Okay, so I know I already told you a little bit about my trip to Montana with Lilly: why it was so meaningful to me, what we ate, the food it inspired at home, and that sort of thing.

This week, I want to very quickly share our itinerary so that if you ever find yourself in south central Montana in summer (a thing I very much recommend you do), you have some tips and maybe even a vision for where you want to go.

This area is an explorer’s PARADISE with hikes, lakes, and rivers around every corner. Yellowstone is a short, one-hour drive down highway 191 (short by Montana terms) and the food scene in both Bozeman and Big Sky is improving by the minute.

In other words, this is by no means a comprehensive list of things to do. It’s just a little bit more about how we spent our days with some locals who have lived and loved this part of the world for nearly a decade. I hope you enjoy getting a bigger taste of our trip, and I truly hope you visit.

Day 1: Downtown Bozeman & Hyalite Reservoir

Bozeman Airport // Okay first and foremost, if you are not road-tripping to this area (which is very fun and I would also recommend if you have the time), you are going to want to fly into BZN (the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport) which is quite possibly the most lovely airport in the world. Small airport, lots of timber framing, huge windows with expansive views of the mountains, I could move in here. It’s technically in Belgrade, about 15 minutes northwest of Bozeman and about an hour from Big Sky.

Downtown Bozeman// Central Bozeman is so freaking cute and well-worth a morning (or afternoon, or evening) walkaround. The downtown is compact, making it great for on-foot exploring. The best area is concentrated on Main Street. I love to wander from the Bozeman Community Food Co-op to Lindley Park and the impressive public library (a little over a mile) on both Main Street and the residential streets on either side of Main (if you’re like me and also love looking at adorable houses).

This is how Lilly and I spent our first morning, walking together for a couple hours while I worked to get her back to sleep from her 5 am wake-up in the small studio apartment we were staying at with a friend. If you’ve got less time for strolling, the best concentration of shops, restaurants, and coffee is from Grand Ave to Bozeman Ave. Some highlights for me on this stretch include: Heyday, Country Bookstore, Owenhouse Ace Hardware Downtown (which has the largest collection of kitchenware I have ever seen), and Zocalo for coffee.

Jam! //This is thee place to go for brunch in downtown Bozeman. I had Lilly, who was making friends and flinging things everywhere therefore keeping me busy and a little less focused on the dining experience, but I very much enjoyed my meal here and would say it’s a 10/10 for families with young kids and also serves up exceptional biscuits. Though we only got one pancake (it was all exceptional), there was also an option for a pancake flight which I very much like and will do next time.

MAP Brewing Company //If you are visiting in summer and want to enjoy a beer somewhere with a view, then this is definitely your spot. MAP Brewing is located on the northside of town with stunning, sweeping views of the Bridgers from their sprawling outdoor patio. The beers were good (not exceptional, but certainly good enough) and with a limited menu that included cheese curds and a giant soft pretzel, I felt right at home. This brewery is also located right next to Bozeman Lake (which has a small but sweet beach) and some really nice, gentle walking trails.

Hyalite Reservoir//Hyalite Reservoir is a local gem located about 10 miles into the Hyalite Canyon (and about 20 miles south of Bozeman). The drive through the canyon is impressive (as are the views at the lake) and if you don’t plan to go as far as Big Sky or Yellowstone, it gives you a beautiful taste of the area. It’s a great lake for SUP or kayaking, which lots of people are doing, but the reservoir is big enough it doesn’t feel crowded at all. There are also tons of hiking trails and camping in this area (though I hear the sites fill up pretty quickly in summer).

Bozeman Co-op //I have visited Bozeman twice (for a total of maybe 36 hours tops) and have visited the Bozeman Co-op three times so it certainly deserves a mention. Also because at least as of right now, it is my favorite co-op in the nation (yes, I love it even more than my local Willy Street Co-op which I visit weekly). They have an amazing selection of absolutely everything and it’s a great place to stock up on snacks, beers, or groceries.

Day 2: Big Sky

Porcupine Creek Trail//We headed out in the morning for a quick 4-mile loop at a place not more than two miles from Liz’s home (and about 5 miles from Big Sky Town Center) where she frequently heads for trail runs. It was so fun to start our first full day together here, on a trail where she spends hours and hours each month. It was my favorite kind of trail with rolling hills, expansive sweeping views, some woods to walk through, a creek to walk beside (and ford), and lots and lots of wildflowers. We did the 4-mile loop and it was everything I wanted. It’s a great place for hikers of all skill levels because there are several loop options of varying lengths.

Olive B’s Big Sky Bistro//On our first full evening in Big Sky, Liz had to work which made for the perfect excuse to head out for a meal in town center. The food in Big Sky is notoriously overpriced and I’d visited most of their best restaurants on my last trip so we planned to cook for most of our meals, but I hadn’t been to Olive B’s yet. It was a very quick meal since my aunt brought Liz’s 4-month old daughter Mable and I had Lilly, but the food was delicious. I talked about it a bit last week as their eggplant dish truly transformed how I will enjoy eggplant parm from now on. The appetizer we got was also super tasty and my cocktail was perfectly crafted. Plus there was warm bread and whipped butter. The ambiance was fine. Nothing too special, but if you want a nice meal in Big Sky, the food is definitely delicious.

Day 3: Ennis & Virginia City + Scenic Driving

Ennis// The main purpose of this road trip was two things: 1) visit the adorable city of Virginia City (see below) and 2) see the land Liz had purchased in the town of Ennis right before the pandemic. Ennis is a small but growing town on the other side of the Madison Range and Spanish Peaks. As the crow flies, it’s only about 20 miles from Big Sky, but since the mountain range separates the two towns and there’s currently no public road over the mountains, it’s a 90 minute drive to get there. Ennis is on the flat dry side of the mountain which means there’s more grassland and sprawling mountain views. The town itself is cute with local outdoor art, a few great restaurants, and strong Western vibes. We were just passing through with only one stop at the lovely Sure Shot Coffee Co. for iced coffee fuel for these two sleep-deprived mommas and a cute patio to let our girls stretch their legs.

Virginia City// This is such a quaint little place: a sleepy, historic Western gold mining town from the late 1800’s. My cousin Liz, who has lived in the Big Sky area for 7 years, had always found this place charming but had never been, so we got to experience it together for the first time which was seriously so sweet.

It’s a long drive from Big Sky (almost 2 hours) but we didn’t care because we knew the girls would get great naps in the car. It’s about an hour from Bozeman if you’re staying there. Highlights included: the pizza and beer special at Bob’s Place, wandering the halls of the Fairweather Inn, buying too much candy at Cousin’s Candy Shop, and huckleberry lavender ice cream at the Virginia City Creamery. We didn’t do the train or carriage ride because we were short on time, but I would definitely do either (or both) if we had been for longer than a couple hours.

Highway 287 Ennis to Grayling + Highway 191 back to Big Sky// We took the slightly longer, much more scenic route home to Big Sky— heading south from Ennis towards West Yellowstone (the Western entrance to Yellowstone National Park) and then back north though the Gallatin Valley.

It was simply breathtaking and I would recommend this daytrip to anyone visiting Big Sky or Bozeman in summer. The full loop around the mountains takes a little over 3 hours (4 hours if you add on Virginia City), but there are great stops all along the way and it is just so flipping beautiful I can hardly handle it.

After Ennis, we only stopped at Earthquake Lake (a beautiful lake with an eerie history) to let the girls wade for a moment, but drove along the Madison River (which had many turn offs for paddling or fishing), got close to the Sphinx Trailhead (one of Liz’s personal favorite trails), meandered along the shores of the stunning Hebgen Lake, and then finished our drive through a small part of Yellowstone National Park along the Gallatin River. There were trailheads and camping areas everywhere, and I can’t wait to come back and explore this area more.

Big Sky PBR Bingo Night//Lilly and I ended this incredible day with a trip to Big Sky Town Center with my aunt where we met up with my other cousin Jenny for an adorable community Bingo night prior to Big Sky’s biggest week of the year: PBR (the Professional Bull Riders tour). We were leaving Montana before the bull-riding and music events started, so it was fun to see where all the festivities were going to be happening. We drank yummy (very strong) margaritas from 406 Agave, snacked on curly fries from Cosmic Cafe, and played 11 rounds of bingo (with my cousin winning the bonus black-out bingo—because of course she did). Perfect ending to a picture perfect day.

Day 4: A little more Big Sky

Hanging at my cousin’s AirBnb//By day 4 of the trip (which was day 5 away from home), everyone was tired. Lilly wasn’t sleeping well which meant I wasn’t sleeping well, and I was starting to feel a little behind on work things. There were only a couple work tasks I had to accomplish while on vacation, but they hadn’t been given even a thought. SO, on our last morning in Montana, we headed to my cousin Jenny’s Airbnb in Big Sky to spend the day resting and working with a quiet room for Lilly to sleep in and speedy internet for me. It was a short part of my trip but the AirBnb was so quaint I just had to share it. And it’s in a great location should you ever want to visit Big Sky.

North Fork Trail//Once we finally finished relaxing and recuperating, Lilly and I headed out on a hike with my aunt just outside town center. We wandered along a creek and made it about halfway up the North Fork Trail. This trail was more wooded and less filled with expansive views, but it was beautiful hiking along the stream, peeking at the little waterfalls, and being surrounded by more wildflowers. I’d love to take this trail even farther and deeper into the mountains next time.

Big Sky Farmer’s Market// Every Wednesday night in Big Sky from June through the end of September there is a farmer’s market that connects the new and old town centers of Big Sky. It’s a big to do with 100+ vendors and lots of locals stopping by to visit their friends. It was super fun to come with three well-connected locals and make the rounds, but honestly, it wasn’t really my kind of farmers’ market (and by that I mean there were a million things to purchase, but almost none of them were food). We did find some broccoli rabe and garlic scapes for our last night feast (and I of course found myself an tasty pastry from a place called Sinclair’s Bakery), plus it was nice to give the actual town of Big Sky a bit more love before heading out.

So there you have it: my whirlwind 4-day trip to Montana with Lilly.

Despite the fact that our trip was short, and I was slowed down considerably due to my having to keep a small human happy, well-fed, and decently well-rested, it was magic.

And yes, this trip was magic for all the reasons I already mentioned in my other post (like the fact that it was my first solo trip with my daughter- not sure there is anything more amazing, inspiring, or empowering than that!), but honestly another BIG PART of the magic was the fact that it was Montana in summer.

I have now visited this gorgeous place in peak summer and peak winter, and I honestly couldn’t recommend either more highly.

Seeing these vistas when everything was green, the water was high (but not too high thank goodness), and the wildflowers were blooming was just wonderful. It is an absolutely stunning part of this world. I also loved visiting in winter when everything was gorgeously snow-covered and Yellowstone was sleepy. If you want to read more about that trip, head on over here.

Thanks for reading everyone. May you all sign off and go plan a trip to Montana!

-Lauren

Locally Grown by Lauren Rudersdorf

Big Sky, Bozeman & Ennis, Montana