Montana has no shortage of postcard moments, but some of the state’s best stories live a little off the main road. The most unique things to do in Montana tend to hide in plain sight: a remarkably preserved gold-rush ghost town, a hillside filled with white Buddha statues rising out of ranch country, or natural hot springs tucked into a mountain corridor traveled by Lewis and Clark. These are the places that turn a good trip into the one you keep telling people about.

Many of the unique things to do in Montana sit within an easy drive of Missoula, making it the perfect home base for all your adventures. A short drive north on Highway 93, the Garden of 1000 Buddhas in Arlee, Montana, draws visitors to a peaceful corner of the Jocko Valley. Guests enjoy taking a day trip to the National Bison Range, exploring Travelers Rest State Park, and spending time in the Bitterroot Valley. If you’ve been searching for things to do near Missoula, MT, you can experience a surprising amount in this corner of Montana.

As innkeepers at a Montana bed and breakfast just minutes from town, we spend a lot of mornings helping guests sort through the many things to do in western Montana. Our recommendations and hearty breakfast, featuring items like delicate Swedish pancakes or huckleberry Dutch Babies, prepare guests for a full day of exploring. Book your stay today, and start planning your adventure!

The Most Unique Things to Do in Montana, All Within Reach of Missoula

Every state has its roadside attractions. Montana has places that stop you mid-sentence. These six attractions are all within a manageable drive away, making them excellent day trips from Missoula and, together, strong contenders for anyone looking for the best things to do in Montana beyond the state’s busiest national park destinations.

1. Garden of 1000 Buddhas, Arlee. Officially known as the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas, this peaceful Tibetan Buddhist garden sits in the Jocko Valley just north of Arlee on the Flathead Indian Reservation, homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. One thousand hand-cast Buddha statues surround a 24-foot figure of Yum Chenmo, or the Great Mother of Transcendent Wisdom, in a sacred design based on the eight-spoked Dharma wheel. Another thousand stupas line the outer circle, each enshrining an image of Tara. Visitors are welcome daily, with hours varying by season. Because this is a sacred site, Ewam asks visitors to leave pets at home. Parking is at 34756 White Coyote Road in Arlee, Montana, and guided tours are offered when available from April through October.
2. St. Ignatius Mission. St. Ignatius is one of the area’s most remarkable historic interiors and one of the most unique things to do in Montana. The present church dates to 1891, but the real surprise is inside: 58 murals covering its walls and ceiling were painted over just fourteen months in 1904 and 1905 by Brother Joseph Carignano, a Jesuit with no professional art training who completed the work between his duties as the mission cook and handyman. The Mission is designated as a National Historic Site and also includes a museum, gift shop, the original 1854 log church and residence, and the 1864 Providence Sisters’ residence. Visitor hours vary by season, so check their website before planning your visit.
3. CSKT Bison Range. Farther north near Moiese and Charlo, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes manage the nearly 18,800-acre Bison Range, home to roughly 350 bison as well as a much broader community of native wildlife. The showpiece during summer is Red Sleep Mountain Drive, making this stop one of the most unique things to do in Montana. Combined with the lower Prairie Drive, it forms a 19-mile route that takes about two hours. Red Sleep is generally open during the May–October summer season, while Prairie Drive remains available during the winter when conditions allow. There is a small fee for a personal-vehicle day pass, and federal park passes are not accepted. Road and weather conditions can change, so check the range’s current status before making the drive.
4. Garnet Ghost Town. Gold brought people here in the 1890s, and when the boom faded, much of the town stayed behind. Today, Garnet Ghost Town, Montana, is one of the state’s best-preserved mining towns, with about 30 historic buildings tucked into the Garnet Range. Depending on weather, the visitor center is open daily from late May through September. There is a small admission fee for visitors age 16 and older. Winter changes the experience completely. Once snow closes the road to ordinary vehicle traffic, access is by snowmobile, snowshoe, or cross-country ski. That’s part of what makes Garnet one of the most memorable hidden gems in Montana, but it’s also why checking current road conditions before leaving Missoula is important.
5. Lolo Hot Springs. Of all the hot springs near Missoula, this one comes with some extraordinary history and is one of the most unique things to do in Montana. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the first visitors known to leave a written record of the springs, reaching them on September 13, 1805. Today, Lolo Hot Springs Resort is surrounded by the Lolo National Forest and includes two natural hot-spring pools, one indoor and one outdoor. The indoor pool currently runs around 103–106 degrees depending on the season, while the outdoor pool is kept considerably cooler. Day passes are sold on a first-come, first-served basis rather than by reservation.
6. Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort. For a more developed soaking experience, head northwest toward Paradise. Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort includes five natural flow-through hot-spring pools ranging from about 100 to 106 degrees, a 55-degree cool plunge, and two additional salt-treated pools maintained in the upper 90s to 100 degrees. Day-use guests need advance online reservations for a four-hour session. There is an entrance fee per person for day-use guests, and don’t forget to bring your own towel.

Standing in a Tibetan Buddhist garden or watching bison graze beneath the Mission Mountains makes exploring western Montana unforgettable. Whether your ideal outing involves history, wildlife, mountain scenery, or a long soak in geothermal water, these unique things to do in Montana all work comfortably from a Missoula home base.

Why a Montana Bed and Breakfast Is the Perfect Home Base

The best part of finding unique things to do in Montana is having somewhere peaceful to land at the end of the day. Our five guest rooms sit on twenty acres of mountainside wildlife habitat immediately adjacent to National Forest, close enough to Missoula for dinner downtown but far enough away for the perfect mountain retreat. Our guest rooms have a private bath with a jetted tub, a king or queen bed, and picturesque views of the gardens, forests, mountains, or valley. From our Montana Bed and Breakfast, you can look across the Bitterroot River and valley and toward a landscape that includes part of the historic Lewis and Clark Trail.

Mornings here are their own reason to stay. Guests can enjoy delicious breakfast fare either in the dining room or on one of the garden decks. Guests have been returning to our Montana Bed and Breakfast for nearly twenty years, and helping people discover the unique things to do in Montana beyond the obvious stops is one of the pleasures of being innkeepers here. Book your stay and make us your home base!