Billings Day Trips

Custer National Forest

The Custer National Forest is scattered across Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, but the forest headquarters are in Billings, Montana, and most hiking and camping is undertaken in the part of the forest located about an hour's drive to the south of the city. The Custer is the most ecologically diverse forest in the north of the USA, renowned for its lake and stream fishing and home to mountain goats, big horn sheep, elk, muley and white-tailed deer, black bear, cougar and moose. A popular outing from Billings is to follow the spectacular Beartooth Scenic Byway. The Beartooth area is also one of the gateways to the Yellowstone National Park.

Website: www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer; Telephone: (406) 657 6200

Yellowstone National Park

The world's first national park, Yellowstone was established in 1872 and despite its popularity today, most of the park still remains an undeveloped wilderness of magnificent mountain scenery, waterfalls, alpine lakes and rivers. It is renowned for its geothermal wonders and abundance of wildlife. Spilling over into Wyoming and Idaho, the enormous park is situated on top of the Yellowstone Caldera, a collapsed volcanic crater that was formed 600,000 years ago and holds within it the greatest geothermic area in the world. This unique environment includes features such as exploding geysers, thousands of steaming fumaroles, hot springs and bubbling mud pools, and is where the park's most famous attraction, the Old Faithful Geyser is to be found, drawing thousands of tourists to witness its regular eruption of steaming water. Yellowstone is also home to the largest concentration of wildlife in lower USA, including grizzly and black bears, wolves, moose, and large herds of bison and elk. The two narrow waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River cut a striking picture in the yellow-coloured rock that gives the park its name, with superb views and hiking trails for all abilities. The large alpine Yellowstone Lake fills the eastern part of the caldera and offers opportunities for boating and fishing expeditions in summer. All places of interest are accessible along the loop roads, but the intensity of visitors in summer, especially between July and August, means that one needs to hike away from the main paths to experience the true wilderness of Yellowstone National Park.

Website: www.nps.gov/yell; Telephone: (307) 344 7381; Transport: A bus service from Bozeman to West Yellowstone is available all year. Commercial transportation from Bozeman to Gardiner is available during the winter and summer seasons; Opening time: The five major visitor centres are open in summer only, generally from 8am to 7pm daily, except the Albright Visitor Center, which is the largest and is open year-round with reduced hours in winter. Of the park’s five entrances, the North Entrance near Gardiner is the only one that remains open year-round to traffic. Some areas and roads are not accessible during winter; Admission: $25 (vehicle), $12 (individual hiker or cyclist). The entrance fee is valid for seven days

Missoula

The ‘Garden City’ doesn’t have much in the way of gardens but it is an outdoor sportsman’s Eden.  Plop right in the middle of cowboy-land sits a liberal hub of hippies, students and outdoor nuts. Downtown is a collection of unique shops and lively bars where it is easier to walk or bike than drive. The University of Montana starts right where the hill ends and is a beautiful campus to wander, or catch a football game to see the definition of school spirit. Tourists often visit for outdoor activities of all kinds from skiing, kayaking, hiking and rock climbing to hang-gliding and mountain biking.  Festivals from Ale Fest (beer) to Testy Fest (cow balls) make their home here, so come ready to celebrate and play.