Fall trip to Montana

[mammynun]

I have just booked my wife and I a trip to Bozeman, MT. As well as being an opportunity to take my Ruger Alaskan and Marlin Guide Gun on vacation we plan to ride a UTV and (maybe) horses around in the mountains, do a little white water rafting, see some of Yellowstone/Tetons and... this is where INGO comes in.

We have 4 full days and about a 1/2 day on arrival. We'll have some sort of SUV/jeep-like rental car, so we're mobile. I don't think we'll mind driving an hour+ to the NW, W, or S since a map recon indicates much cool terrain. Who's been there, and what was fun for couples? We both like to shoot, but hunting isn't an option... fishing earned me 'the look' when I brought it up. We both hope that there won't be any snow (or mosquitoes) in early Sept.

I'm open to suggestions!

 

[mkgr22]

I can't say enough about Yellowstone, if you've never been there. The crowds will be thinner in September.

 

[spec4]

Little Big Horn.

 

[SEIndSAM]

Missoula, Montana....Guess I'm worried, nicer.....5-17-2017

Be a hospital, St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center .......

 

[avboiler11]

I would *highly* recommend Glacier National Park (and a stop at Big Sky Brewery in Missoula to get some Moose Drool) but if you are going into Bozeman, Yellowstone is definitely going to be a better use of your time.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

Just got back from 10 days in Bozeman visting my best friend who lives there..... YellowStone and Glacier are both great but opposite directions from Bozeman. Headwaters state park in Three Forks is awesome also, Pipestone OHV area in Whitehall is outstanding is you want to trail ride (take the rented jeep with insurance?) and pretty much any place you find yourself is gorgeous. The food sucks ass most everywhere, don't bother even trying pizza anywhere. Stick to chain restaurants or basic stuff like burgers. Several town gun ranges have much longer distance than we typically find here, so bring your best rifle. Word to the wise, bear and wolf populations are up much higher than normal this year so be cautious when out in the wilderness.

 

[den57]

https://www.bozemannet.com/summer_recreation/

 

[ChrisK1977]

I will be going one state over in Sept.

 

[amboy49]

Little Big Horn.

I wouldn't go out of my way to travel to see Little Big Horn. If you happen to be driving past it's a someplace you could spend 10 minutes and be able to say you've been there. However, I was disappointed. Basically it's a small monument that was placed out in the middle of a big section of real estate just off the highway. You can see it from the road. Quite frankly, there was more to see at the indian (native) casino down the road. YMMV

I would second Yellowstone if you can take the time to get there. Throw in a fly rod if you have one. There are multiple places to fish - most of them famous to fly fishermen. Think Fire Hole, etc. We would have fished more areas when I was there but a planned short walk was curtailed when we saw a sign that read "Grizzly kill site - no trespassing."

 

[two70]

I have just booked my wife and I a trip to Bozeman, MT. As well as being an opportunity to take my Ruger Alaskan and Marlin Guide Gun on vacation we plan to ride a UTV and (maybe) horses around in the mountains, do a little white water rafting, see some of Yellowstone/Tetons and... this is where INGO comes in.

We have 4 full days and about a 1/2 day on arrival. We'll have some sort of SUV/jeep-like rental car, so we're mobile. I don't think we'll mind driving an hour+ to the NW, W, or S since a map recon indicates much cool terrain. Who's been there, and what was fun for couples? We both like to shoot, but hunting isn't an option... fishing earned me 'the look' when I brought it up. We both hope that there won't be any snow (or mosquitoes) in early Sept.

I'm open to suggestions!

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody would be a bit of a haul from Bozeman, MT but doable and worth it, especially the National Firearms Museum.

I can't say enough about Yellowstone, if you've never been there. The crowds will be thinner in September.

Maybe in late September but I wouldn't count on it in early September. My wife and I went last September and most of the week was spent trying to avoid the numerous tour buses full of large hordes of Asian tourists. The areas around the thermal features were especially bad, to the point that if you didn't make it to the more popular stops by 10 AM the parking lots were full and people were parking along the road for some distance before and after the entrance to the lots.

 

[JettaKnight]

Go see the once tallest chimney in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaconda_Smelter_Stack

 

[Tactically Fat]

Keep in mind that "fall" starts considerably earlier out there than it does here.

Early Sept should definitely have you out of the snow (unless at elevation) - though it HAS snowed in Bozeman in Sept - it's just not normal.

I'd poke through Weather Underground for historical weather during the week you'll be there. That should help you pack.