29 Towns That Montanans Love to Visit

Thanksgiving is next week, and many Montanans will be traveling. According to GasBuddy, 72% of Americans will be driving somewhere for Thanksgiving this year.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that's not always spent with family. Often, you might meet up with friends or coworkers, or plan a small vacation. One of my favorite Thanksgivings was a 'Friendsgiving.' It helped that one friend was a chef and another worked at a brewery. It was a tasty Thanksgiving that year.

Growing up, my family would sometimes visit Seeley Lake and one year, we had Thanksgiving dinner at the Double Arrow Ranch. Traveling through the area now brings back fond memories.

There are places like this all over the state that are meaningful to Montanans. Maybe it's a town where your relatives live, or it has a great diner. Maybe it's a town near your favorite hot spring or a place near your secret hunting or fishing spot.

We asked Montanans which towns they live to visit in Montana and we were heartened by the responses. The overwhelming majority of answers named small towns in Montana. There were a few tourist spots because of course Montanans can be tourists in their own state, and there was only one or two bigger cities on the list.

It may be that Montanans love the nostalgia of small towns, that these are places that remind Montanans of a time before unprecedented growth. Or it may be that these towns hold a deeper connection to nature and the outdoors than the larger cities in the state.

P.S. Yes, we recognize that Butte made it on the list multiple times. It was the most mentioned town, so we figured it deserved a bonus spot or two on the list.

Take a look and see if your favorite Montana town made the list.