If you're planning a summer trip to Montana and want a mix of adventure, small towns, beautiful scenery and plenty of time to actually enjoy where you're staying, this is the itinerary we followed for nine days in Western Montana.

We split our trip into two completely different parts: Northern Montana around Kalispell, Glacier National Park, Whitefish and Bigfork, followed by several days farther south exploring Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley.

And I'm so glad we did.

This wasn't a trip built around restaurant reservations or checking off every tourist attraction. We cooked at our Airbnbs, spent a LOT of time outside, drove through tiny towns, found some surprisingly great wine and left plenty of room for plans to change.

Here's exactly how we did it.

PART ONE: NORTHERN MONTANA

Day 1 — Fly Into Missoula + Easy Overnight

We flew into Missoula on Thursday night and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Missoula Northwest.

150 Expressway, Missoula, MT 59808

Nothing fancy here — just clean, easy, comfortable and exactly what we needed after a travel day. The bed was comfortable, check-in was simple, and I would absolutely stay here again if I needed a practical first-night hotel before starting the rest of the trip.

Would I recommend it? Yes, especially for a late arrival.

View from our room

Day 2 — Downtown Missoula + Groceries + Drive North

We spent the morning exploring downtown Missoula before heading north.

First stop was coffee at Mama Tried (inside Montgomery Distillery), then lunch at Market on Front. We somehow also managed a second lunch at The Sitting Duck, which honestly feels very on-brand for us.

After wandering around town, we grocery shopped and picked up steaks at The Neighborhood Market before driving toward our Kalispell Airbnb. (only buy steaks here the other produce and items you will need can be bought at a grocery store down the road)

One of the things I loved about this trip was that we didn’t structure every day around a dinner reservation. We bought groceries, cooked at the house, and saved restaurant meals for the places that actually felt worth going out for.

view from The Sitting Duck

Tip: If you’re staying in an Airbnb, stock up before heading into more rural parts of the trip. It made our evenings much easier.

Day 3 — Glacier National Park: Avalanche Lake + Going-to-the-Sun Road

This was our Glacier day, and it started early. We left the airbnb right before 6 AM.

We entered the park around 6:45 AM and still sat in traffic for about 30 minutes before getting through the entrance.

That was my first real lesson about Glacier in peak summer:

Early does not necessarily mean empty.

We got lucky and found a parking spot right away near the Avalanche Lake trailhead, but there were already a lot of people around.

Avalanche Lake

We hiked Avalanche Lake, which was one of the most popular hikes we did — and you could tell.

lookout on Avalanche Lake trail

The trail was busy, but the scenery was beautiful and the lake at the end absolutely made it worth it.

If you’re deciding between popular and less popular hikes in Glacier, this is the tradeoff: the popular hikes are popular for a reason, but you are absolutely sharing them with a crowd.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

After the hike, we drove Going-to-the-Sun Road.

It is stunning, but I would not describe it as a peaceful scenic drive in August.

There were lots of cars, lots of people stopping, lots of traffic, and plenty of moments where you were basically following a long line of vehicles through the mountains.

It was still worth doing, but I’d go into it knowing the reality is very different from those empty-road photos you see online.

By the time we reached the other side of Glacier, we had roughly a two-hour drive back to the Airbnb.

That made this a very full day.

Glacier Reality Check: We visited in mid-August, which is also fire season in Montana. That doesn’t mean your trip will be ruined, but it does mean wildfire smoke can affect visibility and air quality. If Glacier is your main reason for visiting, I would keep that in mind when choosing your dates. Summer gives you the best road access, but it also means crowds and the possibility of smoke.

Dinner Worth Booking: Mercantile Steak

One of the best dinners we had in Northern Montana was at Mercantile Steak.

We ordered a popover, French onion soup, Caesar salad, elk stroganoff and chicken Milanese, and honestly, this was one of the meals I’d absolutely repeat.

I loved that it still felt like a proper dinner out without making the whole trip revolve around restaurant reservations.

Day 4 — Whitefish + Food Trucks + Skyles Lake

Day 4 was a little slower and gave us a break from Glacier crowds.

We spent time exploring Whitefish and had lunch at the Thirty Eight food truck park.

I ordered tacos from Tico’s, then followed lunch with an affogato from Clydesdale Creamery.

Afterward, we hiked Skyles Lake, which felt completely different from Avalanche Lake.

This is exactly why I liked mixing famous hikes with quieter ones. You still get the scenery and outdoor experience without feeling like you’re moving through the trail with hundreds of other people.

We headed back to the Airbnb afterward and kept dinner simple with charcuterie and leftovers.

Honestly, some of my favorite travel nights looked exactly like that.

Day 5 — Mount Aeneas + Bigfork

This was the day Montana humbled me.

We hiked Mount Aeneas, which ended up being our biggest hike of the trip.

This was not a casual little trail for me.

There was serious elevation gain, and somewhere on the way up I absolutely had a moment where I questioned every decision that brought me to that mountain.

But finishing it made the whole thing worth it.

This is the hike I would recommend for someone who wants something more challenging and rewarding than the heavily trafficked Glacier hikes.

Afterward, we found what became one of our favorite coffee stops of the trip: Bigfork Coffee House.

Order: Espresso + Lavender Short bread

And because apparently coffee was not enough of a recovery strategy, we followed that with wine at Bigfork Wine & Whiskey.

Dinner back at the Airbnb was pasta and s’mores.

Perfect end to a very big day.

Where We Stayed in Northern Montana

For the first half of the trip, we stayed at this Airbnb near Kalispell:

Kalispell Airbnb

 

It gave us a comfortable home base for exploring Kalispell, Glacier, Whitefish and the surrounding area without having to change hotels every night. We also cooked quite a bit at the house, which ended up being one of the things I liked most about this trip.

PART TWO: MISSOULA + THE BITTERROOT VALLEY

The second half of the trip felt completely different.

We headed south toward Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley, where the trip became even more adventure-heavy — ATV riding, horseback riding, forest trails and lots of time outside.

Day 6: Check Into the Mare Luxury Cabin

Day 6 was our transfer day from Northern Montana down to the Bitterroot Valley.

We packed up our Kalispell Airbnb and made our way south toward Hamilton, where we checked into our second Airbnb around 4 PM.

Where we stayed: The Mare Luxury Cabin

This was one of those Airbnbs where staying home actually felt like part of the vacation. We grilled dinner, opened some wine and enjoyed the property and views.

Unfortunately, I also started feeling sick that evening, so any plans we might have had went out the window.

In hindsight, the forced night at home was probably exactly what I needed after several very active days in Northern Montana.

Travel tip: If you're splitting Montana between two different areas like we did, make your transfer day a light one. The distances out West are no joke, and having an evening with absolutely nowhere to be felt amazing.

Day 7: ATV Through Lolo National Forest + Missoula

Thankfully, I woke up feeling well enough for one of the activities I was most excited about: ATV riding.

We rented an ATV from Peak Rentals of Montana for four hours and rode the Albert Lothrop Trail through Lolo National Forest.

One of the best parts was how easy it was — we were able to take the ATV directly from the rental location and head up the trail rather than having to trailer it somewhere ourselves. *ALONE no guide was required*

And the views were INCREDIBLE.

This was one of those activities where you really start to understand just how huge Montana is. Forest, mountains and views for miles.

Is Four Hours Enough?

For us, yes.

Four hours gave us enough time to actually enjoy the trail, stop for views and make an adventure out of it without committing our entire day to riding.

Afterward, we grabbed coffee at Floreo Coffee in Missoula, made the obligatory stop at Murdoch's — which I can only describe as Target, Walmart and Tractor Supply having a baby — and explored a little before heading back.

Because I still wasn't feeling 100%, we called it.

No dinner reservation. No forcing ourselves to squeeze something else into the itinerary.

We went back to the Airbnb, rested and got some much-needed sleep.

And I'm including that because it's something I think travel itineraries often leave out: sometimes you need to stop.

We had several big days still ahead of us, and sacrificing one evening to actually recover was absolutely worth it.

Day 8: Horseback Riding in Bitterroot National Forest

Day 8 started with coffee at Brew X, followed by one of my favorite experiences of the entire trip.

We booked a four-hour horseback ride with Hidalgo Trail Rides, based out of Lost Horse Lodge.

I've spent a lot of time around horses, so I'm admittedly particular about horseback-riding experiences when we travel. I was really happy with this one.

The horses were well cared for, the scenery was beautiful, and the four-hour ride actually gave us enough time to get out into Bitterroot National Forest rather than feeling like we were riding around a small tourist loop.

About halfway through, we stopped beside a creek for lunch before getting back on the horses and riding home.

Would I Book the Four-Hour Ride Again?

Absolutely.

If you're comfortable spending that much time in the saddle, I think the longer ride is what made this experience special. It gave us a chance to actually get into the forest, stop for lunch and experience the landscape rather than simply checking “horseback riding in Montana” off a list.

Afterward, we headed back to the Airbnb to shower and change before finally having a proper night out.

We stopped at the brewery/distillery and Ponderosa, giving us a chance to explore a little more of the local scene after several evenings spent at home.

It was the perfect combination: a huge outdoor adventure during the day and a casual Montana night out afterward.

Day 9 — Baker Lake + Naps Grill + One Last Rodeo

Apparently we hadn't hiked enough yet.

For our final full day, we headed out to hike Baker Lake.

And this is another hike I'd put on your list if you want to experience Montana beyond the most recognizable Glacier National Park trails.

One of my biggest takeaways from this trip was how different the experience can be when you get away from the hikes everyone has already seen on Instagram.

Glacier was spectacular, but Avalanche Lake was packed.

Some of our hikes outside the park gave us much more of that quiet, expansive Montana feeling I had imagined before the trip.

After Baker Lake, we were MORE than ready for food and stopped for a late lunch at Naps Grill.

Then, because apparently hiking a mountain wasn't enough activity for one day, we finished our final night in Montana at the rodeo.

And honestly? It felt like a pretty appropriate way to end this trip.

Mountains, hiking, horses, ATVs, tiny towns, good wine, local food and a rodeo.

We definitely got the Montana experience.

Where We Stayed in the Bitterroot Valley

For the second half of the trip, we moved south to Hamilton and stayed here:

Hamilton AirBnb (there are 4 cabins the Maples cabin has the most privacy in my opinion)

This property is all luxury, and the hosts even offering concierge services like grocery stocking, preferred vendor lists for activities, and the home accomodations were unmatched.

This part of the trip felt quieter and more adventure-focused, which made it perfect for ATV riding, horseback riding, exploring the Bitterroot Valley and slow evenings back at the Airbnb.

Hidden Gem Discovery

Missoula Wine Merchants

This deserves its own mention because it was one of my biggest surprises of the trip.

I was so impressed by the wine I found in Montana, and Missoula Wine Merchants completely caught me off guard.

Walking through the shop felt weirdly like being back at Grazing Haus. I recognized probably 50% of the wines and had carried many of them at GH at one point or another.

If you're a wine person traveling through Missoula, this is absolutely a stop I'd make.

Glacier vs. the Bitterroot Valley

If you're trying to decide whether to do both, I would.

They gave us two completely different Montana experiences.

Northern Montana + Glacier

Go here for:

• The iconic Montana scenery
• Glacier National Park
• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Whitefish and Bigfork
• Famous hikes like Avalanche Lake
• More tourism infrastructure
• Bigger crowds during peak summer

Hamilton + the Bitterroot Valley

Go here for:

• Horseback riding
• ATV/off-road adventures
• Quieter hiking
• Small towns
• Forests and huge open spaces
• A slower pace
• Feeling like you have to go find the adventure

The Bitterroot portion probably requires a little more curiosity.

If you're waiting for someone to hand you a list of attractions, it can feel quiet.

If you're willing to drive a couple hours because something sounds interesting, pull into the little coffee hut, take the forest road or explore a town you hadn't planned on visiting, that's where Montana really starts to get fun.

Would We Do This Montana Trip Again?

100%.

But maybe the biggest thing Montana gave us had nothing to do with the itinerary.

Jeremy and I spent a lot of time driving on this trip — sometimes hours because I decided there was something we absolutely needed to see — which gave us a lot of time to talk about what we want our life to look like one day.

Where would we live?

Would we ever want a second home somewhere?

Could we picture ourselves living near the mountains?

And we both came to the same conclusion.

Right now, Florida is where we want to be.

I loved Montana. I would absolutely come back. And there is something incredibly special about being surrounded by mountains, forests and that much open space.

But toward the end of the trip, my skin was dry, I couldn't seem to drink enough water and this Florida girl was genuinely craving humidity.

I wanted the ocean. Palm trees. Our house. Our dogs. My kitchen. Work.

I came home feeling rested, inspired and genuinely excited to jump back into Grazing Haus and the season ahead.

And maybe that's my favorite kind of trip.

One that makes you fall in love with somewhere new — and somehow makes you appreciate home even more.