Top 10 Camping Hidden Gems in Montana

Camping Gems - Montana Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Between May 1804 and September 1806, 32 men, one woman, and a baby traveled from the plains of the Midwest to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They called themselves the Corps of Discovery.  You can follow their trail across Montana -- start at the Three Forks visitor's center. Red Lodge Mountain With over 30 ski runs and plenty of cross country ski trials, Red Lodge is a great place to enjoy winter sports -- or summertime golfing, hiking, and mountain biking. If you enjoy quaint towns, antiques and western shops, you'll want to drive through Red Lodge. Townsfolk have transformed this small mining community into a full resort and shopping experience. Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument This area memorializes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their way of life.  Here in 1876, 263 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer, met death at the hands of several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. (near Crow Agency, 406-638-2621) Beartooth Nature Center The Beartooth Nature Center is a nonprofit, educational center with over 100 native wild animals that cannot be returned to the wild. This is the only facility of its kind in the state. Set in Red Lodge, the center has nature trails, a gift shop, educational presentations, and animals that you can sponsor. Hardin Here they will entertain you with the Jailhouse Gallery and Big Horn County Historical Museum and Visitors Center, which covers 24 acres and includes 14 permanent buildings highlighting this area's past. On the grounds you'll also find neat stores, a picnic area, and a 1880 stagecoach. Local folks also pride themselves on throwing two out standing annual events, Little Big Horn Days and Custer's Last Stand Re-Enactment, both held the weekend closest to June 25th. Helena National Forest For an afternoon of hiking, fishing, or just plain resting under the trees, head to the gorgeous Helena National Forest. You'll find superb fishing and boating on Lake Helena, Canyon Ferry Lake, at the Spring Meadow State Recreation Area, on the Little Blackfoot River, and on the Smith River, which is known for its 60 mile 3-4 day float trips. Aerial Fire Depot and Smokejumper Center, Missoula Smokejumpers are highly trained specialists who parachute into remote areas of national forests to fight the spread of wildfires.  At this first smokejumper training center in America, you'll get a great tour, get to visit a reconstructed lookout tower, and watch videos about smokejumping. (Box 6 Airport Terminal, 406-329-4900 Last Chance Community Pow-Wow, Helena September's Native American Week wraps up with this dramatic, exciting pow-wow event in Helena. The pow wow is a spiritual celebration in which people join together for dancing, singing, visiting old friends, and making new friends. (406-439-5631) Big Sky Back Country Byway Head for some wide-open spaces on this scenic byway that loops through northeastern Montana.  You'll find true big sky country here with buttes, badlands, and waving prairie grasslands. The Byway has information kiosks in Terry, Circle, and Wolf Point, where you can get maps and more information. Annual Brewfest, Gardiner    Sample incredible Montana-brewed beer at Gardiner's annual event.  Brewfest features locally-made beer, burgers, brats, bartenders Olympics, and plenty of other fun events.  Montana is home to over a dozen microbreweries.  (406-848-7971)