Focus on Montana

Your one-stop resource to everything Montana. There is something about waking up deep in the backcountry, having carried all of your gear in to camp near a quiet lake or alpine cirque with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks. From alpine tundra to lush valleys, hot springs to waterfalls, here is some of the most amazing terrain in the world and how you can get there. Here you'll find articles about the best places to eat, drink, and play in the state of Montana.

Bike Touring Montana: Classic Big Sky Rides

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TRIP IDEAS:   Montana has wide open roads with little mountain towns along the way that are perfect for multi-day tours and world class riding. Here are some of the classic Montana 'spins' plus some DIY options.  More »

Winter Fly Fishing in Montana: Bundle up, Don’t Bring Beer

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SPORTS:   When it comes to winter angling in Montana, not everyone thinks of augers and ice shanties, waxworms and beer.   More »

The 10 Most Colorful Bars in Montana

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NIGHTLIFE:   Montana has big trout, big mountains, big skies and some very memorable bars. Don't forget your bear-spray.   More »

Big Sky Sports + Party: Our Favorite Winter Festivals in Montana

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NIGHTLIFE:   No matter your style, from snowmobile to skis, horse riding to dog sledding, winter events around the state are sure to get you out and discovering the best of what Montana has to offer.   More »

9 Montana Backpacking Trips That Will Blow Your Mind

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TRIP IDEAS:   There is something about waking up deep in the backcountry, having carried all of your gear in to camp near a quiet lake or alpine cirque with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks.  More »

Yellowstone National Park Video Series


TV:   Take a journey through Yellowstone national park and come face to face with one of the great natural spaces in America.  More »

Downhill Skiing -- Montana Style

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SPORTS:   Montana’s downhill skiing resorts are as varied as the state itself. You can pretty much find whatever you’re looking for in a downhill ski vacation – except glitz, glamor, and pretension.  More »

Boating Big Sky: Montana's Classic River Trips

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TRIP IDEAS:   From flatwater to class V, Montana has incredible rivers and stoked communities of paddlers. Local boater Brian French leads us down some of the classic Big Sky runs.   More »

An Angler's Guide to Spring Fly Fishing in Montana

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TRIP IDEAS:   The serious, pleasurable work of catching fish from the end of an elegant cast is about to start.   More »

Montana Resorts: Treating Yourself Right in Big Sky Country

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TRIP IDEAS:   Once you've decided to come to Montana, the decision about which of the many springs to visit might be the hardest part of your stay.  More »

Winter Wolf Watching in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley

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TRIP IDEAS:   Explore Montana's remote winter ecosystem through the eyes of one of its most enigmatic creatures.  More »

Montana Road Trip: Heading to Yellowstone

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TV:   Brothers Josh and Dustin Johnson document their great American road trip, driving from Seattle to Yellowstone to Glacier and back with only $200 dollars in their collective pockets and one sturdy video camera.  More »

5 Montana Coffeetable Books

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GEAR:   "A good landscape photo should draw you into it. It should make your spirit fly"....Salvatore Vasapolli  More »

Munching Montana: A Road Trip Guide to Montana’s Most Unique Local Food

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TRIP IDEAS:   A quick guide to Montana's most notable local food, whether restaurants, farmer's markets, or even wild edibles you can stop and pick along the way.   More »

Amazing Winter Travel Itinerary: 5 Days in Montana

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TRIP IDEAS:   Missoula Montana local Danielle Lattuga lines out an amazing 5-day itinerary for travelers in Montana this winter  More »

4 More Reasons to Visit Montana NOW

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TRIP IDEAS:   Year round options make Montana good to go anytime. Here's why you should go right now.   More »

Fishing Montana: Lamar River Cutthroat Trout

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TRAVEL WRITING:    I honestly didn't think trout fishing got this good.  More »

Montana: To Move Under the Big Sky


TV:   A beautiful, tranquil video of Montana landscape in which Matador members ponder what it is to travel under the Montana's Big Sky.  More »


Matadorians who know #montana

Eric Warren

"Expert on Montana, having lived in Missoula, Big Sky, Bozeman, and Billings for 25 years. "


Brian French

"I have been paddling the waters of western Montana and the surrounding area for about seven years now."


Adam French

"A lover of the remote, rugged and rowdy - I feel at home nowhere quite so much as western Montana.


Chrystine Olson

"I'm a gregarious loner who still camps in a tent with the dogs."


Teresa Ponikvar

"I know Missoula and the surrounding area extremely well, especially the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot rivers."


Brianna Randall

"I have been Water Policy Director at the Clark Fork Coalition since 2007 and also oversee the public relations programs. "


Jon Wick

"Montana started for me with a roadtrip from the midwest through Glacier National Park in 2002 - I was hooked. I never really stop exploring this place; whether it's on skis, wheels, feet, rafts, kayaks, in hot springs, whatever - there's just so much to see and do here."


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