Page 18 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

Great Falls
Location: Hwy I-15, which connects with I-90
and 1-94. Highways 87 and 89 also pass through
Great Falls; 143 miles to Glacier National Park;
273 miles to Yellowstone National Park; 240
miles to Billings; 327 miles to Calgary, Alberta.
Population: 59,350.Visitor Information Center: 15
Overlook Drive; Website: genuinemontana.com

Great Falls is built along the Missouri River, where
a drop of over 500 feet resulted in a series of rapids and
five breathtaking waterfalls. Lewis and Clark were the
first known white explorers to catch sight of the “great
falls” of the Missouri River; the party could hear the
roar of the falls from more than seven miles away.
Blackfeet Tribe The C.M. Russell Museum Complex houses the
photo by: work of Charles M. Russell, the legendary cowboy
Jonny Crow artist who lived in Great Falls, as well as his original
log cabin studio and home. His artwork and illustrated
letters reveal intimate and humorous first-hand accounts
days of contest dancing, games, a number of sports Choteau of early Montana life. Every March Great Falls becomes
events and socializing. Comprising one of the largest Location: On Hwy 89 about 20 miles east of the the “Western Art Capitol of the World” during the C.M.
gatherings of United States and Canadian tribes, the Russell Art Auction.
celebration is an unforgettable experience. Rockies in the Rocky Mountain Front region. Relive one of the most exciting chapters in our
Located at the junction of Highways 2 and Choteau also has a small airport and is on the nation’s history at the Lewis and Clark National Historic
89, the Museum of the Plains Indian exhibits the Burlington Northern Railroad line. Population: Trail Interpretive Center overlooking the majestic
creative achievements of Native American artists and 1800; Teton County: 6400. Visitor Information: Missouri River, with hands-on exhibits, displays,
Choteau Chamber of Commerce Office; Phone:
craftspeople, with a permanent display presenting the interactive presentations and knowledgeable guides.
rich diversity of historic arts of the tribal peoples of (800) 823-3866. Ulm Pishkun State Park protects the sites of the
the Northern Plains. One of the exhibit highlights is Dramatically situated on the Eastern Front of most heavily and longest used buffalo jumps in the
the display of traditional costumes of the Northern country. The Visitor Interpretive Center tells the story
Plains people, presented in complete detail on life-size the Rockies, Choteau is surrounded by outstanding of the importance of the buffalo to peoples of long ago
outdoor recreational opportunities in the Lewis
figures. Other displays are devoted to numerous art with magnificent murals. The history and culture of the
forms related to the social and ceremonial aspects of and Clark National Forest and the Bob Marshall Northern Plains and its people also come alive in the
the tribal cultures of the region. Two special exhibition Wilderness. The town has a well preserved western museum at the High Plains Heritage Center. Great Falls
flavor and an active fine arts community. Downtown
galleries are devoted to changing presentations is an exciting community with a variety of four season
promoting the creative works of outstanding talented shopping includes gift stores, clothing boutiques recreational opportunities. Enjoy some of the best fly
and art galleries. Visitors will enjoy the Old Trail
contemporary Native Americans. fishing in North America. Water ski, reenact an historic
The Blackfeet Heritage Center and Art Gallery is Museum, specializing in the preservation of dinosaur canoe trip or go white-water rafting or kayaking. There
located across the street from the Museum of the Plains fossils. There are several taverns and restaurants are five challenging and scenic golf courses. A paved
offering western hospitality at its finest.
Indian on Highway 2 in the former studio of prolific trail follows over 13 miles of the Missouri River, for
Experienced outfitters are available to provide
Browning sculptor Bob Scriver. The Center is also comfortable summer horse pack trips into the scenic biking, roller blading and walking.
the permanent home of a world-class dinosaur fossil.
An “absolutely exquisite specimen” discovered on the beautiful Bob Marshall and surrounding areas, as Shelby
reservation in 1995, the 74-million-year-old baby T. well as winter hunts in some of the finest big game
wilderness areas in the country.
rex fossil is the smallest ever found. Location: At the junction of Highway 2
and I-15 in northcentral Montana; 36 miles
south of the Canadian border. Population:
3500. Visitor Information: Shelby Area
Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center,
100 Montana Avenue, PO Box 865 Shelby,
Montana 59474; Phone: (406) 434-7184;
Email:
shelbycoc@3rivers.net; Website:
www.shelbymtchamber.org.
When the Great Northern Railroad was being
built toward Marias Pass in 1891, the crew plunked
down a boxcar and called it a train station. General
manager of the Montana-Central Railroad, Peter
Shelby is believed to have commented that the site
would never amount to much. He was wrong, as
Shelby has grown into a significant distribution trade
center for 50 miles in every direction.
By 1913 homesteaders flooded into the area,
but fell on drought-driven hard times and a few
years later left in droves. When geologist Gordon
Campbell discovered a massive oil field in 1921,
new life returned to Shelby.
Visit the Marias Museum of History and Art for
a look at area history, homesteading and dinosaur
finds, and the Toole County Library to view an
excellent Native artifact collection. Shelby is
remembered for promoting and hosting the Jack
Dempsey-Tommy Gibbons World Heavyweight
Championship prizefight held there on July 4, 1923.
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