Montana Road Trip: Butte to Bozeman
There are a lot of towns in Montana that start with the letter B. After spending a couple weeks in Butte, I decided a road trip to Bozeman was in order. Here are the highlights from that hundred mile, two-and-a-half hour Montana road trip.
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park:
The first destination after leaving Butte is the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. This state park was a former national monument before it was turned over to Montana in 1937. It has one of the largest limestone caverns in the northwest, which can only be explored by one of two tours. I opted for the shorter of the two (being as I don’t love being underground) and was really impressed by the tourguide and the caverns. On the Paradise Tour I only had to walk down a straight path, very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, which then opened up into a large room full of stalactites, stalagmites, and columns. The tour guide taught us a trick that I might remember: stalactites hold tight to the ceiling and you might trip on a stalagmite.
Norris Hot Springs
A Montana road trip should definitely include outdoor time and a hot springs will ease your stress from driving. After the caverns I headed south to Norris Hot Springs. I love a good natural hot springs and was happy to visit one of the many in Montana. Norris Hot Springs is an interesting blend of hot springs, organic food, and music. The water itself is in a wooden encased pool that is 40×40 feet. I would guess there were about 25 people hanging out in the pool, most with drinks in their hands and yummy looking food in front of them. I only lasted for about 30 minutes but I can see if you had food, drink, and live music playing that this would be a really unique way to spend an evening under the stars.
Bozeman
The final stop on the road trip is Bozeman, about a 45 minute drive through very pretty country with not a lot of people around. (I guess that about summarizes Montana as a whole, though.) Bozeman surprised me; I hadn’t realized just how hip it was going to be. Main Street is thriving with boutiques, shops, and restaurants. In 2020, Bozeman city limits had 53,000 people, but it has seen a lot of growth in the last few years. Montana State University makes it feel like a college town, albeit one that is more outdoorsy than most.
After some retail therapy on Main Street I attended a concert at the very cool Live from the Divide music venue. I didn’t know the artist, but I liked his sound and the intimate venue (50 tickets sold, everyone sits on benches) was cool enough to go to even if you didn’t like the music. I overnighted in a hotel and the next day visited the highly touted restaurant: Storm Castle Cafe for a breakfast of eggs and enchiladas and finished out my trip with a visit to the interesting Museum of the Rockies.
List of recommendations
- Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
- Norris Hot Springs
- Bozeman shopping:
- Heyday
- The Montana Scene
- Moka Montana
- Bozeman food
- Backcountry Burger (tasty burger)
- Community Food Co-op (nice salad bar and bakery)
- Storm Castle Cafe (seemingly random menu with big portions on most items. The Monte Christo looked huge and delicious.)
- Live from the Divide
- Museum of the Rockies
Conclusion
A Montana road trip is a great way to see this beautiful state. Butte to Bozeman is not very far geographically but quite a lot happens in those few miles. If you find yourself in this corner of Montana, I highly recommend hopping off the interstate. You can explore, shop, eat, and listen to live music.