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Glacier National Park is vast. This outstanding scenic area comprises spectacular mountain ranges, more than 130 named lakes, lush alpine meadows, dense forests, tumbling waterfalls, and, of course, numerous sparkling glaciers. Not for nothing is this extensive ecosystem known as the "Crown of the Continent."

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The park, incidentally a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is etched with over 1,126 km (700 mi) of hiking trails, well-trodden footpaths that meander past truly majestic landmarks, natural wonders that include Saint Mary Lake. The view will look familiar to anyone who's seen Stanley Kubrick's 1980 chiller 'The Shining'—the film's opening scene was shot here.

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The only paved road that traverses the park is the 80-km (50 mi) Going-to-the-Sun Road. This picturesque highway crosses the Continental Divide through Logan Pass at an elevation of 2,026 m (6,646 ft), which is the highest point on the road. Along the way, the twin peaks of Mount Oberlin and Cannon Mountain can be admired.

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Logan Pass has its own visitor center, open only during the summer season. The facility is a popular starting point for hiking and backpacking trips. From here, the legendary Highline Trail is accessible.

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Montana is a lustrous and verdant state, with no less than 10 national forests embroidering the landscape. Kootenai National Forest is set in the far northwestern portion of Montana. Around 140 km (90 mi) of the challenging Pacific Northwest Trail weaves its way through the forest, which is named for an indigenous people of Canada and the United States.

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Plenty of snow is dumped on Montana during the winter months making the state home to some of the best skiing in America. Big Sky Resort south of Bozeman is one of the largest resorts of its kind in the country. Besides skiing, winter activities include snowboarding and snowshoeing. In summer, visitors can enjoy tennis, archery, zip-lining, and lots of hiking. And everybody raves about the superior slope-side accommodation.

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Further north is Whitefish Mountain Resort. Located near Glacier National Park, the slopes here are Olympic grade. Indeed, the resort has hosted several alpine championship events and other prestigious ski tournaments.

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Southwest Montana has some of the highest quality natural trout streams in the United States (the so-called Blue Ribbon Waterways), among them Ruby River, Big Hole River, and Blackfoot River. The 1992 movie 'A River Runs Through It' starring Brad Pitt was filmed near the Blackfoot, with additional footage shot on the Gallatin River.

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Grizzly bears and gray wolves run wild throughout Montana, but to see them in safety up close and personal, spend a few hours at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. This excellent facility provides sanctuary for animals no longer fit to live in the wild. It's an entertaining and educative experience and provides people with an opportunity to observe, understand, and appreciate these iconic creatures.

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The city of Bozeman is the envy of paleontologists everywhere for its Museum of the Rockies. Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, this world-class facility houses among other treasures a near-complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and, separately, the world's largest Tyrannosaurus skull. The incredible exhibits also include a T-Rex thighbone that contains soft tissue remains.

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Butte itself was known colloquially as the Richest Hill on Earth, with a number of homegrown individuals generating huge wealth from mining operations. Among them was "Copper King" William A. Clark (1839–1925). His opulent former residence, Copper King Mansion, is a Butte landmark filled with original artifacts that reflect the prosperity of the region.

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Montana's capital is Helena. Built with the wealth generated from the gold rush in the late 1800s, the city has one of the most attractive state capitol buildings in the country. Completed in 1902 in Greek neoclassical architectural style, it's open to visitors as part of a guided tour.

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Established in 1864 as a mining camp, Butte is Montana's most historic city. Once one of the largest copper boomtowns in the American West, Butte flourished as mining hub into the 1980s. You can dig into the city's past at the engaging World Museum of Mining. Set on the site of an inactive silver and zinc mine, the museum comprises some 50 buildings and structures known fancifully as Hell Roarin' Gulch.

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The Big Sky State is inspired driving country. As well as the aforementioned Going-to-the-Sun Road, you should follow the Beartooth Highway, which begins in southwest Montana and snakes into Wyoming. Pictured is Beartooth Pass near the town of Red Lodge, Montana.

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Along the way, look out for the Top of the World Country Store. This log cabin outlet in fact sits within Wyoming near Cody, about 61 km (38 mi) from Red Lodge.

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There's one visitor attraction in Montana you shouldn't miss: the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument at Crow Agency. This is one of the best-known historical sites in the United States and commemorates the June 25, 1876 clash between the US Army and Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne warriors.

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For a detailed explanation of Montana's history, browse the collections at the Western Heritage Center in Billings. Here, over 1,000 artifacts help chronicle the history and culture of the Northern High Plains and Yellowstone River Valley. Of special note is the display focusing on the preservation of the histories of the Cheyenne and Crow Indians.

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On that fateful day, federal troops led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer were attacked by as many as 3,000 Native Americans. Custer and around 260 of his men fell in the ensuing battle at Little Bighorn Valley, which later became known as "Custer's Last Stand."

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Native American losses numbered around 31. Custer's demise and that of his men outraged many white Americans, and served to confirm their image of the Indians as wild and bloodthirsty. Within five years of the battle, virtually all of the Sioux and Cheyenne would be confined to reservations.

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After the gold ran out, entire communities were abandoned. Nowhere is this more exemplified than at Garnet. This is a remarkably well-preserved ghost town consisting of empty miner's cabins, workshops, stores, and stables. It's a spooky but fascinating place, and attracts thousands of visitors.

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Located in Anaconda where you'd least expect to find it is one of the last movie theaters constructed in the United States in the Nuevo Deco (a form of Art Deco) style. Dating back to 1931, locals still gather here to enjoy the latest Hollywood releases as well as to admire the unique architecture, which extends to a lavish interior.

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The city of Missoula is home to the University of Montana and the annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. It's also where you'll find a beautiful hand-carved carousel, made by Missoula resident Chuck Kaparich. The attraction, known as 'A Carousel for Missoula,' features 38 unique horses and chariots. Since opening in 1995, the carousel has given well over 225,000 rides per year.

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The largest lake in Glacier National Park is serene Lake McDonald. It can be admired in all its subliminal beauty from the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which parallels the lake along its southern shoreline.

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It's difficult to imagine a toxic body of water becoming a popular tourist attraction, but that's exactly what Berkeley Pit in Butte is. A former open pit copper mine, Berkeley is laden with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals that leak from the rock, including copper, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, and sulfuric acid. The curious can venture out onto a viewing platform and peer down into the deadly cocktail.

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Another exceptional example of stunning architecture found in the middle of nowhere, the Moss Mansion Historic House in Billings is a large sandstone manor designed by renowned New York architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in 1903. The interior brims with period furnishings, artifacts that can be admired on guided or self-guided tours.

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In fact, Montana has two gateways into Yellowstone, the West Entrance and the North Entrance. The town of West Yellowstone offers a convenient hop into the park's famous geyser country (pictured). The North Entrance of Yellowstone is in Gardiner. Either way, venturing into the country's first national park, established in 1872, adds another dimension to moments spent in Montana.

Sources: (History) (History Net)

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Gardiner, named for Johnson Gardner, a fur trapper who operated in the area in 1830-31, is a pleasant town to explore, and once served as a hub for the Northern Pacific Railway. Train services at Gardiner station were discontinued in 1948, but the town still serves as the main entrance into Yellowstone National Park.

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During your travels you'll no doubt come across this handsome beast—the Rocky Mountain goat. The fleet-footed animal is the official park symbol.

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Another prominent building worth investigating is the Cathedral of Saint Helena. Dating back to the early 20th century, the cathedral's most prominent feature is its twin spires. A series of fabulous stained glass windows depicting various scenes from the Old and New Testament illuminate the interior.

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Montana is America's "Big Sky State," under which lies mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, and a pioneering Old West culture all waiting to be discovered. Sparkling in winter and glowing in summer, Montana is a vast uncrowded land characterized by beautiful and spectacular landscapes. Furthermore, its frontier history evokes a genuine sense of adventure and exploration. So, isn't it time you enjoyed some moments in Montana?

Click through and explore this remarkable destination.

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Delve underground on a guided tour and explore the Lewis and Clark Caverns. Located at Whitehall and set within a state park, the Lewis and Clark Caverns are one of the largest limestone cave systems in the world. Incidentally, the caves are named for the 19th-century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who led an expedition to find a route across the western half of the continent.