Stay Montana Rentals, Vacation Rentals in Montana

Montana is a Rocky Mountain state bordered by Canada to the north, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and Idaho to the west and south. It is the largest Rocky Mountain state and the fourth largest state in the country; only Alaska, Texas, and California are bigger. However, Montana is the third least densely populated state in the country; only Wyoming and Alaska have fewer residents per square mile. Montana's land runs from the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide in the western part of the state to rolling plains in the eastern part of the state. Two-thirds of Montana is in the Great Plains. The state's beautiful landscape includes forests, prairies, highlands, and valleys. Montana's name comes from the Latin or Spanish word for mountainous. The state is sometimes called "The Big Sky Country." Billings is Montana's largest city and Great Falls is the state's second largest city.

Montana Lifestyles are traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. When the landscapes that our parents enjoyed to use are no longer open to that same type of use, the connection between the tradition and the land is broken and that lifestyle cannot be passed on or sustained. When a stream is closed to fishing or a road that led into a favorite hunting area is gated or ripped out, there is no way to introduce our children to the special experiences that we knew there and no way to refresh the imagery of those times in our minds. Montanans not only enjoy their rich natural heritage, they make their living from it. We call Montana "The Treasure State". The land is our treasure and we have taken good care of it just as the land has taken good care of us. At least it used to. But now our ridge tops are sprouting second homes for wealthy tourists attracted to what the promoters call "Big Sky Country". They don't like to see logging trucks and cows along the highways or lumber mills, grain silos and mines in their view sheds. Most of these ranchers, loggers and miners learned their trade from their fathers who also instilled a love for the work and the land while they taught the secrets of their craft. They passed on a Montana Lifestyle.

The Continental Divide separates the state into two distinct climatic regions: the west generally has a milder climate than the east, where winters can be especially harsh. Montana's maximum daytime temperature averages –2°C in January and 29°C in July. Great Falls has a normal daily mean temperature of 7°C, ranging from –6°C in January to 21°C in July. The all-time low temperature in the state, –57°C, registered at Rogers Pass on 20 January 1954, is the lowest ever recorded in the conterminous US; the all-time high, 47°C, was set at Medicine Lake on 5 July 1937. During the winter, Chinook winds from the eastern Rocky Mountains can bring rapid temperature increases of 40–50°F within a few minutes. Great Falls received an average annual precipitation (1971–2000) of 14.9 inches, but much of north-central Montana is arid. About 58.5 inches of snow descends on Great Falls each year.

Billings: Billings is Montana's largest city with an estimated population (as of 2006) of a little more than 100,000.

West Yellowstone: West Yellowstone is a small western town nestled in the spectacular Rocky Mountains. It is known as the western gateway to Yellowstone National Park.

Bozeman: Bozeman, Montana is home to Montana State University and the Bobcats. There are excellent shopping and recreational activities, as well as educational opportunities.

Big Sky: Located high in the Northern Rockies, Big Sky has something to offer everyone: magnificent mountains for skiing and hiking, streams and rivers full of trout, great dining.

Great Falls: Great Falls is a community of more than 55,000 people located near the geographical center of Montana. It is surrounded by the Little Belt Mountains to the east.

Helena: Helena is the capital city of Montana, and, along with its surrounding areas, the population reaches almost 70,000. Lewis and Clark crossed the Helena valley about 200 years ago.

Kalispell: Kalispell is located at the northwestern tip of Montana. It is 7 miles northwest of Flathead Lake, 31 miles Southwest of Glacier National Park.

Gardiner: Gardiner is a town in Park County, Montana. The population was 851 at the 2000 census. Gardiner was officially founded in 1880 by Johnson Gardiner, a trapper.

Big Timber: Big Timber got its name in 1806 from a railroad official who read the journals of William Clark.

Tourists visit Montana to experience the American frontier. See the state's mountains, battlefields (like Custer Battlefield National Monument in the Valley of the Little Big Horn), and old gold camps. Tourists can experience a spectacular view of mountains, lakes, and about 50 glaciers in Glacier National Park. The park has mountains that are so steep and remote that no one has ever climbed them. If you're in the park in late October, you can see a gathering of bald eagles feasting on the salmon in lower McDonald Creek.

Railroads have been an important method of transportation in Montana since the 1880s. Historically, the state was traversed by the main lines of three east-west transcontinental routes: the Milwaukee Road, the Great Northern, and the Northern Pacific. Today, the BNSF Railway is the state's largest railroad, its main transcontinental route incorporating the former Great Northern main line across the state. Montana RailLink, a privately-held Class II railroad, operates former Northern Pacific trackage in western Montana. In addition, Amtrak's Empire Builder train runs through the north of the state, stopping in the following towns: Libby, Whitefish, West Glacier, Essex, East Glacier Park, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, Malta, Glasgow, and Wolf Point.

Billings Logan International Airport is the largest and busiest airport within a four state region both in passenger boardings and air cargo. Montana's other major Airports include Gallatin Field Airport, Missoula International Airport, Great Falls International Airport, Glacier Park International Airport, Helena Regional Airport, Bert Mooney Airport and Yellowstone Airport. Eight smaller communities have airports designated for commercial service under the Essential Air Service program.

Historically, the primary east-west highway route across Montana was United States Route 10, which connected the major cities in the southern half of the state. Still the state's most important east-west travel corridor, the route is today served by Interstate 90 and Interstate 94. United States Routes 2 and 12 and Montana Highway 200 also traverse the entire state from east to west. Montana's only north-south Interstate Highway is Interstate 15. Other major north-south highways include United States Routes 87, 89, 93 and 191. Interstate 25 terminates into I-90 just south of the Montana border in Wyoming. Montana and South Dakota are the only states to share a land border which is not traversed by a paved road.