Hotels

The strength of eastern Montana’s hospitality doesn’t lie in luxury resorts, bustling lodges, or crowded dude ranches, which are confined almost entirely to the western third of the state. The crown jewels of lodging on the plains are historic hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. Nearly every town with more than a few hundred residents has at least one of these properties, but no two are alike. From turreted Victorian mansions and rustic log ranch houses to Gothic manors and hulking sandstone inns with intricately carved facades, these lodgings have their own appeal and local flavor that set them apart from chain accommodations and commercial strip motels.

Camping

Many federal- and state-owned lands allow camping for little or no charge, and you can often set up camp wherever you like, so long as you don’t light a fire. In the more developed towns and cities there is almost always a campground or two with more modern conveniences, such as hot showers and flush toilets. It’s a testament to this treeless terrain that most commercial campgrounds advertise their shade before their other amenities.