Get away on a budget to Southwest Montana
In these lean economic times, trips to our National Parks are on the rise for their affordability and beauty. Southwest Montana’s proximity to both Yellowstone and Glacier National Park offers park visitors authentic Montana experiences to complement the glaciers and geysers. What’s more, some of the finest amenities in the Northern Rockies can be had at wallet-friendly prices.
The campgrounds on the eastern shores of picturesque Holter Lake and the stunning Gates of the Mountains are excellent out-of-the-way finds. The fishing, canoeing and hiking options in the area abound, and a day trip to Montana’s nearby capital city of Helena offers a convenient immersion in Treasure State culture. Sprawling mansions grace the hills of Helena, where ghost stories about their former inhabitants endure. Many of the area’s buildings and structures from the boom-times of gold mining are still intact; tours of Reeder’s Alley and Last Chance Gulch provide a window into the tough lives of miners and their families. A tour of Montana’s stunning neoclassical-style capitol building, fully restored to its 1902 appearance, shouldn’t be missed as well.
Further south, on the banks of the famed Madison River, lies the mountain burg of Ennis in the shadows of the towering Madison Range. The El Western’s vintage and economical log cabins and lodges can hold the smallest or largest of groups, all the while harkening to memories of childhood vacations. The El Western offers world-class fly fishing right out its doors, and the geysers of Yellowstone National Park are only a few short miles away. http://www.elwestern.com/
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Southwest Montana, formerly known as Gold West Country, is a large swath of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and hearty communities smack dab in between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Southwest Montana offers a sampling of all of Montana’s lightly-tread amenities, including mega-mountains, lunker trout, budding melting pots for art and culture in Butte and Helena, remote yet luxurious escapes, and a slice of the Wild West through the numerous and well-preserved ghost towns in its mineral-rich hills. http://goldwest.visitmt.com
Tags: Budget travel, El Western, Ennis, Gates of the Mountains, Glacier National Park, Helena, Holter Lake, Yellowstone National Park