June in Montana is billowing clouds swelling across a sky that’s met by the spine of the mountains and a bed of verdant greens. The varied hues of plants harmoniously blend into a rich landscape of forests and meadows, mountains and plains. Defined by the......
Winding up a sage-covered hill just outside of Jackson, Wyoming, the National Museum of Wildlife Art offers a profound way to connect with art and the wildlife that inspires it. Spread out over a ¾-mile trail, 42 sculptures sit on the hill overlooking the National......
The boat launch on the northwest corner of Flathead Lake near Somers, Montana is a relatively quiet place. It’s quieter yet beneath a ceiling of heavy clouds and the kind of stillness that is to be expected once the throngs of lake lovers have turned......
The American public’s romantic attachment to the frontier has grown ever since the frontier ceased to exist. In 1946, however, a small chunk still survived in northwest Montana. To me, Trail Creek lay at the center of it. Living off the country was an overcrowded......
Montana Backcountry Discovery Route The Montana Backcountry Discovery Route documentary highlights the completion of the nonprofit Backcountry Discovery Routes’ (BDR) 23rd off-highway motorcycle route, which is the final portion of the Western BDR system, showcasing the immense beauty of Montana. Canvassing nearly 900 trail miles......
Kat Porco is reminiscent. She describes a warm June evening, the first summer after she and her husband, Mike, opened One Legged Magpie, an upscale restaurant and bar in downtown Red Lodge, Montana. Upstairs, a group of women were rehearsing for the town’s first drag......
Hairpin turns, pristine alpine lakes, abundant wildflowers, and endless views of the rugged Montana and Wyoming wilderness — these are some of the defining features of the Beartooth Highway, a 68-mile stretch of enchanted tarmac that transports travelers into another world. Jaw-dropping awe is all......
Here’s one sign that a construction project has gone well: when, after the dust has settled, each of the principals involved sings the praises of the next. In the case of a new build in Big Sky, the architect, builder, and homeowner emerged not only......
From a distance, the grassy hills just north of Missoula look like disheveled blankets. Known locally as the North Hills, this stretch of land separates the ever-growing university town from the mountains of the Rattlesnake Wilderness. Donna L. Erickson grew up in the North Hills,......
Editor’s Note: We all have our secret spots — those undiscovered special places that offer a full and intimate experience. And as more and more recreationists venture into the outdoors, some places inevitably feel the pressure. While crowds risk changing the character of a place,......
Living on the edge of Glacier National Park might seem like a dream. For artist Michael Booth, it’s the reality of a lifetime. The move brought Booth closer to nature, an internal calling that’s led him to some of his most iconic paintings. Having now......
Montanans pride themselves on protecting natural wonders, but very few have considered protecting the dark. The dark, after all, scares us. Not the darkness of a room, perhaps, or even a house. But the dark street, the dark wood, and most certainly the dark that......
During a time of hardship, perhaps the lowest point in 20th century Montana history, here was a chance for celebration. It was 1926. Drought had shriveled the state’s agriculture. Banks had failed. Homesteaders had fled. Bankruptcy rates were the highest in the nation. Most roads......
Shannon Waters was living in New York City, training and eventually cheffing in some of the finest restaurants in the world. She was hungry to do everything — from making “perfect pasta and beautiful bread” to butchering pigs, chickens, and goats — and often spent......
Sometimes when you’re painting outdoors, wild animals wander into your field of view. That’s what Andy Taylor has learned as he paints en plein air in locations along the Snake River or in Grand Teton National Park. He’s had moose saunter into the scene and......
It took some time to learn this lesson, but as a writer-photographer team, Audrey Hall and I have embraced the idea that it’s important to leave space — in your mind, in your schedule — because that’s when the magic happens. This particular magic took......
The first of a lifetime of Yellowstone River agates was dropped, almost literally, at the feet of young Tom Harmon. When his elementary school playground in Sidney, Montana was graveled, Harmon and his classmates spent recess scrounging for agates in the crushed rock. Over lunch,......
With characters the likes of Rick O’Shay, Hipshot Percussion, and Deuces Wild, hailing from the imaginary town of Conniption, cartoonist Myron Stanford “Stan” Lynde’s Western-themed comic strips appealed to newspaper readers across the country. Published for 25 years beginning in the 1950s, these comics introduced......
Deep in the oral history archive of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), a 1977 recording captured the words of Pend d’Oreille elder Mitch Smallsalmon. He recalled the abundance of the landscape that now encompasses western Montana, and the good fortune of the Salish......
It leans a little, tilting north toward the Bridger Range, its cracked, weathered boards wearing their best silver patina. In its uselessness, the west wind refrains from taking it down, only teases the old barn with frequent gusts that rattle loose the rusted tin roof,......
A day shy of the summer solstice, Travis Taylor launches our skiff into the spring-fed pond on Jemas Ranch. It is already 7:30 p.m. But this time of year, the days are so long you can fish a hatch up until 9:30 p.m. and still......
A foundational focus at Montana State University (MSU), the language of sustainability inspired architecture master’s student Elena Silverman to submit a project that earned her an international award. Last fall, shortly after she discarded her model into a recycling bin at MSU’s Cheever Hall, she......
Creating a home is a deeply personal journey, one that reflects the individuality and lifestyle of each unique person who will dwell within it. The structure becomes a facilitator of memories that come to define a life. And for those who abide in the Northern......
With more than 50 years of combined experience, Domaine Interiors in Bozeman provides inspired solutions for effortless living. Through their timeless approach to interior vernaculars and deep respect for craftsmanship, Domaine curates spaces that feel both elevated and livable. Helming collaborative relationships with clients, contractors,......
This Must Be the Place: Homes with Atmosphere Written by Chloe Redmond Warner, Foreword by Heidi Caillier Designer Chloe Redmond Warner — originally from Missoula and founder of Redmond Aldrich Design — makes her literary debut with This Must Be the Place: Homes with Atmosphere,......
Whether you’re contemplating a remodel, considering a new build in the Rocky Mountain West, or searching for particular decor, art and home shows offer essential inspiration, advice, and products from some of the best regional artisans and designers, with wares specifically suited to the ethos......
Adirondack Chair by ORCA Studio ORCA Studio’s take on the Adirondack is a modern twist on a classic. Crafted with aromatic cedar, the chair is simple yet substantial, featuring thick planks and metal framing. Its enduring construction means it will withstand the weather of the......
Just as the Gallatin Range will forever define the landscape in and around Bozeman, so, too, do the houses designed by Locati Architects that occupy sites throughout the Gallatin Valley. The stone, steel, timber, and glass that the firm regularly employs in their residences reflect......
Whether you’ve been in Bozeman for a few days or several decades, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve noticed Old Main Gallery & Framing while walking around downtown. Situated on East Main Street, between Black and Bozeman avenues in a quaint two-story brick building, Old......
As the climate shifts — as we face more and more wildfires, floods, and changing weather patterns — landscape architecture is responding with designs that not only amplify the visual impact and livability of the homes they embrace but also help protect homes and environments......
District Loom in Bozeman is not your typical rug store. Step inside and the bespoke atmosphere invites you into a highly individualized experience. Preferences, chosen online before the visit, are ready for immediate viewing. The design of the space itself is highly considered: Curved sofas......
Architecture | Faure Halvorsen Architects Construction | Duncan Robb Construction Interior Design | Elizabeth Robb Interiors Landscape Architecture | Outdoor Design Studios When her new home was finally complete, homeowner and real estate agent Bessie Hudgens leaned on a tradition she adopted from her time......
Architecture | Miller Roodell Architects Construction | Denman Construction Interior Design | Cravotta Interiors Landscape Architecture | Design Workshop At the quiet end of Whitefish Lake, where a town of about 10,000 residents feels far but trailheads into the Flathead National Forest abound, a year-round......
Architecture | CLB Architects Construction | OSM Construction Interior Design | WRJ Design Landscape Architecture | HDL The concept of prospect and refuge is a crucial one that is expressed in architecture the world over, from urban homes organized around quiet private courtyards to those......
Architecture and Interior Design | Pearson Design Group Construction | North Fork Builders Specialty Wood Products | Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co. Set amid the rolling grasslands of central Montana, a new family retreat looks completely at ease in the environs, perfectly positioned to embrace the......
Architecture | Reid Smith Architects Construction | Avant Building Group Interior Design | Hive Home Specialty Wood Products | Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co. When the owners of a home in Montana’s Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky approached Reid Smith, founder of Bozeman-based Reid Smith Architects, the......
Architecture | Reid Smith Architects Construction | Blue Ribbon Builders Interior Design | Envi Interior Design Studio When the design team responsible for a new home in Big Sky describes the finished retreat, they reference several regional aesthetics: Nordic, Scandinavian, Northern European, and Northern Californian.......
Architecture | Faure Halvorsen Architects Construction | Yellowstone Traditions Interior Design | Laura Fedro Interiors A passionate fly fisherman, the owner of a new home in Montana had long dreamt of owning a place in the West. As he prepared to sell his business in......
Architecture and Interior Design | MMW Architects Construction | Jeremy Seifert Construction For decades, a family with Big Sky roots enjoyed natural beauty and quietude from their secluded parcel occupying a rocky, tree-covered slope on a cove at the southern edge of Flathead Lake. But......
Architecture and Interior Design | Pearson Design Group Construction | Highline Partners Specialty Wood Products | Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co. When skiing first became popular in Montana over a century ago, the typical ski cabin was a relatively small, one-room, rough-hewn log structure, simply furnished......
Architecture | Centre Sky Architecture Construction | Teton Heritage Builders Interior Design | The Varda Group Specialty Wood Products | Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co. Sky Lodge, a house of rugged heights and airy lights, is literally and figuratively on the cutting edge of the Gallatin......
Architecture | Miller Roodell Architects Construction | Yellowstone Traditions Interior Design | Peace Design Katherine Reay loves a good story. As an accomplished author, she knows how to craft a riveting narrative. So it was no surprise that when she and her husband, Mason, decided......
Undervaluing creeks seems a perennially popular ailment among fly fishers. Leave ’em to their losses, I say: All the more water and fish for me. Clearly, I don’t suffer from their dysfunction of insight. My first fly-caught fish, a subcompact coastal cutthroat trout, happened on......
Standing at my window on New Year’s Day — holding a steaming cup and watching the snow in the sliver of light cut by a streetlight across the way — I feel like I’m in one of those holiday coffee commercials. Christmas has come and......
In the fall of 1991, I received a call from Robert Redford’s personal assistant: “Bob is extremely grateful for what you did for him yesterday and asked if he could return the favor,” she said. Seriously? I thought. Robert Redford is granting me a favor?......
Tucked into the cozy down sleeping bag in my vintage 1977 Toyota Chinook micro-camper, I yawned, rolled over, and pondered morning coffee. My awakening consciousness was startled by loud clawing outside the camper. I looked out the open window. A grizzly bear’s moist snout was......
It’s a cold, rainy off-season night in Jackson, Wyoming. There aren’t many tourists around town, and a lot of businesses are closed for a few-week break, but when I walk into the Silver Dollar Bar & Grill at The Wort Hotel, I’m enveloped by warmth......