Page 33 - HC Vacation Guide 2022

get there, drive west on U.S. Highway 12 and turn north at the Fort Harrison sign. Once you pass
the fort, cross the railroad tracks and you’ll be on Birdseye Road. Follow it to the sign for Austin and turn left onto the gravel road. After crossing the divide, the road rejoins U.S. Highway 12 at the western foot of MacDonald Pass. Four-wheel drive is recommended.
DEER LODGE
What: 1 hour outside of Helena tour the Old Montana State Prison, visit the Grant-Kohrs Ranch, and discover Montana history in Deer Lodge. To get there: Take US- Hwy 12 W towards Missoula for about .44 miles, then turn left onto US Hwy 10 S (US Highway 10 S is 0.3 miles past Eder Ln. If you are on US Highway 12 E and reach Garrison Junction Rd you’ve gone about 0.1 miles too far) Then Stay straight to go onto I-90 E and take the I-90 Bus exit, EXIT 184 toward Deer Lodge.
FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS
What: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is known throughout the Northwest for its pools. There are two oversized olympic swimming pools and two mineral soaking pools. To get there: Take US Hwy 12 W towards Missoula then merge onto I-90 E for 35 miles, then take exit 211 towards S 441. More info: (406) 797-3241 or fairmontmontana.com
FIRST PEOPLES BUFFALO JUMP
What: For more than 1,000 years, American Indians of the Great Plains hunted bison by herding them over cliffs. Ulm Pishkun is one of the largest buffalo jumps in the world and was used from 900 to 1500 AD. To get there: Take Interstate 15 north 70 miles to just 9 miles before Great Falls. Turn off at Ulm and follow the signs for four miles. When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from April 1 to Sept. 30. More info: (406) 866-2217
JEFFERSON COUNTY MUSEUM
What: Museum housed in the 1898 Clancy Schoolhouse exhibits mining, ranching and railroading exhibits. To get there: Located in Clancy, just off of Interstate 15, 10 minutes south.
LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERNS
What: Take a two-hour tour of one of the Northwest’s premier limestone caverns – also, Montana’s first state park. The temperature in the caverns is cool, so bring a jacket. To get there: Located about 65 miles south of Helena in Jefferson County, the caverns are three miles off Highway 2 , just east of Whitehall. When: May 1-Sept. 30. More info: (406) 287-3541
LINCOLN
What: Music, rodeo, Sculptures in the Wild and art are just a few of the activities waiting for visitors to the picturesque town of Lincoln, located about 60 miles northwest of Helena. To get there: Take Interstate 15 to the Lincoln Road exit, follow Lincoln Road west for about 40 miles until you reach Highway 200, and turn left. More info: (406) 362- 4949 or lincolnmontana.com
PHILIPSBURG
What: This historic mining town is located about an hour from Helena. Attractions include the Granite County Museum and Cultural Center, the Sapphire Gallery (where visitors can wash gravel for sapphires),
SCULPTURES IN THE WILD, LINCOLN
MARYSVILLE
ghost towns and more. Where: Take U.S. Highway 12
west over the Continental Divide to its intersection with Interstate 90 at Garrison. Take I-90 west to Drummond, then head south on Highway 1 about 26 miles to Philipsburg. More info: (406) 859-3388 or philipsburgmt.com
TIZER BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ARBORETUM What: This six-acre garden is Montana’s only botanical gardens and arboretum. It includes thousands of plants that thrive in Montana’s harsh climate. The gardens feature more than 100 varieties of roses and more than 200 varieties of conifers from all over the world. To get there: Head south on Interstate 15, take the Jefferson City exit and follow the signs. 38 Tizer Lake Rd. More info: (406) 933-8789 or (866) 933-8789
or tizergardens.com
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS
What: Named after the white deposits left by the hot water that bubbles up in what is now the city’s public park, White Sulphur Springs offers golf, fishing, boating, mineral baths, and more. To get there: take U.S. Highway 12/287 east
32 miles to Townsend. Continue on U.S. Highway 12 from Townsend for 42 miles.
WOLF CREEK/CRAIG
What: About a half hour north of Helena, the villages of Wolf Creek and Craig straddle the Missouri River and boast some of the best trout fishing in the world.To get there: Take Interstate 15 north of Helena past the high plains Sieben Ranch before traveling through the scenic Wolf Creek Canyon.
OLD MONTANA STATE PRISON, DEER LODGE
GHOST TOWN, RIMINI
GO TO HELENAMT.COM FOR DETAILS
THE SWEET PALACE, PHILIPSBURG
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