Montana Photographic Destinations
Let me help you to find a great location in Mississippi for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser known destinations, as well as the famous “Icon Locations” for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to insure a quality guide to great locations for photography in Montana.
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Montana Photographic Destinations
Montana Destinations
The National Bison Range is a diverse ecosystem of grasslands, Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests, riparian areas and ponds. The Range is one of the last intact publicly-owned intermountain native grasslands in the U.S.
President Theodore Roosevelt established the National Bison Range on May 23, 1908 when he signed legislation authorizing funds to purchase suitable land for the conservation of bison. It was the first time that Congress appropriated tax dollars to buy land specifically to conserve wildlife. The overall mission of the National Bison Range is to maintain a representative herd of bison, under reasonably natural conditions, to ensure the preservation of the species for continued public enjoyment.
The original herd of bison released in 1909 was purchased with private money raised by the American Bison Society and then donated to the Refuge. Today, 350-500 bison call this refuge home.
What to Photograph:
The first obvious thing to photograph is the bison, but the in addition to herds of bison, it supports populations of Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep as well as coyotes, mountain lions, bears, bobcat and over 200 species of birds. In spring there are many native wildflowers including balsamroot, yellowbells, lupine and paintbrush. There are also scenic drives such as the Red Sleep Mountain Drive (mid-May to early-Oct). This 19-mile, one-way loop road gains 2,000 feet and there are many switchbacks and 10% grades along the drive.
Best Time for Photographers:
Dawn and dusk are the best times for photographing wildlife, keep in mind that the refuge closes at dark and it can take quite a while to complete the Red Sleep Mountain Drive.
Operating hours:
Gate times will change frequently as days get longer or shorter. The Refuge closes to all public use at night.
Getting There:
The National Bison Range is located in the Mission Valley of Northwest Montana.
From the south, take Highway 93 north to Ravalli, turning west on Highway 200 to Highway 212. Travel north on Highway 212 for 5 miles to the entrance.
From the north, take Highway 93 south of Polson for 18 miles to State Highway 212; travel 12 miles to the entrance.
From the west, turn north off Interstate 90 onto Highway 135 at St. Regis. Turn east at Highway 200 to Highway 212 just east of Dixon. Travel north on Highway 212 for 5 miles to the entrance.
GPS coordinates to Front Gate: N47 22.338 W114 15.807
Decimals and degrees: 47.372302 -114.263445
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Click here for larger version
Cost:
Day Passes to the Bison Range:
Private vehicle – $5.00
Commercial van – 5 or less people – $5.00
Commercial van – 6-10 people – $10.00
Commercial van – over 10 people – $12.00
Bus and Tour Groups – $25.00
Bison Range Season Pass – $15 (Valid for one year from date of issue)
Facilities:
The closest lodging and camping are available in the nearby communities Ronan and St. Ignatius (18 miles and 15 miles respectively). For an extensive list of state-wide accommodations, check out the official State Travel Site of Montana.
Gasoline (no diesel) and basic supplies are as close as the front gate, at the Moiese Mercantile as well in communities on the way to the Bison Range.
There are no public phones in the immediate vicinity of the Bison Range Visitor Center and cell phone reception is spotty. Please plan accordingly.
Location Contact Information:
National Bison Range Office:
Mailing/Physical Address
National Bison Range
58355 Bison Range Road
Moiese, MT 59824
Main phone – 406/644-2211
FAX 406/644-2661
General email: bisonrange@fws.gov
National Bison Range Website
Nearest City or Town:
The National Bison Range is about 50 miles north of Missoula Mt.
National Bison Range Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Montana:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Garnet is a ghost town in Granite County, Montana, located on the dirt Wallace Creek Road, it is an abandoned mining town that dates from the 1860’s. In First Chance Creek in western Montana, the town is at the edge of the high desert in the Front Range, but sheltered in a forest. The town is at about 6,000 feet elevation.
Garnet was named for the garnet, a semi-precious stone, and the first item to be mined here, although gold quickly followed. In 1898, as many as 1,000 people lived here; it was abandoned 20 years later when the gold ran out. A fire in 1912 destroyed half the town, which was never rebuilt. Supplies needed in Garnet were generally obtained from nearby Bearmouth.
Garnet is one of the state’s best preserved (and least visited) ghost towns. Visitors can book tours with local guides. The best part about Garnet is Garney Day Festival which occurs in the end of June every year. Garnet’s oldest living member, Mary Jane Adams Morin, came to visit every year.
Garnet has everything inside of it from hotels, to 13 saloons, and food stores. The hotels were started for passers-by, or people coming to pick up gold. They typically ranged from 1-3 dollars, and the poor miners who could not afford that price could sleep in the attic without any windows for a quarter. It is suspected that Garnet even had a brothel, but prices and the exact whereabouts are uncertain. Garnet was famous for its saloons, at its peak the saloons were one of the hottest spots in Garnet.
History of Garnet
Historical Background and Significance of Garnet Ghost Town: (PDF)
(From the National Register of Historic Places nomination of 2009; prepared and written by Sunday Walker-Kuntz, Jerry Clark, Terri Wolfgram, Maria Craig and Allan J. Mathews.)
Garnet Ghost Town Residents (PDF)
Click here for Garnet Ghost Town Brochure (PDF)
Garnet Ghost Town Website
What to Photograph:
The many old buildings are the main photographic subjects, but there are also many unique relics inside of the buildings that make great photos.
Getting There:
DIRECTIONS
Recommended: From Montana Hwy 200, turn south at the “Garnet Ghost Town” sign between mile markers 22
and 23 and follow the gravel road 11 miles to Garnet.OR (trailers not recommended): From I-90 going east,
turn off at the Bearmouth exit and follow Frontage Road on the north side of the interstate 5.5 miles east to Bear
Gulch Road. From I-90 going west, turn off at the Drummond exit and follow Frontage Road 10 miles to
Bear Gulch Road. At Bear Gulch Road, follow signs approximately 10 miles to Garnet.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Cost:
The fee for Garnet is $3.00 per person for those 16 years old and older. All federal passes are also accepted. The fee is charged during the non-winter months when staff is on site. You can visit Garnet after hours for no fee, but several of the key buildings will be locked at that time.
Facilities:
Garnet is a primitive area with few services, there are primitive toilets at the parking lot.
The visitor center is open seven days a week from Memorial Day through September.
Location Contact Information:
Bureau of Land Management
Missoula Field Office
3255 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804
(406) 329-3914
www.garnetghosttown.net
MT_Missoula_FO@blm.gov
Nearest City or Town:
Missoula MT
Garnet Ghost Town Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Montana:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
Bowman Lake Glacier National Park
Bowman Lake is in the northwestern portion of Glacier National Park in Montana. It is not commonly visited by most visitors to Glacier National Park, because it is located in one of the more remote areas of the park. It is more well-known among local residents, though, who use the small, uncrowded campground. The lake is accessed via a 6 miles unpaved road from the small town of Polebridge. At 1,706 acres, Bowman Lake is the third largest lake in the park, after Lake McDonald and Saint Mary Lake.
Mountains tower over pristine Bowman Lake. Approximately one mile wide and eight miles in length, this peaceful lake offers a front country campsite at its head and a backcountry one at its base. The Polebridge Mercantile is the only nearby store, so stock up on your camping supplies there.
A picnic area provides day use visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful lunch, and there are day hiking opportunities near Bowman Lake for hikers eager to experience Glacier’s wilderness. Fisherman, canoers, and kayakers will enjoy the recreational opportunities Bowman Lake offers.
The Bowman Lake Trail departs at the northeast corner of campground, near the northwestern lakeshore. 6.7 miles from Bowman Lake Campground to Brown Pass.
With limited amenities, the North Fork invites a self-reliant visitor. Allow all day to drive to and from Kintla and Bowman Lakes, and pack a lunch. The only services in this area are available outside of the park in the community of Polebridge. Cell phone signals are nonexistent, and visitors should be self-sufficient and prepared to enjoy the area without the need of modern conveniences.
A series of fires over the last 30 years have resulted in a broad mix of forests of varying ages, each one attracting a slightly different complement of species. These fires have created large areas of habitat for rare woodpeckers, attracting birders from far and wide to search out the Northern Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers. Today, as the forests continue to mature, different species such as the rare Lewis’ Woodpecker can be found.
Where it is:
This lake lies just west of the Livingston Range of mountains in Montana and just south of the Canadian border in the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Bowman Lake is located in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park, approximately 32.5 miles north of the West Entrance. The drive to Bowman Lake is along a rough, dusty, dirt road with blind curves and limited pullouts, and passes through the tiny community of Polebridge and sections of the park that burned in 1988.
Driving in the North Fork requires careful attention. A four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle, and the ability to change a tire are recommended, as flat tires are a common problem. Vehicles over 21’ in length and/or vehicle- trailer combinations are prohibited at Bowman Lake due to the nature of the long, narrow, and windy dirt road to the campground, and very tight parking areas at each campsite.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
GPS:
48°49’42.528″ N 114°12’5.382″ W
C
Cost:
Entrance Fee by Private Vehicle – 7 day permit
$35.00
(Winter Rate – $25.00, November 1 to April 30)
This is a entrance fee for all persons traveling in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle (car/truck/van). The permit is non-transferable. Visitors can enter the park at any time, if the entrance station is not staffed, a self-registration area is available for purchasing a 7-day park permit.
Entrance Fee by Individual – 7 day permit
$20.00
(Winter Rate – $15.00, November 1 to April 30)
This is a per person entrance fee for a visitor traveling on foot, bicycle, or for individuals traveling together in a vehicle as a non-commercial, organized group. The permit is non-transferable.
Entrance Fee by motorcycle – 7 day permit
$30.00
(Winter Rate – $20.00, November 1 to April 30)
This is a per motorcycle entrance fee. The permit is non-transferable.
National Park passes are accepted.
Hours:
Glacier National Park is open every day of the year and visitors can enter the park at anytime. Winter weather tends to dictate when most visitor facilities open and close. Generally from late May to early September, facilities are open to welcome summer visitors.
Facilities:
Potable water is available at water spigots in the campground, and there are vault toilets nearby. Water is unavailable during the primitive camping season and campers are advised to bring their own drinking water.
Limited visitor amenities can be found in Polebridge. There is no gas available.
Location Contact Information:
By Mail
Glacier National Park
Park Headquarters
PO Box 1
West Glacier, MT 59936By Fed Ex or UPS
Glacier National Park
64 Grinnell Drive, HQ building
West Glacier, MT 59936By Phone
Due to heavy call volumes you may be asked to leave a number we can call you back at. Generally we are able to return calls within 3 business days.
406-888-7800
Bowman Lake Glacier National Park Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Montana:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
Click Here for Photographic Destinations by State
All the information in this post was believed to be accurate at the time it was published. Please be sure to double check with the location before relying on this information as everything changes over time, especially hours, prices, and whether the location is still open.
Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography.
If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
If you are looking for a wonderful opportunity to get personal individual instruction, I do private workshops and classes at a location of your choice, whether doing a location photo shoot, coming to your home or business, traveling across the country on a road trip, or at my classroom. This is a fantastic way to learn digital workflow and be sure that your computer equipment is properly configured for optimum performance. [...]Read more...
My preference for these areas is to camp in the park if possible, this gets me much closer to where I want to be. In Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks lodging fill very quickly and is rather expensive.
What places do you recommend staying in Montana or Yellowstone. Iv been several times but I’m also looking for new adventures.
Philis