Missoula

A riverside college town in western Montana. The Clark Fork River flows through it, and visitors can climb M Mountain, surf and float the river, and enjoy hot springs and national forests nearby.

Missoula is in western Montana. It is the state's second-largest city, with about 75,000 people, and is home to the University of Montana. The city sits in the basin left behind by ancient Glacial Lake Missoula. The Clark Fork River flows west through the city, and the Bitterroot River and Rattlesnake Creek join it nearby. Surrounded by Sentinel Mountain, Mount Jumbo and national forests, it is often called the 'garden city where rivers meet.'

The climate is semi-arid continental. Summers (June to September) are about 28-32°C during the day and cool in the mornings and evenings. This is the best time for river floating, fly fishing, hiking and browsing the markets, though wildfire smoke sometimes appears in July and August. Autumn brings golden leaves and fewer tourists. Winters are cold and snowy, with skiing at Snowbowl and soaking in Lolo Hot Springs.

Sightseeing falls into three areas. First, downtown and the riverfront: the old town along Higgins Avenue, the carousel at Caras Park, Brennan's Wave and the Saturday Market can all be reached on foot. Second, the outdoors on the edge of town: climb M Mountain or Mount Jumbo, or hike and bike in the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area. Third, day trips: about 1 hour north to the St. Ignatius Mission and the National Bison Range, east to the ghost town of Garnet, and south to Travelers' Rest and Lolo Hot Springs.

Getting there: Missoula Montana Airport has nonstop flights to Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and other cities. It is about 10 km from downtown. Interstate 90 crosses the city, about 3 hours' drive from Glacier National Park and about 5 hours from Yellowstone, so Missoula is often used as a stop between the two parks. The free Mountain Line bus serves the city, but you need a car for outlying sights. Plan 2-3 days.

Notes: carry bear spray on wilderness hikes. In summer, watch air quality and road closures during the fire season. In winter, mountain roads require snow tires.

Top sights

• Mount Sentinel M Trail – A zigzag trail up Mount Sentinel behind the University of Montana. Climb to the giant white letter M for views over Missoula and the Clark…
• Caras Park & Riverfront Trail – A public square on the Clark Fork riverbank in the city center. The hand-carved carousel, the Dragon Hollow playground and the riverfront t…
• Brennan's Wave – A man-made river wave on the Clark Fork River beside Caras Park, where in summer you can watch kayakers and river surfers tumbling through…
• Downtown Missoula – A century-old district of brick buildings along Higgins Avenue, with independent bookstores, craft breweries, cafés and an old theater, ide…
• Missoula Farmers Market & Clark Fork Market – Farmers' and riverside markets held on Saturday mornings in summer in the city center, with local cherries, honey, handicrafts and breakfas…
• University of Montana – A campus at the foot of Sentinel Mountain, with an oval lawn, a clock tower and the free Montana Museum of Art & Culture, and the starting…
• Missoula Art Museum – A free contemporary art museum in the city center, with a collection focused on contemporary art of Montana and the American West and on wo…
• Smokejumper Visitor Center – The largest aerial firefighting base of the U.S. Forest Service, where guided tours take you through the smokejumpers' equipment room, para…
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Elk Country Visitor Center – A free exhibition hall at the headquarters of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, displaying record-sized giant elk antlers and wildlife spe…
• Historical Museum at Fort Missoula – The site of an army fort founded in 1877, with an open-air display of an old railway station, a forestry sawmill and the history of a World…
• Rattlesnake National Recreation Area – A national recreation area on the northern edge of the city that leads straight into wilderness, with creekside trails for hiking and mount…
• Mount Jumbo – A hill east of the city shaped like a crouching elephant; its south slope trail climbs toward the white 'L,' offering sunset and city views…
• Montana Snowbowl – An old local ski area about 20 km northwest of the city, with a vertical drop of about 780 metres and many steep runs; skiing in winter, cy…
• Travelers' Rest State Park – The campsite where the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped twice in 1805–1806, and the only camp along their route confirmed by archaeology.
• Lolo Hot Springs – A natural hot spring resort beside U.S. Route 12, which follows the Lewis and Clark trail over the mountains, with outdoor hot pools and in…
• Garnet Ghost Town – The best-preserved late-19th-century gold rush ghost town in the Garnet mountains, with more than thirty wooden buildings, saloons and hote…
• St. Ignatius Mission – An 1891 red-brick church on the Flathead Indian Reservation, whose 58 interior murals were painted by a Jesuit brother, set against the Mis…
• CSKT Bison Range – A bison refuge established in 1908, where you can drive the Red Sleep Mountain loop to see three to four hundred bison up close, along with…

Where to eat

• Biga Pizza – One of Missoula's most highly regarded pizzerias, known for its biga-fermented dough and seasonal pizzas baked in a bri…
• Notorious Pig BBQ – Missoula's most popular barbecue joint, smoking meats from before dawn every day and closing once the brisket sells out.
• Taco Sano – A low-cost Mexican eatery in an alley off the Hip Strip, where tacos, burritos and homemade salsa are popular with stud…
• Big Dipper Ice Cream – A handmade ice cream favorite in Missoula, where huckleberry, Montana's signature flavor, draws long lines on summer ev…