Montana In The Rear View Mirror

It was our plan to spend the summer in Montana to see what “Life on the Open Range” was all about. After two months of traveling north, south, east and west within the state, we only scratched the surface of what Montana had to offer.

Setting up at Indian Creek Campground in Deer Lodge for most of our stay, we opted to make this our hub. With no schedule or agenda, we set out daily to explore and conquer.

One of our first stops was to tour the historic “Grant-Kohrs Ranch” right in Deer Lodge. A working ranch operated by the National Park Service and supported by a host of volunteers, this was an opportunity to take a step back in time to see a cowboy’s life around 1850. Hard work and long hours was no deterrent for those who romanticized about this simple, peaceful way of life.  Unfortunately, it takes much more than a good work ethic today to have a taste of the good life, with Montana ranches listing in the tens of millions of dollars!

The Tri-County Fair, a celebration showcasing Rural America Montana style, included the annual “Running of the Horses” down Main Street, Deer Lodge. The spectacle was a crowd favorite and the perfect lead-in to the fair’s rodeo.

Venturing out from camp and the local happenings, we visited Helena (the state capital), Phillipsburg and Anaconda (old mining communities), and several state parks. Toting our trusty bear repellent most everywhere we traveled, we remained ever vigilant for our four-legged friends. Wouldn’t you know, the day we did see our first grizzly, we didn’t have it! As for other wildlife, we saw antelope and herds of bison and elk, all from a safe distance of course. 😊

But the real fun here in Montana started when we packed up our fishing poles and tackle box and dipped a line in Holter and Georgetown Lakes, the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and a few other remote hotspots. Catching rainbow trout and brookies was a ton of fun and a great way to close out this chapter of “Camping Across America with the Krogs.