Explore Montana’s Outdoor Spaces

Note: Conservation Licenses are required for everyone age 12 and older to access most state lands, including wildlife management areas, fishing access sites and wildlife habitat protection areas. This requirement does not include state parks. Please recreate responsibly. Learn more here.

In Montana, we cherish our public spaces—those expansive areas held by state and federal governments for conservation purposes. These lands serve as the common ground that unites communities and individuals seeking to embrace and share the natural beauty of the outdoors. We recognize their intrinsic value and feel privileged to share them with one another, with wildlife, and with visitors who come to experience our extraordinary region.

From the grandeur of Glacier National Park to the diversity of our state parks and wilderness areas, Western Montana's public lands offer hundreds of miles of trails, fishing access sites, lush forests, remote wilderness, and scenic drives—all preserved for our enjoyment and the conservation of our natural heritage.

There's This Place Where There Is An Art to Adventure

In Missoula, the outdoors are a canvas, and every trail, river and mountain is part of the masterpiece.

Start exploring

Third Party Advertiser

Public Lands in Western Montana’s Glacier Country include:

Glacier National Park
National Forests
National Wildlife Refuges
National Conservation Lands
National Recreation Areas
National Scenic and Historic Trails
Wild and Scenic Rivers
Wilderness Areas
State Forests
State Parks
BLM Lands
Fishing Access Sites
Wildlife Management Areas

Public and Private Land Ownership Maps

The Public Lands Information Center sells paper maps of the area with detailed guides to public recreation sites including:

Campgrounds
Parks and Monuments
Historical/Cultural Sites
Lakes and Reservoirs
Wilderness Areas
Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries
National and Historic Trails
Scenic Drives

Get out into these wide-open spaces, canyons, meadows and mountains, whether you’re looking to hike, bike, ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, paddle, float, fish, horseback ride or watch wildlife.

Tribal Land is Not Public Land

It’s important to be aware of when you are on tribal lands: the Blackfeet Reservation, home to the Blackfeet Nation; and the Flathead Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

While tribal communities are welcoming to respectful visitors, this is not public land, and there are sacred places we must not disturb. It’s also important to be mindful and respectful of a tribe’s unique culture, history and traditions. Make sure you “know before you go” in terms of permits and policies that may be different from Montana law. Learn more here.