Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Dollar Rent-a-Car
(1 mile from the airport, Belgrade, 877/388-3030) will deliver a
vehicle to any Big Sky location.
Rough and tumble Livingston (population 6,969, elevation 4,501 feet) has always been
a crossroads of cultures. A railroad town, it was long the launching point for expedi-
tions—both professional and leisurely—into Yellowstone National Park. Paradise Valley,
the stunning agricultural and recreational corridor linking Livingston to the north entrance
of Yellowstone National Park, was the stomping ground of the Crow Indians, a prized re-
gion for fur trappers, and the end point of the great cattle drive from Texas. The town was
surrounded by mines, which drew a unique crowd, and today it probably has more literary
figures and artists per capita than any other community in the state.
At one point in the early 1880s, there were 40 businesses in town, 30 of which were
saloons. Such legendary characters as Calamity Jane and Madame Bulldog were residents.
Evidence of those wild days is still visible in various establishments—for example, as bullet
holes through the ceiling. The town still has a healthy number of bars, but in a nod to food-
ies, there are now an equal number of excellent restaurants.
Livingston's transformation into a haven for legendary artists, writers, and actors prob-
ably started in the 1960s. Iconic film director Sam Peckinpah took up residence in the
town's Murray Hotel, and writers Tom McGuane, Doug Peacock, Tim Cahill, and Richard
Brautigan all called Livingston home—and some still do. Actors including Peter Fonda,
Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, and Dennis Quaid have ranches outside town.
Indeed, Livingston has a rich blended culture that is evident in everything from its soph-
isticated galleries and gourmet restaurants to its bawdy bars, rollicking rodeo, and fly-fish-
ing paradise.
The town's
Depot Center
(200 W. Park St., 406/222-2300,
www.livingstonmuseums.org
,
9am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 1pm-5pm Sun. Memorial Day-Labor Day, donation) is a majestic
building anchoring the town to its railroad heritage. In addition to being something of a
community center where the town gathers for concerts and special events, the depot houses
a worthwhile museum featuring history, art, and culture of the region. Electric-train buffs
