Fort Peck Lake > Makoshika State Park > Miles City
Discover the great outdoors in the quiet of an Eastern Montana winter. From ice fishing for trophy walleye to snowshoeing the badlands, your adventures await — and so does a warm and friendly place to lay your head at the end of a day well spent (three days, in fact).
To complete this itinerary as designed, you’ll need ice fishing gear and snowshoes or boots and hiking spikes.
Kick off your Eastern Montana adventures on Fort Peck Lake for a day of ice fishing. Clint, the owner of Hell Creek Marina, will get you on the fish — trophy lake trout, walleye and northern pike — if you book a guided session with him. Braving the cold to land your catches amps up the fish stories. In the afternoon, drive through a fascinating badlands landscape to reach Glendive. For dinner, sink your teeth into some hot, fresh brick-oven pizza at The Gust Hauf or take your pick from steak, burgers and other favorites from the dinner menu at the Yellowstone River Inn’s restaurant or lounge (they also have a pared-down late-night menu). Hang your hat there with a room at the inn or book a stay at the Astoria Hotel & Suites, where you’ll also be quite comfortable. Wherever you stay, be sure to look up come nightfall — cold, dry nights make winter the best time of year to see countless stars in Montana’s dark sky. In fact, we highly recommend making the short trip to Makoshika State Park from town for a session of excellent stargazing. Don’t forget your layers.
Fuel up on breakfast in Glendive — try GiGi’s Café or Penny’s Diner for traditional offerings like omelets and breakfast platters or Bloom Coffeehouse for espresso drinks and breakfast sandwiches — before heading to Makoshika State Park to experience the park’s badland formations in the daylight. Put on some snowshoes (or boots and hiking spikes if there’s just a light amount of snow) and set out on the Cap Rock Trail to explore the astonishing landscape of Montana’s largest state park, which is more peaceful and dramatic when covered in snow. Wind down your day in Miles City with dinner at one of the town’s Southeast Montana Burger Trail stops: Tubb’s Pub, Vintage & Rustics or Tilt Würks Brewhouse. Turn in for the night at Miles City Hotel & Suites or at the Historic Olive Hotel downtown.
Eat breakfast in Miles City — Main Street Grind, Café 600 or The Farmhouse Café are all local go-tos. Then set up for an ice fishing session right in town at Spotted Eagle Lake, where walleye abound. Take in the peace and quiet and the crisp, frosty air while you wait for the fish to bite. For lunch, head to one of the Burger Trail spots that you haven’t yet tried. A visit to the WaterWorks Museum is an ideal way to end your trip.
