In 1934, Fort Peck was hastily constructed as a temporary town to house Fort Peck Dam's 10,000 workers--but with a huge lake, monster walleye and a massive dam, the "temporary" town became a permanent Montana fixture...especially for New Deal history buffs, record-seeking anglers and summer theater-goers.

Fort Peck First Stops

Kick off your Fort Peck fun-fest by fishing, boating and barbecuing around the 134-mile long Fort Peck Lake Reservoir and Recreation Area (with more miles of shoreline than California), or by delving deep into New Deal history. At the Fort Peck Dam and Power Plant Museum, bone up on dam history and take a guided tour beneath the power plant's generators and around its 15-story-tall surge tanks. Switch gears at the Fort Peck Interpretive Center and Museum, home to Montana's largest aquariums and a paleontology exhibit.

A HISTORIC VIEW ›

Deeper Dirt

Read more about the Fort Peck Dam in Get Lost the Magazine, Volume 01.

Local Scoop

Claudine H. recommends the entire homemade menu at Soma-Dis Deli in Glasgow.

A New Deal Night Out

Keep the '30s vibe rolling with an evening at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre, originally set up as a movie house in the '30s and converted to a live playhouse fifty years ago. At the Fort Peck Hotel, dig into dinner in the sociable dining room, pull up a timber chair on the big porch, or soak in one of the big clawfoot tubs (available in select rooms). Fishing-minded folks, check into the Rock Creek Marina, for tackle during your waking hours and lakeside cabins for restful hours.

MAKE IT AN EVENT ›

Just Around the Bend

Fort Peck is probably the easiest gateway into the 1,100,000-acre, delightfully remote Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, where you can catch a glimpse of year-round bugling elk herds, red fox, sage grouse and other prairie wildlife. Return to civilization by way of Glasgow's Eugene's Pizza, a small-town standby since 1967, then break for a microbrew in Wolf Point at Missouri River Breaks Brewing (which switches to a coffee shop come morning).

WILDLIFE REFUGES IN MONTANA ›


THINGS TO DO

May 18 Sip to bluesy progressions at the Bonnie City Blues & Brews, featuring three major bands (this year, Clumsy Lovers headlines).	June 15 Lace up your running shoes for the Longest Dam Race across the top of Fort Peck Dam.	July 11-13 Hit the Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament, where the right fish is worth $15,000.

In the 30s, tens of thousands of Depression-weary workers flocked to Fort Peck to take jobs with the ambitious dam project. Eighty years later, there are still reasons a-plenty to flock here--but work is low on the list. Pack your fishing tackle, history journals and wildlife binoculars, and find a myriad of ways to skip work altogether on Montana's biggest lake.

Note: Although Fort Peck offers year-round recreation opportunities, it is generally a seasonal town, and some attractions are open only from Memorial to Labor Day. Please check ahead before you plan your trip.

EXPLORE FORT PECK ›