BOZEMAN AND THE GATEWAY TO YELLOWSTONE - Montana and Wyoming - page 397

A couple of great outings just beyond town include Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
(6990 Buffalo Jump Rd., 7 miles south of Logan, 406/285-3610, www.stateparks.mt.gov ,
sunrise-sunset daily, $5/vehicle nonresidents) and Missouri Headwaters State Park (1585
Trident Rd., Three Forks, 406/285-3610, www.stateparks.mt.gov , dawn-dusk daily, $5),
which offers hiking, biking, interpretive trails, camping, and river access for boating and
fishing.
Six miles south of Three Forks, the small community of Willow Creek (population 210,
elevation 4,153 feet) has plenty of charm. The creek that runs through town was originally
named Pholofiphers River by William Clark, but the town wisely renamed the creek and
the town for the willows that grow along the banks. The town's half-dozen artists organize
the Willow Creek Art Walks the third Friday of each month May-August. A local gallery
not to be missed is Aunt Dofe's Hall of Recent Memory (102 Main St., 406/285-6996,
www.auntdofe.com , hours vary), which supports the work of contemporary local artists.
Across the street, the Willow Creek Café and Saloon (21 N. Main St., 406/285-3698,
4pm-9pm Tues.-Sun., $8-29) draws diners from far and wide for its quaint ambience and
savory cuisine, including the valley's best ribs. You can't go wrong with the daily spe-
cials—everything is made from scratch. And if you can time your dinner on a night when
Montana Rose is playing, you're in for a real treat.
Ennis
In the heart of the Madison Valley, and in the thick of some of the state's best fly-
fishing, is Ennis (population 835, elevation 4,953), 45 miles southwest of Bozeman on
U.S. Highway 287. The town hosts a wonderful Fourth of July Rodeo and Parade
(for reserved-seat tickets, call 406/682-4230 after Memorial Day) each year at the fair-
grounds. There is also an excellent weekly Farm to Fork Farmers Market (Valley
Bank of Ennis, 118 W. Williams St., www.madisonfarmtofork.com , 5pm-7pm Fri. June-
Sept.) and the much-touted Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival (406/682-3148,
www.madisonriverfoundation.org ) , held annually over Labor Day weekend. A benefit for
the Madison River Foundation, the three-day event offers plenty of art, food, music, fly-
fishing instruction, and camaraderie.
The fishing is indeed the thing in these parts, and a number of good outfitters can lead
you to gulpers on the Madison River and in Ennis Lake, Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, Cliff
Lake, and Wade Lake. A good place to start is The Tackle Shop (127 Main St., 406/
682-4263 or 800/808-2832, www.thetackleshop.com ) , which touts itself as the oldest fly
shop in Montana.