Montana
Montana is so beautiful! It is called Big Sky County for good reason. The sky seems so big because it is very sparsely populated and absent of tall buildings. We were fortunate to be able to camp in three different areas in the southern portion of the state and loved the big sky views.
Traveling in Montana
Driving through Montana certainly was lovely. The area we traversed was very mountainous. We drove through Bozeman, but didn’t stop. However, it was very nice and seemed like a great city in which to live.
The roads in Montana surprised us though. We took a Google maps shortcut on Fly Creek Road. It looked curvy, but it would save eight minutes. About four miles in, it became a gravel road. We had twelve miles to go and hoped the gravel was temporary. It was not! We traveled at 5-10 miles an hour because it was shaking our car and trailer so much. We saw a few farms and some cows. The gavel road connected directly with the interstate at the end of our very long twelve-mile drive.
Garryowen
Our campground was in the tiny town of Garryowen. It is located just a few miles from Little Bighorn Battlefield. Also, Billings was roughly an hour away.
7th Ranch RV
We loved 7th Ranch RV! Our full hookup site was in the shade with actual green grass with the help of a sprinkler system. The shade was such a blessing because of the extreme heat in the area. We were also welcomed with free ice cream. The campground bathhouse and laundry were nice, but the views were spectacular.
Little Bighorn Monument
We listened to two very knowledgeable park rangers talk about the famous Little Bighorn battle and provide information about the monument area.
Markers indicate where soldiers were thought to have fallen in the battle.
The beautiful rolling hills look much like they looked during that famous battle. A cemetery that is an extension of Arlington is also located on the land now.
Billings
Billings is the largest city in Montana. However, its 2020 population was only 109,868. We were there for one of our days in the area.
Moss Mansion
Moss Mansion was the home of one of the important founders of the city, Preston Boyd Moss. It was built in 1903 and was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the designer of the original Waldorf Astoria and Plaza Hotels. The mansion was in two movies, Son of the Morning Star and Return to Lonesome Dove.
The dining room below shows some of the exquisite details in this elegant home.
Yellowstone Museum
We visited the Yellowstone Museum while in Billings. It is a small museum with a very friendly staff and several interesting works of art. It was a nice part of our day.
A Rover Sitter
We had a Rover sitter while we were in Billings. Eryn, the sitter, has a house in the foothills of the mountain. She took Sophie and some other dogs on a mountain hike. Sophie seemed to enjoy it and was one tired pup when we returned to the camper.
Livingston
Livingston was a one night stop for us. The campground was very nice with flowers, nice landscaping, and an amazing view. I especially appreciated the large dog park. Our puppy really needed to run and get rid of some energy.
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone is an access point to Yellowstone National Park. It is a small town that is right at the entrance to the park. The bulk of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming, but the entrance from the west is the park’s busiest with many restaurants and shopping opportunities.
Rainbow Point Campground
I booked our Yellowstone camping site about four months earlier and all electric sites were already taken. So, I booked a non electric site and we brought a generator. Thankfully, when we arrived someone had cancelled which meant that we did not have to roast in the extreme heat. The site was very large (AND ELECTRIC), so we were happy.
Hebgen Lake was a short walk from our campsite and it was absolutely gorgeous! I waded in the water with our pup because she got very dirty playing with another dog. The water was a very comfortable temperature, but we did not go far because our pup has not learned to swim yet.
The Lake water was so amazingly clear.
We went to the Yellowstone Visitor’s Center the afternoon we arrived and the ranger said we should head to Old Faithful right away and then do the southern loop clockwise very early the next day. The park was very crowded, but this strategy worked well.
Montana Food
While traveling, we stopped in Miles City for an excellent lunch at Black Iron Grill Rotisserie. The food and service were stellar! It has very nice outdoor seating, so we could take our dog. Without an outdoor seating option, we have to eat in our car when traveling.
In Billings, we had a fabulous meal at Jake’s Downtown. The restaurant is very nice and we were surprised to learn it was owned by a lady named Kathy from Alabama. She came out to chat with us and we enjoyed our conversation.
In Conclusion
Montana was a fantastic time for us! But, photos and films do not do it justice. You just have to see it! Posts of other states we have visited can be seen on our page, States Visited, a Campsite Resource.
Happy Camping!
