Guest Blogger: Shelby Huber, Montana Dinosaur Trail Coordinator
Looking for an epic road trip where the modern world fades into the rearview mirror? Welcome to Northeast Montana’s Missouri River Country—a land of wide-open spaces, ancient fossils, and pristine dark skies.
Missouri River Country is rich in recreation. Between the Montana Dinosaur Trail and Montana's Trail to the Stars, travelers can explore world-class fossil dig sites by day and witness jaw-dropping celestial displays by night. Northeast Montana boasts some of the darkest skies in North America. Traveling just 5 to 10 miles outside of town lets you experience the Milky Way as humans saw it centuries ago.
Start your journey in Malta, the epicenter of dino activity in Missouri River Country.
DINO STOPS: At the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum, meet "Leonardo," a mummified Brachylophosaurus enshrined in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Best Preserved Dinosaur (over 90% covered in fossilized skin impressions). Want to unearth history yourself? The museum offers hands-on Dino Dig programs for kids and multi-day field digs for adults. Right next door at the Phillips County Museum, greet an Albertosaurus at the door, view a 700-pound Apatosaurus femur, and marvel at "Elvis," another articulated 33-foot-long Brachylophosaurus.
UNDER THE STARS: After exploring, enjoy a mineral soak at Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs before camping at Nelson Reservoir. With 30 miles of quiet shoreline tucked between the Little Rocky Mountains and the American Prairie, Nelson offers top-tier walleye fishing and pitch-black skies perfect for stargazing.
Next, drive southeast toward the sweeping shores of Fort Peck Lake.
DINO STOP: Visit the Fort Peck Interpretive Center to encounter "Peck's Rex," a 65%-complete Tyrannosaurus rex unearthed nearby in 1997. Stand before a life-sized replica at the entrance and a full skeleton cast inside, alongside ancient marine fossils from the Cretaceous sea that once covered eastern Montana.
UNDER THE STARS: Fort Peck Lake boasts more shoreline than the entire California coast. Pitch a tent at Duck Creek Recreation Area, Flat Lake Campground, or The Pines Recreation Area. Situated along the vast Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, these remote waters offer near-zero light pollution, reflecting constellations off calm lake waters.
Finish your route in Jordan, nestled in the world-famous Hell Creek Formation.
DINO STOP: Head to the Garfield County Museum to view a full T. rex skull, a Triceratops cast, and a mini-replica of the famous "Dueling Dinosaurs" (T. rex and Triceratops locked in combat). Fun fact: the first identified T. rex in history was discovered near Jordan in 1902 by Barnum Brown! For a hands-on field experience, book a guided dig with Cowboy Dino Digs to hunt for fossils in the wild.
UNDER THE STARS: Drive out to Hell Creek Recreation Area or historic Bug Creek. Surrounded by badlands strata formed 66 million years ago, you'll experience raw, unfiltered dark skies. This area is ideal for astrophotography, campfire stargazing, and tracking the Northern Lights.
From standing beneath ancient giants to soaking in hot springs and watching constellations drift across vast northern skies, this road trip captures the pure spirit of Big Sky Country. Grab your Montana Dinosaur Trail Prehistoric Passport, pack your telescope, and set off into Missouri River Country—where deep time and deep space meet.
