—vice president of Showdown Montana, says that Seeley is the “place to be” during the summer months. Along with all the traditional lakefront activities, the lake is also popular for its abundance of larch trees that turn to gold when fall temperatures start to dip.
Western Montana has so much to offer, and Missoula is the perfect basecamp to make sure that you get to see it all, your way. Ready to plan your trip? Find all the information you need to get started at destinationmissoula.org/plan.
