29 Hidden Gems Between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks
If you’re making the classic Montana road trip between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone, it’s worth lingering longer to enjoy the other hidden gems along the Rocky Mountain Front!
I’ve been through this area dozens of times (and lived in Great Falls for a year) so it’s always a great joy to go back and find new spots to explore.
The route between the national parks follows Highway 89 out of Glacier’s east side, and then I-15 south through Great Falls toward Helena.
It’s loaded with quiet, overlooked stops which are far less crowded than the parks themselves.
Here are 30 hidden gems along (or just off) that corridor, roughly north to south.
Highway 89: Glacier’s East Side
Swift Dam & Reservoir
Swift Dam is an hour south of Glacier’s east entrance, near Dupuyer.
I think this remote reservoir along the Rocky Mountain Front is one of the best “Glacier alternatives” in Montana.
You’ll get dramatic mountain views, with no permits required.
Plus, you’re likely to be among just a handful of people visiting!
A 7.5-mile loop circles the reservoir.
Expect summer wildflowers and a good chance of spotting bighorn sheep, elk, or deer.
For anglers, you can cast from shore or paddle out by canoe for rainbow and cutthroat trout. A Montana State fishing license covers most of the lake. Cross onto Blackfeet land, and you’ll need a tribal permit too.
Buffalo Joe’s Eatery & Saloon, Dupuyer
As its name implies, Buffalo Joe’s is an Old West saloon, serving big steaks, burgers, and local beer.
Dupuyer’s previous bar burned down in 2013. Look for the rotating drill above the bar – a relic salvaged from that fire.
Dupuyer Cache
Next door to Buffalo Joe’s, you’ll find a gift shop stocked with Montana-made crafts, wool yarn, photography, and western art.
It’s a great place to get authentic souvenirs and gifts.
Teton Pass Ski Area, Choteau
This has to be the most unique ski hill I’ve been to! Teton Pass is a bit of a drive, but worth it in the winter or summer.
Teton Pass is a community-run, off-the-grid ski hill, operating under a Forest Service special-use permit.
A local guy purchased it a few years ago (saving and reviving it after a multi-year closure). He’s a one-man band, plowing the roads and fixing the lifts himself!
It’s the kind of small, locally-loved operation you won’t find in a national park brochure.
The Montana Dinosaur Center, Bynum
Roughly halfway between Great Falls and Glacier’s east entrance, you’ll find the Montana Dinosaur Center.
▶️ Click for Video: Visiting the MT Dinosaur Center
This nonprofit research institute puts you in the room with working paleontologists prepping real fossils from the Two Medicine Formation.
The star attraction at the working museum is: Seismo, a 137-foot Seismosaurus model so long it doesn’t fully fit inside.
Trex Agate Shop, Bynum
The Trex Agate Shop is a 90-year-old fossil and gem shop across the parking lot from the Dinosaur Center.
is run by descendants of the family that discovered North America’s first baby dinosaur bones nearby at Egg Mountain.
Devils Glen, Near Augusta
A 6-mile out-and-back through striking rock formations and towering cliffs, starting at the Dearborn Trailhead.
A visit will give you a taste of the Bob Marshall Wilderness without a multi-day commitment.
Benchmark Trailhead & the Chinese Wall
For the truly ambitious: the trailhead off Benchmark Road accesses the Chinese Wall, a 12-mile limestone cliff along the Continental Divide reaching 1,000 feet high.
A permit is required for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Great Falls Area
There are plenty of things to do in Great Falls, MT, and a lot of interesting restaurants and bars to check out, too.
First People’s Buffalo Jump
Southeast of Great Falls, near Ulm, this National Historic Landmark tells the story of Northern Plains tribes driving bison herds off the cliffs.
The 3-mile loop trail climbs a gradual grade to the top of the butte.
Like many of Montana’s hidden gems, it combines a hike with a history lesson.
Sluice Boxes State Park
A visit to Sluice Boxes will take you off the direct route between Glacier and Yellowstone, but it’s a beautiful state park with small crowds.
This state park is maybe an hour from Great Falls.
During the summer, the lower trail leads you along Belt Creek to a favorite swimming hole with cliff-jumping.
An upper trail leads you up to a waterfall and overlook with rugged cliffside views.
Memorial Falls Trail
Memorial Falls is a family-friendly waterfall hike in the Lewis & Clark National Forest.
This is another hike about an hour from Great Falls (off the main route between parks). Still, if you’re staying overnight in the city, it’s worth the drive.
Grab a burger at Bob’s Bar in Neihart on the way back.
Sulphur Springs Trail at Morony Dam
Right in Great Falls, you can follow a 2-mile trail near the Missouri River to a mineral spring, said to have revived Sacagawea when she fell gravely ill during the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Black Eagle Falls
A footbridge leads to Black Eagle Memorial Island, where you can view what’s left of the falls not submerged behind the 1891 dam that gave Great Falls its “Electric City” nickname.
Yes, these are some of the “Great Falls of the Missouri” that tied up the Lewis & Clark Expedition.
Ryan Dam & Ryan Island
At this spot in the Missouri River, the water drops 100–150 feet through the Ryan Dam’s turbines.
Cross a suspension bridge to picnic areas and waterfall views, open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center
It’s worth a stop to learn more about the expedition at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, perched on a bluff over the Missouri River.
It connects to the Rivers Edge Trail.
Giant Springs State Park
Giant Springs is of the largest freshwater springs in the country, feeding what’s been called the “shortest river in the world.”
The easy, family-friendly walking trails link into the wider River’s Edge Trail system.
No swimming of fishing allowed in the springs area, but a lot of people fish in the river just adjacent to the state park.
The Missouri River Corridor
The Missouri River is famous for its role in the Lewis & Clark Expedition, and for the the prime trout fishing that lures anglers from all over.
Tower Rock State Park
Right off I-15 south of Great Falls, this volcanic rock formation marked the spot where Lewis and Clark’s expedition left the plains for the Rockies in 1805.
You can hike a trail up to the peak. This is a short section, but it’s one of my favorite spots in Central Montana!
Hardy Creek
Just behind Tower Rock along Recreation Road, it’s a great stop for rock scrambling, fly-fishing, kayaking, and floating.
I’ve seen some amazing sunsets here!
Fly Fishing The Missouri River, Near Cascade & Craig
Between Great Falls and Helena, trout densities have exceeded 6,000 fish per mile in peak years, averaging 17+ inches thanks to the Holter Dam’s stable, cold flows.
The water is clear and pristine.
The Sip ‘n Dip
Well, I spent much of my year in Great Falls at the “Sip.” It was made famous when GQ named it the #1 Bar in the World. You can pull up a chair and watch mermaids swim in the pool right behind the bar.
For me, the biggest draw was Piano Pat, who spent decades belting out American standards from behind her organ.
Helena Area
Holter Lake: Juniper Bay to Log Gulch Trail
A 4-mile trail along Holter Lake’s eastern shore, in an area better known for boating than hiking.
Gates of the Mountains
Meriwether Lewis named this dramatic limestone gorge the “Gates of the Mountains” in 1805.
Guided boat tours are the classic way to take in the towering cliffs along the Missouri.
Beaver Creek / Hauser Dam Trail
An easy, roughly 4-mile trail near Helena with river access for fishing and swimming, just outside the formal Gates of the Mountains boundary.
Broadwater Hot Springs
Montana has several hot springs to visit.
At Broadwater, you can soak in natural mineral waters in a few different pools.
Last Chance Gulch
Last Chance Gulch is a historic street and pedestrian walking mall in downtown Helena.
Its name honors four prospectors who discovered gold here in 1864, sparking a gold rush and the founding of Helena.
Today, it’s home to shops and restaurants.
Bozeman & Big Sky
Bozeman is about 80 minutes north of Gardiner, the north entrance to Yellowstone.
Chico Hot Springs
Established in 1900, Chico Hot Springs is now a combination of the soaking pools, a hotel, restaurants, and a spa.
The natural geothermal pools are infused with a variety of beneficial minerals, like silica, which softens the skin.
Beehive Basin Trailhead, Big Sky
This is a 7-mile trail, which is mild in incline, right near Big Sky.
It’s a gorgeous hike, which takes most people 4-5 hours.
The Fainting Goat, Livingston
This Irish pub in Livingston features live music and a kitchen that’s open most nights until midnight.
Yellowstone Hot Springs
These mineral-rich pools are just 8 miles north of Yellowstone in the aptly-named Paradise Valley.
You’ll soak near the bank of the Yellowstone River, surrounded by beautiful Big Sky Country.
Just like the rest, Yellowstone Hot Springs bills its pools as good for circulation, stress relief, pain relief, and better skin.
Wrap: Hidden Gems Between Glacier & Yellowstone
Keep your eyes open the whole drive: bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, black bears, and raptors are common sightings.
Plus, the summertime wildflowers along the Rocky Mountain Front are gorgeous. At different elevations, you’ll find glacier lilies, arrowleaf balsamroot, lupine, and Indian paintbrush blooms. Even the mustardseed fields are a beautiful sight.
While Going-to-the-Sun Road will be the highlight of your trip to Glacier, the highways between Yellowstone and Glacier have their own hidden gem detours to check out!
