Lima to Wibaux

Day Five: Belt - Harvest Moon Brewing

In the morning, roll out early because you have a big day (or days) ahead of you, depending on how much time you want to spend enjoying and exploring Glacier National Park. If you want to stay an extra night in Glacier, try for a room at one of the park's historic lodges by checking at www.glacierparkinc.com.

To get to Glacier Park, take State Highway 40 east from Whitefish 40 and then onto U.S. 2 at Columbia Falls. When you see West Glacier, turn left under the railroad underpass and into Glacier National Park and a memorable trip over Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Highway, then down to the east side of the park, all through the best scenery in the world, to St. Mary. If you're only spending a day in the park, turn south (right) on U.S. Highway 89 and head for Browning. If you have time and need a break, stop at the Museum of the Plains Indian on the western edge of town.

Just east of Browning, turn south (right), staying on U.S. 89. Continue on U.S. 89 along the Rocky Mountain Front, where the mountains melt into the prairie, through several small Montana towns--Dupuyer, Choteau, and Fairfield--until you turn south (right) on I-15 and reach Great Falls. Keep you eye on the clock on this trip because you need to get to Belt before the taproom at the Harvest Moon Brewery closes at 4 pm.

So, depending on the time, zoom right through Great Falls, Montana's largest town without a brewery, staying on U.S. 89, 21 miles more. After seeing Harvest Moon, you can grab a bite to eat in Belt or head back to Great Falls for dinner and stay there for the night. There is no lodging in Belt.

This is a long day, so feel free to split it up into two days. There is a lot to see along the way, but no breweries. If you decide to split it, staying in St. Mary would be a good choice. This gives you time for a hike somewhere along the Going-to-the-Sun Highway, and the following day, you won't have to push it to reach Harvest Moon before it closes.