Big Sky Circuit
Glacier and Yellowstone national parks are always huge draws in Montana, but the state’s small towns and remote highways are just as rich with scenery and history. This sweeping clockwise loop captures it all: Start in Missoula, a cultural hub, and then head to Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the west. Stop in Whitefish, which borders Glacier. Drive southeast to Great Falls (and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center), then on to Lewiston, with rolling prairie and surrounding mountains. Check out the brewpub scene in Billings, then continue past Bighorn Canyon to Red Lodge and the spectacular Beartooth Highway. Close the circle with Livingston (old west meets high-end art), Bannack (a ghost town), and the Big Hole National Battlefield.

Read more on traveling to Missoula, Whitefish, and Billings.
Check out the best hotels in Missoula, Whitefish, and Billings.

Could you use $2,500 toward your next vacation? Enter our Operation Vacation Sweepstakes for a chance to win! And while you’re there, check out more of our recommendations for the best trips in 2013. Whether you have two, four, or seven days to spare, we have the trip for you.