Even in the 1860s Native Americans still considered Montana their
promised land. This vast region, which they called the Land of the Shining Mountains, was
the hunting ground for great herds of buffalo--their mainstay for meat, hides, and the
bones used to fashion tools and utensils. Before the wanton slaughter of the animals for
sport, the northern wilderness was broken only by the trails of trappers and explorers,
with a small scattering of fur-trading posts, Army forts, and mission settlements. The
topography of the state is diverse, but roughly defined by the Continental Divide, which
runs on an approximate diagonal through the state from northwest to south-central,
splitting it into two distinct eastern and western regions. Montana is well known for its
mountainous western region, most of which are geologically and geographically part of the
Northern Rocky Mountains. The Absaroka and Beartooth ranges in the south are technically
part of the Central Rocky Mountains. However, about 60% of the state is actually prairie,
part of the northern Great Plains. |
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the country and 44th in population, Montana's
majestic landscapes have some wonderful bed and breakfast inns, country inns, B&B
ranches, mountain ski lodges, urban inns, guesthouses and homestay B&Bs. Go white-water rafting when you visit Glacier National Park. Hike or bike
the extensive mountain trails. Boating, off-roading and snowmobiling information is
available from Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Wherever you go, there is sure to be a bed &
breakfast in Montana to meet your accommodation needs. |
