Montana Film Office • 301 South Park Ave Helena, MT 59620 • tel: 800.553.4563 • 406.841.2876 • fax: 406.841.2877 • montanafilm@mt.gov
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From roads to lakes to mountains to western towns, we’ve got everything sorted out so you can see the best we have to offer.
AUTHENTICITY STARTS HERE
We’ve got over 140,000 square miles of real character. From rugged, snow-capped mountains to dramatic, winding highways, let Montana give your story the authentic feel you’ve been looking for.
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CITIES AND TOWNS | AREA CONTACT | Phone |
Anaconda | Chamber of Commerce | 406.563.2400 |
Big Sky | Chamber of Commerce | 406.995.3000 |
Big Timber | Chamber of Commerce | 406.932.5131 |
Billings | Chamber of Commerce | 406.245.4111 |
Bozeman | Chamber of Commerce | 406.586.5421 |
Browning - East Glacier | Blackfeet Tourism | 406.338.7406 |
Butte | Chamber of Commerce | 406.723.3177 |
Choteau | Chamber of Commerce | 406.466.5316 |
Cooke City | Chamber of Commerce | 406.838.2495 |
Cut Bank | Chamber of Commerce | 406.873.4041 |
Deer Lodge | Chamber of Commerce | 406.846.2094 |
Dillon | Chamber of Commerce | 406.683.5511 |
Ennis | Chamber of Commerce | 406.682.4388 |
Glasgow | Chamber of Commerce | 406.228.2222 |
Glendive | Chamber of Commerce | 406.377.5601 |
Great Falls | Chamber of Commercie | 406.761.4434 |
Hamilton | Chamber of Commerce | 406.363.2400 |
Hardin | Chamber of Commerce | 406.665.1672 |
Havre | Chamber of Commerce | 406.265.4383 |
Helena | Chamber of Commerce | 406.447.1530 |
Kalispell | Chamber of Commerce | 406.758.2800 |
Lewistown | Chamber of Commerce | 406.535.5436 |
Libby | Chamber of Commerce | 406.293.4167 |
Livingston | Chamber of Commerce | 406.222.0850 |
Miles City | Chamber of Commerce | 406.234.2890 |
Missoula | Chamber of Commerce | 406.543.6623 |
Polson | Chamber of Commerce | 406.883.5969 |
Red Lodge | Chamber of Commerce | 406.446.1718 |
Shelby | Chamber of Commerce | 406.434.7184 |
Sidney | Chamber of Commerce | 406.433.1916 |
Virginia City - Nevada City | Chamber of Commerce | 800.829.2969 |
West Yellowstone | Chamber of Commerce | 406.646.7701 |
Whitefish | Convention & Visitors Bureau | 406.862.3390 |
DAMS | LOCATION/AREA | SPILLWAY | OWNER |
Black Eagle | Great Falls | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Canyon Ferry | Helena | Middle | Bureau of Reclamation |
Cochrane | Great Falls | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Fort Peck | Fort Peck | Top | Army Corps of Engineers |
Gibson | Augusta | Middle (arch) | Bureau of Reclamation |
Hauser | Helena | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Hebgen | West Yellowstone | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Holter | Helena | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Hungry Horse | Hungry Horse | Bottom (arch gravity) | Bureau of Reclamation |
Salish-Kootenai (formerly Kerr) | Polson | Top (arch) | Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes |
Libby | Libby | Bottom | Army Corp of Engineers |
Madison | Ennis | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Morony | Great Falls | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Mystic Lake | Columbus | Top (arch) | NorthWestern Energy |
Rainbow | Great Falls | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Ryan | Great Falls | Top | NorthWestern Energy |
Sun River | Augusta | Top | Bureau of Reclamation |
Swift | Dupuyer | Middle (arch) | Pondera Canal & Reservoir Co. |
Thompson Falls | Thompson Falls | Top | NorthWestern Enery |
Yellowtail | Billings | Bottom (arch) | Bureau of Reclamation |
Mansion | Location | Owner |
Avalanche Ranch | Kalispell | Private |
Barrister B&B | Helena | Private |
Big Arm Estate | Elmo | Private |
Coleman Fee Mansion | Deer Lodge | Private |
Conrad Mansion | Kalispell | City of Kalispell |
Copper King Mansion | Butte | Private |
Daly Mansion | Hamilton | State of Montana |
Jim Nabors Home | Whitefish | Private |
King Mansion | Bozeman | Private |
Kline Schmidt Mansion | Helena | Private |
Lehrkind Mansion | Bozeman | Private |
Moss Mansion | Billings | City of Billings / Montana |
Old Governor’s Mansion | Helena | Historical Society |
Rappaport Mansion | Helena | Private |
Roberts Mansion | Helena | Private |
Sander's B&B | Helena | Private |
Story Mansion | Bozeman | City of Bozeman |
The Castle | White Sulphur Springs | Meagher County |
The Chateau | Bozeman | Private |
The Historic Clark Chateau | Butte | Butte / Silver Bow County |
Wintergreen Mansion | Bozeman | Private |
RANGE | ELEVATION | LOCATION | DESCRIPTION |
Absaroka | 11,206 ft. | S of Livingston, SE of Bozeman, N of Yellowstone National Park | High spires, ridges and peaks. Heavily forested to treeline. Eastern boundary is formed by the Boulder River. Western boundary is the Yellowstone River running through the Paradise Valley. |
Anaconda–Pintler | 10,793 ft. | SW of Anaconda, N of Wisdom | The Anaconda-Pintlar Range lies between Anaconda to the north and the Big Hole Valley to the south. Nearly 40 miles long, it extends west to the Bitterroot Valley. Many wilderness lakes and peaks from 9,000 to over 10,000 ft. are located on the range. |
Beartooth | 12,799 ft. | S of Red Lodge, N of Cooke City, SW of Billings | Alpine vistas, treeless tundra plateaus, jagged peaks, lakes and waterfalls. |
Big Belt | 9,472 ft. | N – NE of Helena | Limestone cliffs, intricate rock formations, grassy meadows and pine forests. |
Bitterroot | 11,393 ft. | W of Hamilton, SW of Missoula | Jagged pinnacles, rocky peaks, deep canyons and lush forest. |
Bridger | 9,666 ft. | N of Bozeman, NE of Livingston | Abrupt steep peaks above timberline and lakes |
Cabinet | 8,738 ft. | S of Libby | Craggy mountain peaks, lush forest slopes below timberline. A cedar forest. |
Crazy | 11,214 ft. | NW of Livingston/Big Timber | Rises up from plains. Peaks, serrated ridges; 23 peaks above 10,000 feet. |
Gallatin | 10,992 ft. | S of Bozeman, SW of Livingston | Waterfalls, lakes and creeks and forested with jagged, rocky peaks. |
Glacier National Park | 10,466 ft. | NE of Kalispell/Whitefish, W of Browning | Massive peaks lead to forested lower slopes, broken cliffs and walls sculpted by glaciers, and many lakes and streams. |
Gravelly | 10,000+ ft. | S of Virginia City, SW of Ennis, SE of Alder | From the floor of the Madison Valley, the Gravelly Range seems a less rugged and gentle range of mountains approximately 40 miles in length. A well-maintained road follows the ridgeline, winding in and out of flower-covered meadows and forest groves, emulating a Sound of Music look. Black Butte looms up at the south end of the range. |
Little Belt | 8,801 ft. | SE of Great Falls, E of Helena | Low ridge system with timbered and talus domes, lush forests, and high grassy meadows. |
Madison | 11,316 ft. | E of Ennis, SW of Bozeman, N of West Yellowstone | Precipitous mountain peaks and many lakes. Yellowstone National Park lies to the south. |
Mission | 9,820 ft. | N of Missoula, S of Kalispell and Polson, W of Seeley Lake | Abrupt rise from valley floor. Beautiful lakes on both east and west sides. |
Pryor | 8,786 ft. | E of Red Lodge, S of Billings, W of Hardin | Flat benches, high deserts, mesas, buttes and deep limestone canyons. Partially forested. |
Rocky Mountain Front | 9,392 ft. | E of Great Falls, Augusta, Choteau, Browning | Towering limestone walls, deep canyons, peaks rising up from plains, grassy meadows, buttes, rivers and creeks. |
Ruby | 9,000+ ft. | E of Dillon, SW of Alder | A small range of mountains approximately 15 miles long between Virginia City and Dillon. Highest peak is over 9,000 ft. The ownership is primarily Bureau of Land Management. |
Swan (south) | 9,356 ft. | S of Bigfork, N of Seeley Lake | Rugged mountain peaks stretch in unbroken line for 100 miles. |
Swan (north) | |||
Tobacco Root | 10,600 ft. | N of Virginia City, NW of Ennis, E of Twin Bridges | A dense concentration of peaks rise over 10,000 ft. Mt. Jefferson at 10,600 ft. is the highest. Has 40,000 acres of roadless area with numerous alpine lakes and old mining claims pocketed throughout. Best access is in the Meadow and Willow Creek drainages and the S. Boulder River. |
AREA | HIGHWAY | MOUNTAIN BACKDROP | ROLLING HILLS | OPEN COUNTRY | SWITCHBACKS | DIPS & CURVES | LAKES & RIVERS | OTHER |
Anaconda, Butte | Pintlar Scenic Route–State Hwy. 1 | X | X | X | Georgetown Lake | |||
Pioneer Mountain Scenic Byway–Forest Hwy. 73 | X | X | forest, meadows | |||||
Big Timber | U.S, Hwy. 191 (north) | X | X | X | X | Crazy Mountains | ||
Billings | U.S. Hwy. 87 (north) | X | X | X | badlands | |||
State Hwy. 3 (north) | X | X | X | no power lines | ||||
BIA Hwy. 91 (east) | X | X | X | badlands, no fences or power lines | ||||
Bozeman | U.S. Hwy. 191 (south) | X | X | X | forest | |||
Browning, East Glacier | Kiowa Highway–State Hwy. 49 | X | X | X | X | vast overlook into Glacier National Park | ||
Kiowa Highway-State Hwy. 49 (Snow) | ||||||||
Heart Butte Highway | X | X | X | X | X | no fences or power lines | ||
Chief Mountain Hwy.–State Hwy. 17 | X | X | rock formations / buttes | |||||
St. Mary–U.S. Hwy. 89 (north) | X | X | X | X | X | X | Glacier National Park | |
Butte | Pipestone Pass–State Hwy. 2 | X | X | rock formations | ||||
Choteau | U.S. Hwy. 89 (north) | X | X | X | X | Rocky Mountain Front | ||
U.S. Hwy. 87 (south) | X | X | X | X | Rocky Mountain Front | |||
Glacier National Park | Going To The Sun Hwy.–Logan Pass | X | X | X | engineering marvel | |||
Great Falls | Rogers Pass–U.S. Hwy. 200 | X | X | X | X | X | Lewis & Clark route | |
U.S. Hwy. 89 (south) | X | X | X | X | forest | |||
Hamilton | Lost Trail Pass–U.S. Hwy. 93 | X | X | ski area, forest | ||||
Helena | Flesher Pass–County Hwy. 279 | X | X | forest | ||||
I-15 (north) | X | X | X | X | X | interstate, canyons | ||
State Hwy. 141 (north) | X | X | X | X | Nevada Reservoir | |||
Kalispell, Whitefish | State Hwy. 35 (south) | X | X | X | Flathead Lake, forest | |||
State Hwy. 83 (south) | X | X | X | meadows, forest | ||||
U.S. Hwy. 93 (south) | X | X | X | Flathead Lake | ||||
Lewistown | U.S. Hwy. 191 (north) | X | X | X | no fences or power lines | |||
State Hwy.s 80 & 81 (west) | X | X | X |
PRISON | CITY/TOWN | PERMIT/TYPE |
Anaconda Jail | Anaconda | Yes / County |
Big Timber Jail & Police Station | Big Timber | Yes / County |
Deer Lodge Prison | Deer Lodge | Yes / State |
Nevada City Jail | Nevada City | Yes / State |
Old Butte Jail | Butte | Private Ownership |
Old Montana Prison | Deer Lodge | Yes / State |
Red Lodge Jail | Red Lodge | Yes / City |
Name | Tunnels | Trestles | Station, Yard | Miles of Track | Locomotive, Cars | Other |
Alder Gulch Short Line | No | No | 1.5 | Yes | connects Virginia City & Nevada City | |
BNSF | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2,140 | Yes | |
Butte, Anaconda & Pacific Railway | Yes | 26 | Yes | |||
Central Montana Rail | Yes | Yes | Yes | 94 | Yes | badlands, mountain backdrops |
Charlie Russell Chew Choo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | dining entertainment cars, plains, mountain backdrops | |
Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad | 57 | |||||
Global Rail Group | 30 | |||||
Mission Mountain Railroad | 42 | |||||
Montana Rail Link | Yes | Yes | Yes | 854 | Yes | mountain backdrops |
Port of Montana | 1.5 | |||||
Transco | 4 | |||||
Union Pacific | 125 | |||||
Virginia City Railroad Station | Yes |
Photos of the Virginia City / Nevada City Short Line Steam Engine, an original steam locomotive. With a 17,000-horsepower engine, the Short Line barrels down a mile-and-a-half track connecting two authentic Western towns.
RIVER | MOUNTAIN BACKDROP | RANCHING/PLAINS | WHITEWATER | CANYONS |
Beaverhead | X | X | ||
Big Hole | X | X | X | |
Bighorn | X | X | ||
Bitterroot | X | X | X | |
Blackfoot | X | Limited | X | |
Boulder | X | X | Limited | X |
Bull | X | X | ||
Clark Fork | X | X | X | |
Clarks Fork of Yellowstone | X | X | ||
Dearborn | X | X | X | |
East Rosebud | X | Limited | X | |
Flathead | X | X | X | X |
Gallatin | X | X | X | X |
Jefferson | X | X | X | |
Judith | X | X | ||
Kootenai | X | X | X | |
Madison | X | X | Limited | X |
Marias | X | X | ||
McDonald Creek | X | Limited | ||
Milk | X | |||
Missouri | X | X | Limited | X |
Musselshell | X | |||
Poplar | X | |||
Powder | X | |||
Rock Creek | X | X | ||
Ruby | X | X | ||
Smith | X | X | X | |
Stillwater | X | X | X | X |
Sun | X | X | X | |
Swan | X | X | ||
Teton | X | X | ||
Tongue | X | |||
Two Medicine | X | X | Limited | X |
Wise | X | X | ||
Yaak | X | Limited | X | |
Yellowstone | X | X | X | X |
RESORT | LOCATION | VERTICAL | AVERAGE | TELEPHONE |
DROP | SNOWFALL | |||
Bear Paw Ski Bowl | Havre | 900 feet | 140 inches | 406.395.4040 |
Big Sky Resort | Big Sky | 4,350 feet | 400 inches | 800.548.4486 |
Blacktail Mountain | Lakeside | 1,440 feet | 250 inches | 406.844.0999 |
Bridger Bowl | Bozeman | 2,600 feet | 350 inches | 406.587.2111 |
Discovery Ski Area | Anaconda | 1,670 feet | 210 inches | 406.563.2184 |
Great Divide | Marysville | 1,500 feet | 180 inches | 406.449.3746 |
Lookout Pass | Saltese | 1,150 feet | 400 inches | 208.744.1301 |
Lost Trail | Sula | 1,800 feet | 300 inches | 406.821.3211 |
Maverick Mountain | Dillon | 2,020 feet | 180 inches | 406.834.3454 |
Montana Snowbowl | Missoula | 2,600 feet | 300 inches | 406.549.9777 |
Moonlight Basin | Big Sky | 4,150 feet | 400 inches | 800.506.6650 |
Red Lodge Mountain | Red Lodge | 2,400 feet | 250 inches | 406.446.2610 |
Showdown Montana | Neihart | 1,400 feet | 240 inches | 406.236.5522 |
Teton Pass | Choteau | 1,010 feet | 300 inches | 406.466.2209 |
Turner Mountain | Libby | 2,110 feet | 250 inches | 406.293.2468 |
Whitefish Mountain Resort | Whitefish | 2,353 feet | 300 inches | 406.862.2900 |
CHARACTERISTIC | LOCATION | FEATURE |
Berkely Pit | Butte | open pit mine |
Black Hawk Modern Home | Livingston | unique house |
Choteau Museum | Choteau | Montana Historical Museum |
First Peoples Buffalo Jump | Ulm | buffalo jump |
Gatiss Gardens | Creston | preserved garden |
Glacier National Park | East Glacier | mountainous terrain |
Judith Gap Wind Farm | Judith Gap | wind turbines |
Lady of the Rockies | Butte | statue |
Makoshika State Park | Glendive | rock formations |
Medicine Rocks | Ekalaka | rock formations |
Model Train | Livingston | model train |
Montana Vortex & House of Mystery | Columbia Falls | unique houses |
National Bison Range | Moiese | antler tower |
Rock City | Valier | rock formations |
Sip-N-Dip Lounge | Great Falls | bar and pool with mermaids |
Sleeping Giant | Helena | rock formation |
Wahkpa Ghu’gn | Havre | buffalo jump |
Yellowstone National Park | Gardiner | geyser basin |
WATERFALL | LOCATION/AREA | TYPE | ACCESS |
Beartooth Falls | Red Lodge / Cooke City | cascade | drive to |
Cataract Falls | Augusta | cascade | drive to |
Crazy Creek Falls | Cooke City | cascade | drive to |
Crow Creek Falls | Helena | plunge | walk to, 2 1/4 mile path |
Double Falls | Great Falls / Augusta | cascade | drive to |
Holland Falls | Seeley Lake | plunge | walk to, 1 1/2 mile path |
Lost Creek Falls | Anaconda | cascade | walk to, 100 yard path |
Natural Bridge Falls | Big Timber | plunge | drive to |
Palisade Falls | Bozeman | plunge | walk to, 1/4 mile paved path |
Running Eagle Falls | East Glacier | cascade | walk to, 1/4 mile path |
Silver Staircase Falls | Essex / East Glacier | cascade | drive to |
Skalkaho Falls | Hamilton | cascade | drive to |
Swiftcurrent Falls | Many Glacier | cascade | drive to |
Yaak Falls | Libby | cascade | drive to |
SET | LOCATION/AREA | INTERIORS | OWNER |
Bannack | Dillon (25 miles west) | Limited | Montana State Parks |
Elkhorn | Helena (45 miles south) | Limited | Montana State Parks |
Garnet | Missoula (50 miles east) | Yes | Bureau of Land Management |
Granite | Philipsburg | Yes | Montana State Parks |
Grant Kohrs Ranch | Deer Lodge | No | National Park Service |
Gunslinger Gulch | Anaconda | Yes | Private |
Hell Roarin' Gulch | Butte | Yes | Private |
Marysville | Helena (25 miles northwest) | No | Private |
"Morning Star" Fort | Billings (10 miles north) | No | Private |
Nevada City | Ennis (15 miles to the west) | Yes | Montana Heritage Commission |
Old Montana Prison | Deer Lodge | Yes | Powell County |
Pioneer Town | Scobey | Yes | Daniels County |
Virginia City | Ennis (15 miles west) | Yes | Montana Heritage Commission |
Wapiti City | Missoula (50 miles northeast) | Yes | Private |
Wof-N-Bar | Kalispell (20 miles west) | Yes | Private |
Yellowstone Film Ranch | Livingston | Yes | Private |
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Montana Film Office • 301 South Park Ave Helena, MT 59620 • tel: 800.553.4563 • 406.841.2876 • fax: 406.841.2877 • montanafilm@mt.gov