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towns like Hamilton and Stevensville. Another option is to stay at one of the numerous
guest ranches in the Bitterroot Valley that have quick and easy access to Missoula.
Almost any part of western Montana can be accessed within a day's drive of Missoula,
including the tiny but bustling villages lining the sandy shores of Flathead Lake —don't
miss charming Bigfork with its galleries, eateries, and theater—as well as Glacier Nation-
al Park and its gold-letter gateway town of Whitefish, a marvelous destination with great
restaurants and world-class recreation. Whitefish's proximity to Glacier Park and the Flat-
head National Forest makes it an obvious vacation spot for outdoor enthusiasts. Just south
of Whitefish, the larger and slightly less picturesque Kalispell has plenty of lodging op-
tions, easy air access, and a couple of interesting, offbeat museums.
Missoula
Given its location as the hub of five river valleys—the Jocko and Blackfoot Rivers to the
north, the upper and lower Clark Forks east and west of the city, and the Bitterroot to the
south—Missoula's longtime status as an important trade center makes perfect sense. About
halfway between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, Missoula (population 67,290, el-
evation 3,200 feet) is on the way to just about everywhere in this part of the state and a
natural stopping point for visitors to the region.
Originally named Hell Gate by founding fathers C. P. Higgins and Francis
Worden—who set up a trading post on the Mullan Road between Fort Benton and Walla
Walla, Washington, roughly four miles west of the city's present-day location—Missoula
grew quickly when a military post was built in 1870 to protect residents from Indian attacks.
When the state legislature agreed to make Missoula the home of the state's university, its
status as a city in its own right was secured. The city was built with wood from the forests
all around, and logging and paper milling would long define the city with a working-class
sensibility and vulnerability to backbreaking and heartbreaking boom-and-bust economic
cycles.
The other major defining element of the city—the University of Montana—keeps Mis-
soula young, vibrant, and for this state, liberal. Perhaps because the school is best known
for its creative writing, art, drama, and dance programs, Missoula is decidedly arts-oriented.
Favorite annual events and organizations include the International Wildlife Film Festival,
the International Chorale Festival, and the far-ranging Missoula Children's Theatre.
Not the least of its charms, Missoula is located between the Bitterroot and Flathead Val-
leys, and there are a host of mesmerizing locales in close proximity. Outdoor enthusiasts
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