Montana roads

Montana has some of the most scenic roads in north america. Arguably the world. - by tj fry

5y ago
4.3K

Well... It's officially 2017. Now that we've abandoned the collective shit-show that was 2016, let's all agree to tackle 2017 head-on.

I don't know about you, but no matter where I have the pleasure of driving, I always long for the twisty mountain roads of our beautiful state, Montana. Having taken part in the annual Rally North America (RNA) charity road rally since its inception in 2010, I've driven roads all over the US and Canada. While Route 66 has incredible history, the Blue Ridge Parkway has beautiful views, and Trail Ridge Road has wildlife galore, nothing stokes my fire like the roads in our own backyard.

In summer 2016, I was finally able to convince the RNA organizers that a drive through Montana was a must-do item on every motoring enthusiast's bucket list, so they finally brought their incredible event out west. The Big Sky Rally started in Billings and over the next 3 days, followed some of the best roads our state has to offer. Most people would've taken their "fun" car. If you're a Montana-based motorhead, that could mean you take anything from a classic Shelby Mustang, to a jacked-up Cummins, to a Lamborghini Aventador. If we're honest though, that likely means you take a Subaru.

We opted to take my drift car, the #skiddemon. Unfortunately, a 1995 Nissan 240SX with a straight-piped LS3 and a 4-speed dog box doesn't make a comfortable cruiser for a road trip, so we loaded it up in the Dark Horse Customs trailer and towed it with our 2015 Chevy Silverado. Not an exhilarating setup, but it did accomplish our goal of doing copious amounts of burnouts, donuts, and race laps on the tracks we'd visit.

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Leaving Billings, we were supposed to drive over the legendary Beartooth Highway, but due to bad weather, it was closed. As it turns out, the rest of our country simply doesn't grasp the concept of snow in July, because no one on the rally believed me when I told them it was closed due to snow. It wasn't until they saw snow on the ground the next morning in Big Sky that anyone conceded it was a good idea for MTDOT to close the Beartooth Highway.

While we missed the incredibly scenic Beartooth Plateau, we did get to drive through Paradise Valley south of Livingston, through Yellowstone National Park, and then Highway 191 from West Yellowstone to Big Sky for the night.

If you haven't driven these roads yet, you're missing out. Yes, there are a lot of tourists on these roads in the summer, but there's a lot to be said for driving a road simply to enjoy the scenery. You can always go drive them at night when no one is around and you'll be in for a treat.

Leaving Big Sky, we drove down Highway 191 to Bozeman and then snaked our way to Helena, passing endless wheat fields and strait-aways that stretch as far as you can see on Highway 287. Once we left Helena, we joined I-15, and while the Interstate system has never been renowned for it's driving pleasure, the stretch between Helena and Wolf Creek is a great stretch of twisting tarmac that just so happens to be extremely well-maintained.

Heading north on more of Montana's two-lane highways, we found some beautiful ribbons of road that I had no idea existed. We enjoyed the banked turns and then it flattened out and led us into Great Falls for the night.

On the third day, we left Great Falls and headed towards, where else, but Glacier National Park. Most of us native to Montana have driven Going To The Sun Road, and we've probably ALL wished that we could shut it down and drive it in our weapon of choice, but despite the slow-moving tourist traffic and the gawkers standing in the middle of the road, Going To The Sun Road truly is the most scenic road I've ever driven. You owe it to yourself to make the drive at least once in your life.

This was only a 3 day trek across Montana that had been organized by people who were from the east coast, and while they did a bang up job selecting roads to drive, it was very clear that these were to go-to roads that people who had never experienced Montana would want to drive. So now that I've driven them, I want to find the best hidden stretches of asphalt that snake their way across our great state.

Unfortunately, it's all too common that we let life get in the way of these adventures. There's a million reasons not to go. We get busy with work, have to go see the in-laws, it's hunting season, or maybe a wild fire has blocked your favorite road. Hell, if you were driving back when gas tipped the $4.00/gallon point, you remember how painful it was to burn fuel, especially for fun. I'm here to challenge you to do one thing this year. Get out and DRIVE.

We all know there is incredible beauty in the 406, but we tend to get so wrapped up in our daily lives that we forget to get out and enjoy it. It's so easy to hop on the Interstate and blast at a legal 80mph to wherever our destination is that we forget why we love our cars in the first place. We love our cars because we love to DRIVE THEM. Plain and simple.

So this summer, join me in exploring the roads all over Montana. Get in your car, with or without friends, and go explore. Leave some extra time on those long trips and take the back roads. Seek out the adventure that only a car can provide and then report what you find back to Montana's Tribe. We all want to know the great roads we have to enjoy, so let's get out there and find them. And always remember...

Do what drives you.

-TJ

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Comments (5)

  • Very well written, TJ. I am so glad that you convinced Tony and Scott to head west. Having driven every other rally, which were all awesome by the way, this was the first that had me saying " I am coming back here" at each and every stop. And since we will be living on the west coast for a couple of years, we will definitely be heading north soon.

      5 years ago
  • I think that Montana is a game changer. I've driven all over this country, and nothing came close to the beauty and quality of the roads Montana has.... was a bucket list state, and I was fortunate enough to spend about 4 of the 12 days in Montana.... I'll be the first to say it, you were absolutely right...

      5 years ago
  • Awesome article TJ! I have to say that after driving Montana and Alaska in the same calendar if I had to choose one of the two I would pick Montana. Fortunately I don't have choose so I expect to be back to both in short order.

      5 years ago
  • Well said, TJ. I have thr honor of driving Highway 191 5 days a week, and get to do twisty roads even farther, up to the Big Sky resort and other incredible places. I plan on taking up your challenge and driving more. Another great road in Montana is Higheay 1, or the Pintler Veteran's Memorial Scenic Highway.

      5 years ago
  • Awesome article TJ! Montana is a must drive!

      5 years ago
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