Eastern Montana Camping Adventure

Your adventure begins with setting up camp at Brush Lake State Park. The park and its scenic, namesake lake lie just about 25 miles from the Montana-North Dakota border in the northeasternmost corner of the state. While the lake is too alkaline to support significant fish populations, it is a perfect place to pitch a tent and relax along the shore. Services are limited out here, so it’s best to bring some dinner and snack supplies to camp with you. Remember to properly store your food once you’ve finished eating to ensure curious wildlife keep their distance. If conditions allow, light a campfire and enjoy a relaxing evening on the water. When the stars start to come out, make sure to look up: The remote nature of this part of Montana lends itself to incredible stargazing on a clear evening. Depending on the time of year, it’s not uncommon to catch a glimpse of the northern lights out here.

Enjoy a slow morning on the shoreline and take your time packing up your campsite before setting out for today’s first stop: Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This is a premier destination for wildlife enthusiasts, with unparalleled birdwatching and wildlife viewing throughout the refuge’s sweeping terrain. If proper seasons align with your visit, waterfowl and upland bird hunting are also available here. Then, continue on to Culbertson to tour the Culbertson Museum. Its unassuming facade houses the community’s historic collection, with artifacts that can be traced to the town’s establishment in 1887. After your visit, head to Wolf Point. Located on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, this is where Wolf Creek flows into the Missouri River. Here, grab lunch, and enjoy a round of disc golf on the town’s local course near the Wolf Point Bridge. You’ll then travel to nearby Fort Peck, the gateway to Fort Peck Lake. Teeming with northern pike, trout and walleye, this reservoir is a hot spot for local and visiting anglers year-round. Tonight, set up camp at the Downstream Campground, and if you’re visiting in the summertime, end the day with a show at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre, a movie theater turned performing arts center that stages performances from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Today starts with a visit to Fort Peck Interpretive Center, where you’ll take in the area’s prehistoric artifacts, including a skeleton cast of Peck’s Rex — a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus rex discovered nearby. While you’re here, grab a Montana Dinosaur Trail Prehistoric Passport and get it stamped. You can take this passport with you as you visit other stops along the Montana Dinosaur Trail. Then, take an afternoon to explore Fort Peck. With the Leo Coleman Wildlife Park, Fort Peck State Fish Hatchery and the seemingly endless shoreline of Fort Peck Lake, there’s plenty to see. Grab dinner downtown, and then rest your head back at Downstream Campground.

This morning, head to the U.S.’s official “Middle of Nowhere”: Glasgow, Montana. The community earned the title as a result of its remote location — the closest town of more than 75,000 is about 4.5 hours away in every direction. With a population of just over 3,100, Glasgow is like an oasis among the surrounding rolling plains and has local dining, shopping and activities that will make you forget just how far from the hustle and bustle you really are. If traveling with little ones, the Children’s Museum of Northeast Montana is a must-stop where kids can experience a number of hands-on exhibits. While you’re passing through town, this is a great place to stock up on food and essentials for the second leg of your camping trip. Then, drive on to Malta — Lewis and Clark stopped in this area on their westward expedition. Here, you’ll find two more Montana Dinosaur Trail stops: the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and the Phillips County Museum. After perusing the dinosaur fossils and other exhibits, have lunch before you make your way to Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs in nearby Saco. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon soak in the natural, geothermal pools before returning to camp in Fort Peck for the night.

Pack up camp and travel south to Terry. Situated along the Yellowstone River, Terry is a prime spot for rockhounding, a common pastime for locals in this neck of the woods. The prize to uncover is the Montana moss agate, a semi-precious stone found only along the Yellowstone and its tributaries in eastern Montana. Interested in trying your hand at agate hunting? Excursions along the river allow you to look for treasure while seeing the area’s scenery from a new perspective. You can also head downtown and find plenty of options for activities, including shopping Montana-made goods at Prairie Unique, perusing the collection at the Prairie County Museum and Evelyn Cameron Gallery or visiting the Terry Badlands’ scenic overlook. Then, continue on to Miles City, where you can experience Montana’s cowboy culture at its finest. If visiting in May, don’t miss the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, one of Montana’s oldest rodeos. Walk the streets of downtown to window shop for all the Western goods your heart desires before grabbing dinner and ending the day at the Miles City KOA.

Start the last day of the trip with breakfast in town. Then pack a lunch to bring on the day’s adventures. Take in the area’s natural scenery with a hike at Pirogue Island State Park or Strawberry Hill Recreation Area. Both destinations offer excellent wildlife watching opportunities as well. If you’re traveling here in August, the Eastern Montana Fair in Miles City is worth a visit. With a midway, 4-H exhibitions and a PRCA rodeo, it’s the perfect way to end your journey through eastern Montana.