Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Milk River flows from high in the Montana Rockies, north into Alberta, then east and
south, through Havre and across prairie and riparian areas teeming with wildlife, through
Fort Belknap, Malta, and Glasgow, eventually joining the Missouri River. The water is
indeed milky colored, even late in summer, and it was named by Lewis and Clark, who
thought the water looked like “a cup of tea with the admixture of a tablespoonful of milk.”
Life along the river seems to follow an equally relaxed pace in nice little towns like
Saco, Malta, and Fort Belknap. This is the country of Wallace Stegner, the beloved Western
author who spent much of his childhood along Frenchman Creek, a tributary of the Milk
River. He didn't always love the austere beauty of the place, but he always appreciated it in
his spare, beautiful prose.
This is also prime hunting territory for large game and birds, and there are a number of
places to enjoy the water by boat or with a fishing rod. Many people simply come to drink
it all in, visiting the scenic wildlife refuges, driving through the open country, stopping in
friendly towns along the way, or relaxing at eastern Montana's only hot springs resort.
A notable stop on the Montana Dinosaur Trail, Malta (population 1,993, elevation 2,254
feet) is a hub for the myriad ranches in the area and a nice place to start day trips into the
Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge or to organize an exciting fossil dig.
Just west of town is the site of a great train robbery in 1901 by Kid Curry and his gang of
outlaws, many of whom were known to frequent the area. The other most famous residents
of Malta were of the scaly variety: a 77-million-year-old mummified
Brachylophosaurus,
a
rare and precious find, was unearthed north of town in 2000 and has become something of
a local hero, along with Roberta and Peanut, all of whom are on display in town.
The
Phillips County Museum
(431 U.S. 2 E., 406/654-1037,
www.phillipscountymuseum.org
,
10am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 12:30pm-5pm Sun. summer, $5
adults, $3 children, $12 family, free for children under 6) is a stop on the Montana Dinosaur
Trail and includes exhibits on mining, Native Americans, outlaws, and, most notably, dino-
saurs. The collection includes Elvis, the aforementioned
Brachylophosaurus,
in addition to
a complete
Tyrannosaurus rex
skull and an upright full-size
Albertosaurus,
a relative of the
T. rex
and the primary prey of the
Brachylophosaurus.
A beautifully restored 1903 home,
