Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Established with a post office under the name Old Agency in 1875, Choteau is one of the
region's oldest active towns. The name was changed in 1882 to honor Pierre Chouteau,
president of the American Fur Company and responsible for bringing the first steamboat
up the Missouri River. This ranching town at the edge of the Rockies is a dinosaur-lover's
dream, with paleontological museums and sites galore. It also provides unparalleled access
to some of the state's most incredible wilderness areas. In addition to its obvious attractions,
Choteau is simply a charming Montana town—small, friendly, and ideally situated for vis-
itors.
Sights
The remains of the most famous inhabitants of
Egg Mountain
(U.S. 287, between mile-
posts 57 and 58) were discovered in 1977 by Marion Brandvold and studied extensively
by dinosaur guru Jack Horner. The discovery has yielded the largest collection of dinosaur
eggs, embryos, and baby skeletons in the western hemisphere. The findings entirely
changed our notion of how dinosaurs raised their young. The baby remains were found
alongside an enormous number of adult remains, which scientists determined was a monu-
mental herd of
Maiasaura
(good mother reptile) along with a lesser number of
Troodons
killed in a catastrophic event like a volcanic eruption or a hurricane. Egg Mountain is one
of 16 sites in Montana deemed “geological wonders” by a team of historians, geologists,
and paleontologists. An interpretive sign on U.S. Highway 287 provides information about
the site. There is also a small parking area, and visitors are welcome to wander the site,
which is more a hill than a mountain. Naturalist guides occasionally offer narrated tours of
the area; for more information contact the Museum of the Rockies (406/994-2251).
Located at the north end of town, the
Old Trail Museum
(823 N. Main St., 406/
466-5332,
www.theoldtrailmuseum.com
,
9am-5pm daily Memorial Day-Labor Day, $2)
celebrates both the natural and cultural history of the Rocky Mountain Front. In the Dino-
saurs of the Two Medicine paleontology gallery, there are dinosaur bones and fossils
aplenty, along with a good
Maiasaura
exhibit. The museum also has a number of other in-
teresting local history exhibits, including Native American artifacts collected by A. B. Gu-
thrie Jr. and details of Choteau's last hanging.
Between Choteau and Fairfield off U.S. Highway 89 is
Freezeout Lake
(406/467-2646,
www.fwp.mt.gov
,
mid-Mar.-autumn), an absolute birder's paradise, and for many
Montanans the best place to gauge the imminent arrival of ever-elusive spring. The scenic
lake is a staging area for hundreds of thousands of snow geese and thousands of tundra
