Montana

• Population- 944,640
• Capital- Helena
• Largest cities– Billings, Missoula, Great Falls
• Time zone- Mountain
• Date of Admission to the Union- November 8, 1889
• Slogan- Oro y Plata, or Gold and Silver
• State website URL- www.mt.gov

Two major national parks put Montana on a list of must-see states. Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park are both renowned for their profound beauty and vistas of Montana landscape, from grain fields to snow-capped mountains. Glacier is located in the northwestern quadrant of the state where high and sharp mountains pierce the horizon. The park is a climber’s paradise. Fishing is a major reason to visit, too. The area is dotted with cold, mountain fed lakes. Yellowstone is located in an active volcanic region and in the vicinity of the Continental Divide. The park was the first ever national park and is home to some of the nation’s most diverse flora and fauna.

Granite Peak is a high point in the Beartooth Mountains, a plateau region larger than any other. The Beartooth Range is in the southern part of the state, along with Tobacco Roots and Bridger Mountains. Montana’s wide-open range is best recognized for the butte outcroppings. A butte is a hard and rock-like hill of various sizes that is straight on its sides and flat on top. The formations are made of primarily a type of igneous rock. Sometimes a buttes look as though they’ve been shoved up from underneath the earth. According to geologic theory, the opposite has occurred: soil and softer rock formations have eroded away around them, leaving solitary buttes exposed.

Montana is best known for its natural features. An extremely ancient rock formation named Hell Creek Formation is best known among paleontologists and general dinosaur fanatics. The area, located near the town of Jordan, in central Montana, is home to significant research and is the site of a number of major bone discoveries.

The state’s nickname, “Big Sky Country” is not only indicative of the large expansive views from almost anywhere in the state, but allusion to its relatively unpopulated state of being. Montana, large as it is, touches three of Canada’s provinces.