Missoula | Credit Andy Austin

STOPS:

• 1Caras Park – Riverfront Walk
• 2Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
• 3Smokejumper Visitor Center
• 4Historic Fort Missoula

Begin your day in Missoula with one of many self-guided tours and maps offered by the Missoula Downtown Association. Caras Park, located in the heart of downtown Missoula, is a great place to start. Many of the city's events take place here, including Garden City Brewfest, Germanfest, Out to Lunch and Downtown Tonight. Be sure to stroll over to the Brennan's Wave overlook, where you are likely to see kayakers playing on this man-made whitewater wave on the Clark Fork River.

Nearby you'll find various locations that host Missoula farmers markets and the People's Market (open Saturdays, May to October), as well as some of Missoula's most popular festivals, like the International Wildlife Film Festival and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

Have lunch or dinner at one of downtown Missoula's eateries that specialize in locally sourced ingredients, like Flathead cherries, wild huckleberries and grass-fed beef.

You are in elk country, so a visit to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Visitor Center is in order. More than a museum, this visitor center features a number of interactive exhibits where you can learn more about elk, elk country and the role the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation plays in conservation throughout North America. If time allows, walk the wooded nature trail that meanders through 22 acres, where you may catch a glimpse of white-tailed deer, turkeys, bald eagles, owls and other wildlife.

No visit to Missoula is complete without a visit to the Smokejumper Visitor Center, located near the Missoula Montana Airport. As the nation's largest training base for smokejumpers, explore displays, dioramas and videos related to America's legendary parachute wildland firefighters. Take a guided tour of the parachute loft and see the brave men and women who face these fires.

If local history is what you are looking for, visit the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. Built in 1877, the fort sits on 32 acres and features 20 preserved historic buildings and structures. The museum highlights the story of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps, a group of African American soldiers who tested the feasibility of bicycles for military transport in the 1890s. It also sheds light on the World War II internment camp at the fort, where hundreds of Italian and Japanese nationals were detained. The Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History, also located at Fort Missoula, tells the story of the United States armed services, from frontier times to present day.

For an evening out, check out a sporting event or concert at The University of Montana. Several venues downtown, including The Wilma—a historic theater—also host live music performances. You can catch a Missoula PaddleHeads baseball game, Missoula Jr. Bruins hockey game or Hellgate Roller Derby in town, too.

St. Mary's Mission | Credit Glacier Country

STOPS:

• 5Travelers’ Rest State Park
• 6Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
• 7St. Mary’s Mission
• 8Daly Mansion Museum

A short, 15-minute drive south of Missoula on U.S. Highway 93 is Lolo, home to Travelers' Rest State Park and the Holt Heritage Museum. Travel back in time and experience this centuries-old gathering place and campsite where Lewis and Clark rested and prepared for their journey to and from the Pacific Ocean more than 200 years ago. It is one of only two sites with archeological evidence of their journey. The Holt Heritage Museum (tours by appointment only) includes memorabilia and an expansive collection of American Indian artwork as well as western wear, including hats and boots worn by some pretty famous cowboys and cowgirls.

Continue south on US-93 to the town of Florence and travel east on Eastside Highway (State Highway 269) to the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. A naturalist's paradise, look for tundra swans, woodpeckers, bald eagles and white-tailed deer from the comfort of your vehicle or walk the 2.5-mile nature trail near the Bitterroot River. Continue south on Eastside Highway to the community of Stevensville—with a quick detour to Fort Owen State Park—one of the most important commercial centers in the northwest for many years in the mid-1800s.

The first permanent pioneer settlement in Montana, Stevensville is home to the historic St. Mary's Mission. At the mission, you'll learn the story of remarkable people in a turbulent time including the interactions between the Bitterroot Salish people and the Jesuit missionaries who arrived in the mid-1800s. Walk through history and see, touch and hear this fascinating, dramatic and important chapter of this nation's past.

After lunch at a local eatery, be sure to stroll through the downtown shops with a stop at Valley Drug and Variety for something sweet at the old-fashioned soda fountain.

Your afternoon takes you farther south with a visit to the Daly Mansion—just outside of Hamilton. The summer home of Copper Baron and millionaire Marcus Daly, his wife Margaret and their four children evolved from a two-story farmhouse into a 24,000-square-foot mansion with 25 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms on 50 stunning acres in the heart of the Bitterroot Valley.

Continue a few minutes south and you'll be in Hamilton—the largest town in the Bitterroot Valley. Experience the buzzing art scene with many galleries and shops full of work from local artisans, ranging from original paintings to sculptures and woodcarvings. Depending on the time of year, enjoy a live performance—from the Bitterroot Performing Arts Council series and Hamilton Players theater productions to the harmonious sounds of the Montana A Cappella Society.

Other activities include designing your own custom hat at The Hat Edit in Stevensville, casting a line on the Bitterroot River or continuing south for 15 minutes to Darby (home of the Dutton Ranch in the TV series “Yellowstone”) to visit Jimmy “the hat man” Harrison at Double H Custom Hat Co. for a custom handmade felted fur hat.

For dinner, stop at one of the Bitterroot Valley's craft breweries for a taste and a tour. Enjoy a wood-fired pizza or burger and a microbrew before returning to Missoula on US-93.

Garden of One Thousand Buddhas | Credit Andy Austin

STOPS:

• 9CSKT Bison Range
• 10Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana
• 11St. Ignatius Mission
• 12Garden of One Thousand Buddhas

Head north on US-93 out of Missoula and you'll soon be on the tribal lands of the Flathead Indian Reservation. The reservation encompasses 1.3 million acres and is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

At Ravalli, travel west on State Highway 200 and north on Route 212 to the CSKT Bison Range. With more than 18,000 acres, the range is home to 350 – 500 head of bison, as well as black bears, bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelopes, elk and white-tailed deer. Be sure to bring along your binoculars for the best viewing opportunities.

After leaving the CSKT Bison Range, continue north on Route 212 to the town of Charlo, named in tribute to Chief Charlo of the Flathead Indian Tribe. Stop at Allentown Restaurant (located in Ninepipes Lodge) for lunch and enjoy the views of the Mission Mountains from the dining room. Following lunch, stroll over to the Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana to experience a treasure trove of information including exhibits, artifacts and displays from early settlers. There is also a life-size Indian village along with traditional Indian beadwork, dress and weaponry.

For an integral look at the Salish, Pend d'Oreille and Kootenai Tribes, visit the Three Chiefs Cultural Center in Pablo. The center offers educational courses and events throughout the year, including crafting and beading classes (available to groups if you call ahead). Self-guided tours of the museum are available, but we suggest you schedule a tour with a guide for a truly memorable experience.

On your way back to Missoula via US-93, don't miss the St. Ignatius Mission. The mission was established in 1891 by the Upper Kalispel tribe of the Salish peoples and Jesuit missionaries and has 58 hand-painted murals adorning the walls and ceilings. The murals were painted by Brother Joseph Carignano, a self-taught artist who worked as the mission's cook and handyman.

Just north of Arlee on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas offers a peaceful and unexpected Montana experience. This sacred site and sculpture garden, designed in the shape of a Dharma wheel, blends Tibetan Buddhist influence with the beauty of the Mission Valley. Walk among the thousand hand-cast Buddha statues, take in the stunning mountain backdrop. Round out the day with a visit to a local brewery in Missoula, with tours and tastings available for groups.