Great Falls to Galcier NP

[Milepost61]

I'll be making the drive from Great Falls to Glacier Natl Park in a few weeks (first time in Montana!). Anything particularly noteworthy or worth checking out road-wise along the route or in Great Falls?

[xonhulu]

Besides the northern end of US 287 in Choteau, I can't think of any noteworthy highway sights.  You should give US 2 around the park a drive, as it's pretty interesting.  I avoided it for years and finally took it my last visit a few years back.

There's the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning.  I've never been in there personally, but I've heard good things.

Basically, most of the things to see along there are in Glacier NP itself.  Give yourself enough time to explore all the locations, hike a few trails, take one of the boat tours, and just generally enjoy a really spectacular park.

[J N Winkler]

Enjoy it--US 89 passes through buffalo-jump country before it reaches the mountains around Glacier NP, so the views are good.  The stretch between Bynum and Dupuyer is kind of twisty though.

Edit:  Don't miss the US 2 shield with Montana custom font near Browning:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Browning,+MT&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Browning,+Glacier,+Montana&ll=48.528684,-112.961426&spn=0.014295,0.038581&t=m&z=15&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=48.528497,-112.960983&panoid=0ua-jPRxRZBGMywNbgtDag&cbp=12,339,,0,18.16

[agentsteel53]

Don't miss the US 2 shield with Montana custom font near Browning:

I believe there is one in Malta as well.

the real question is, where is the California-style cutout which I saw a ~2005 photo of on the internet and I cannot for the life of me find (photo or sign).

[Milepost61]

Besides the northern end of US 287 in Choteau, I can't think of any noteworthy highway sights.  You should give US 2 around the park a drive, as it's pretty interesting.  I avoided it for years and finally took it my last visit a few years back.

There's the Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning.  I've never been in there personally, but I've heard good things.

Basically, most of the things to see along there are in Glacier NP itself.  Give yourself enough time to explore all the locations, hike a few trails, take one of the boat tours, and just generally enjoy a really spectacular park.

Thanks! I'll be heading west via Going-to-the-Sun Road and planned on coming back east on US 2 so good to know it'll be a good drive.

[mp_quadrillion]

I'll be making the drive from Great Falls to Glacier Natl Park in a few weeks (first time in Montana!). Anything particularly noteworthy or worth checking out road-wise along the route or in Great Falls?

Just south of Great Falls, First People's Buffalo Jump State Park is a quick side trip. Expansive views and a peaceful location. http://lewisandclarktrail.com/section3/montanacities/greatfalls/ulmpishkun/

In Great Falls, River Drive has good views, too, of the sites of the falls the city was named for. Even dammed I thought it was pretty. Also, there's a big historic, long-bypassed Milwaukee Road railroad station there. Shelby, Mont. is a railroad town with lots of BNSF traffic.

If your accommodations haven't already been arranged.. now's the time! My experience there was that the short tourist season drives prices up. And construction / extraction workers fill the few hotels fast, too. At least it was still warm enough to sleep in the car! (I've heard you can pay to sleep in a tipi in Browning, but haven't done it.)