Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In Montana, the cities of Billings, Bozeman, Kalispell, Helena, Butte, and Missoula are
served by major carriers Delta, United, Alaska/Horizon, and Frontier, although some flights
may be seasonal. Low-cost Allegiant Airlines offers direct flights to Phoenix or Las Ve-
gas from Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Missoula, and Kalispell. Great Lakes Airlines
has some flights from Billings on 19- or 32-seat turboprops to the smaller towns of Havre,
Lewistown, Glasgow, Wolf Point, Sidney, and Glendive. West Yellowstone's airport is open
in the summer only and is served by SkyWest Airlines from Salt Lake City.
If budget is your top priority, be sure to look into flights into nearby airports. For travel-
ers going to Bozeman, for example, sometimes flights in and out of Billings (140 miles) or
Butte (85 miles) can be significantly less expensive. That's not always the case; sometimes
smaller airports can be even pricier with more limited schedules, but it's worth looking
into. Keep in mind that drivers will often encounter wildlife on the roads, particularly late
at night. And weather conditions can be sketchy, especially during winter. In other words,
make sure the money saved on the flight is worth your time on the road.
Driving around Wyoming and Montana is the most efficient way to experience the scenic
grandeur of these two states. In Montana, the I-94/I-90 corridor follows the Yellowstone
and Clark Fork Rivers and is the best route across the state. The only major highway run-
ning north to south is I-15, which links Great Falls, Helena, and Butte to Canada and Salt
Lake City. Some of the state's more famous back roads include U.S. Highway 2, which par-
allels the Canadian border on Montana's Hi-Line along the old Great Northern rail line, and
Highway 200 and U.S. Highway 12, which cut east and west across the central part of the
state. U.S. Highway 191 and U.S. Highway 93 are popular north-south routes that connect
Montana with Idaho and Canada.
In Wyoming, I-80 runs across the state from Nebraska to Nevada, while I-25 heads north
from Colorado up to its intersection with I-90 in Buffalo, then on to Billings, Montana.
U.S. Highway 89 is a popular and scenic route to Jackson from Salt Lake City, and then up
through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks into Montana.
Highway Safety
A few considerations apply when you are planning a road trip to Montana or Wyoming. In
general, interstates and major highways are in good condition across the region, although
short summers mean road construction can be expected at any time of the day—or night, in
some cases. State highways are often narrow and winding, not compatible with drowsy or
