Explore Montana's Regions and Towns

10 things you didn't know you could do in Big Timber.

1. Sitting in the shadows of the Crazy Mountains, Big Timber is a hub for local ranchers, cowboys and miners – it’s a sea of dusty boots, wranglers, big belt buckles and well worn cowboy hats. Captain William Clark camped near the present day town and you should too. Many of the scenes in the Robert Redford’s movie, "The Horse Whisperer", were shot in and around Big Timber; the town is as charming in real life as it appears on the screen!
2. Park yourself at The Grand Hotel Bed and Breakfast, a historic cornerstone on Big Timber’s main street – now a popular watering hole, B/B and restaurant. Check out the Timber Bar for scrumptious burgers or Peking Gardens if you’re in the mood for Chinese.
3. Big Timber’s main street named McLeod (4 blocks at best!) has a sweet collection of stores and galleries, including Crazy Woman Trading Co., Two Rivers Gallery, Cinnabar Creek and Hodges Fine Art. Don’t miss a classic mercantile – Gusts of Big Timber, where you’re sure to meet the owner of 63 years – Virgil.
4. Big Timber is a hotbed for crafting some of the finest rifles in the world – both the Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing Company and C. Sharps Arms, Inc. welcome visitors to their showrooms on the east end of town.
5. Need to cool off – try the Big Timber Waterslide 9 miles east of town on Exit 377 on I-90 and adjacent to the Big Timber KOA Campground .
6. Get up close and personal with some fast moving critters at Greycliff Prairie Dog Town – one of Montana’s most unusual state parks - 9 miles east of town on I-90, Exit 377
7. Can’t make it to Spain for the Running of the Bulls? Head over to Reed Point, some 20 miles south of Big Timber on I-90 for Montana’s own the “Running of the Sheep” Sheep Drive. It takes about 30 seconds for the sheep to charge through the two blocks of town with thousands of spectators cheering on these wild and woolly creatures.
8. Ever consider an honest day’s work to be a vacation? Check out Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranch Vacations – where several of the locals in the Big Timber area open their homes/bunkhouses to guests keen on getting down and dirty with farm and ranch work.
9. With 15 peaks over 10,000 feet, the Crazy Mountains begged to be explored, whether it’s an intense weeklong backpacking trip, or a day hike. Pick up maps at the Big Timber District Office of the Gallatin National Forest, open Mon-Friday, 8-5 from June through August.
10. Angling to drop a line? The Boulder River flows into the Yellowstone at Big Timber and both make for a decent challenge for any flyfisherman. The Boulder lends itself nicely to wade fishing, while the Yellowstone is suited perfectly for drift boats.(Sept. 10-11-12).