Billings Montana

 Crow Indians Settlers Oil Discovery Microbreweries and a Heritage Trail

Billings is the largest city in Montana and is located in the south-central portion of the state. With the Bakken oil development in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, the largest oil discovery in U.S. history, as well as the Heath shale oil discovery, the city's growth rate stayed high during the shale oil boom. Nicknamed the Magic City because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. It is named for Frederick H. Billings. Billings is the trade and distribution center for much of Montana east of the Continental Divide, Northern Wyoming, and western portions of North and South Dakota. Billings is also the retail destination for much of the same area. With more hotel accommodations than any area within a five-state region, the city hosts a variety of conventions, concerts, sporting events, and other rallies.

The downtown area and much of the rest of Billings is in the Yellowstone Valley which is a canyon carved out by the Yellowstone River.

The Crow Indians have called the Billings area home since about 1700

Settlers from the Gallatin Valley area of the Montana Territory formed Coulson the first town of the Yellowstone Valley. The town was started when John Alderson built a sawmill and convinced PW McAdow to open a general store and trading post on land that Alderson owned on the bank of the Yellowstone River. Before the railroad, most goods coming to and going from the Montana Territory were carried on paddle riverboats. When the railroad came to the area, they established the new town of Billings; for a short-time the two towns were linked with a trolley service.

Coulson was a rough town of dance halls and saloons and not a single church

Downtown Billings is a blend of small businesses and office space, together with restaurants and a walkable brewery district. With eight microbreweries, Billings has more breweries than any community in Montana. Downtown Billings also has a distillery that makes a variety of handcrafted spirits. Babcock Theater is a 750-seat performing arts theater built in 1907 and at the time was considered the largest theater between Minneapolis and Seattle.    

Neighborhoods are at the heart of Billings. The south side is probably the oldest residential area in the city, and it is the most culturally diverse neighborhood. South Park is an old growth City park, host to several food fairs and festivals in the summer months. The Bottom Westend Historic District is home to many of Billings first mansions. Midtown is undergoing gentrification and new growth is mainly concentrated on the West End.

MET Transit provides fixed-route and para transit bus service. All MET buses are accessible by citizens who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. They are wheelchair lift-equipped and accessible to all citizens who are unable to use the stairs. MET buses are equipped with bike racks for their bike-riding passengers.

The Heritage Trail System has well-maintained trails and pathways

Around Billings, there are seven mountain ranges, including the Bighorn and Pryor Mountains, home the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.

Montana Small Towns and Downtowns

Bozeman in 1864, John Bozeman led a wagon train over Bozeman Pass into the Gallatin Valley, where his friends W. J. Beall and D. E. Rouse staked out the town site for the city of Bozeman. It is considered one of the most diverse small towns in the Rocky Mountains, with a mix of ranchers, artists, professors, ski enthusiasts and entrepreneurs drawn here by Montana’s world-class outdoor recreation.

Billings was established in 1882 with the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Today it is a major shipping center for cattle and other agricultural products and is Montana's largest city. Known as Montana's Trailhead, it has access to the Beartooth Mountains, the Yellowstone River and local trails.

Missoula is nestled in the heart of the northern Rockies in the western part of the state.  Home to the country's largest smokejumper base, the historic downtown features classic early-century buildings and unique galleries, shops and restaurants. All three are excellent year-round bases to explore Montana.

Butte is a melting pot of ethnicities and culture that shape it to this day.  From all corners of the world, immigrants came to this tough mining town, created distinct neighborhoods, and brought with them the cultural heritage of their native countries of Ireland, Wales, China, Croatia, Italy, Serbia, Lebanon, England, Canada, and Finland. Butte’s very placement near the crest of the Continental Divide is unique.  The sheer elevation of nearly 6,000 feet makes the journey to the city a challenge.  The terrain of the city is a dichotomy between “the flats,” a stretch of even terrain that spreads south, and Uptown Butte, the face of the city that saw the most growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

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Beer Trail

Montana's vast farmland provides ample area for wheat and hops production and is home to 53 breweries, the most per capita in the country. Experience a walking brewery tour in historic downtown Billings where six breweries and one distillery are within walking distance of each other. Or tour the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula and try seasonal varieties. Taste samples of brews such as Mountain Man Stout, Pigs Ass Porter or Coldsmoke throughout the state at many local craft breweries, each with their own special brews and character.