Explore Montana’s Open Roads And Local Events This Fall
Author: Mitch Staley, Montana Department of Commerce
Explore Montana’s Open Roads and Local Events this Fall
Mitch Staley
Montana Department of Commerce
Looking for something new to do this fall?
As summer comes to an end, local events and travel itineraries encourage Montanans to take an affordable fall road trip.
Montana
HELENA, Mont. – With the official kickoff to fall around the corner and summer winding down, there are many opportunities for travelers to explore Montana’s open roads, less visited communities and local events across the state.
“As Montanans know, fall’s cooler days and golden colors provide the perfect opportunity to explore our small towns in parts of the state they may not have been to in a while,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “With so many events going on this fall, there’s a weekend road trip for every Montanan looking to get some windshield time in before we turn to our favorite winter activities.”
Top events this fall to plan a trip around include:
International Chainsaw Carving Competition (Sept. 5-8) in Libby
Chokecherry Festival (Sept. 7) in Lewistown
Flathead Celtic Festival (Sept. 13-14) in Kalispell
Makoshika Music and Arts Festival (Sept. 14) in Glendive
Music and Arts Festival (Sept. 14) in Boulder
Hi-Line Harvest Festival (Sept. 20-21) in Chester
Havre Festival Days (Sept. 20-22) in Havre
Circle Town & Country Appreciation Day (Sept. 21) in Circle
Miner’s Day (Sept. 21) in Virginia City
Belgrade Fall Festival (Sept. 28) in Belgrade
National Public Lands Day (Sept. 28) in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks
Inaugural Livingston Songwriter Festival (Oct. 4-5) in Livingston
Townsend Fall Fest (Oct. 4-6) in Townsend
Scarecrow Festival (Oct. 4-5 and through Oct. 12h for viewing) in Stevensville
McIntosh Apple Day (Oct. 5) in Hamilton
Oktoberfest Anaconda (Oct. 5) in Anaconda
Bridger Raptor Festival (Oct. 5-6) in Bridger
Golden Gravel Grinder & Virginia City Bike Fest (Oct. 5) in Virginia City
Tamarack Time! (Oct. 12) in Bigfork
Big Rock Fright Nights (Oct. 18-26) in Boulder
Pumpkin Sunday (Oct. 20) in Deer Lodge
Dillon Halloween Fall Fest (Oct. 26) in Dillon
Additionally, for travelers looking to extend their visit into a fall road trip, Montana travel itineraries make it easy to plan for a long weekend or use the locations featured in the guides as a starting point for a day trip.
Three Days in Central Montana: Guided horseback riding in the Bob Marshall Wilderness or visiting Choteau’s Old Trail Museum (part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail).
Four Days in Northwest Montana: Stopping at the Lincoln Ranger District Visitor Center to lay eyes on the taxidermy display of one of Montana's largest grizzly bears or exploring the Kootenai National Forest at the base of the Cabinet Mountains.
Four Days West to East: Discovering history at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument or dining at The Jawbone before soaking at the Hot Springs Motel in White Sulphur Springs.
Five Days in Eastern Montana: Exploring Lookout Cave and seeing the largest grouping of preserved pictographs in the state or embarking on a guided boat tour on Fort Peck Lake.
Other itinerary highlights include: enjoying locally sourced burgers from local stops on the Southeast Montana Burger Trail, viewing the fall colors on a scenic drive through the Seeley Swan Corridor, viewing some of the darkest skies and brightest stars in the lower 48 along Montana’s Trail to the Stars and going back in time by embarking on a dinosaur dig or stopping into a museum on the Montana Dinosaur Trail.
For more information and updates to all of Montana’s latest trip itineraries, events and travel inspiration, visit visitmt.com.
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PhotoCredit: Image courtesy of Noah Couser
Image 1 Caption: Canoeing along a Montana stream
Image Provided by Noah Couser
