Yellowstone National Park

A day trip through this park is my biggest recommendation.  If you have the time, this is a beautiful and fascinating experience.  The best sites are in the southern half of Yellowstone. Our favorite sites:

• Fountain Paint Pot (Lower Geyser Basin)
• Grand Prismatic Spring (Midway Geyser Basin)
• Old Faithful Geyser (Upper Geyser Basin)
• West Thumb Geyser Basin (West Thumb)
• Lower and Upper Falls (Near Canyon Village)

Generally speaking, the wildlife is most active during dawn and dusk.  The more common places to see wildlife are in the northern half of Yellowstone, but you never know when or where you'll see something, so always keep your eyes peeled.

• Deer/Elk:  Meadows and woodsy areas. You can almost guarantee some elk sightings if you visit Mammoth Hot Springs.
• Moose: Tend to like streams, ponds, and marshes.
• Bears/Wolves:  Open meadows, especially with tree groves nearby.  A couple parked cars and people with binoculars can often be a better indicator that there are bears/wolves than actually seeing the animal itself on your drive.
• Buffalo: Open meadows in particular, but also everywhere.  Everywhere!

Glacier NATIONAL PARK

Absolutely beautiful and possibly the most scenic area of all Montana, but much farther away than Yellowstone.  Glacier is located in the Northwest part of Montana and the drive goes through Butte, Missoula, and the Flathead Lake area, all of which are gorgeous and interesting places, but it is also about 5.5 hours from Rainbow Ranch Lodge. 

Montana Country Activities

Rainbow Ranch (Rainbow will help their guests set up these activities )

• Hiking
• Fishing
• Horseback riding

Big Sky Resort  (20 min from Rainbow Ranch)

• Lone Peak
• Horseback riding
• River rafting
• Mountain biking
• Rock Climbing
• Golfing
• And more!

BREWERIES & Eateries

Corral (across the street from Rainbow Ranch)

• Bar
• Steakhouse

Beehive Brewery (Halfway to Big Sky)

Lone Peak Brewery (Halfway to Big Sky)

Big Sky Resort Restaurants (20 min from Rainbow Ranch)

Crystal's Favorites: 

Montana Ale Works (Great chow, good beers)

Bozeman Hot Springs (Relax in natural hot springs)

Museum of the Rockies (Dinosaurs, planetarium, history farm, and more!)

Breweries

Bridger Brewing 

MAP Brewing Company

Bozeman Brewery

406 Brewing Company

Outlaw Brewing