Overview
Southeast Montana is a region in Montana.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BIL Billings Logan International Airport, Billings — 81 mi away. Directions
- SHR Sheridan County Airport, Sheridan — 111 mi away. Directions
Billings Logan International Airport BIL is the major airport for Eastern Montana, and the busiest airport in the state.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Billings — Pictograph Cave State Park, Moss Mansion Historic House Museum, Western Heritage Center.
- Day 2: Glendive — Makoshika State Park, Frontier Gateway Museum, Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum.
- Day 3: Miles City — Pirogue Island State Park, Bucking Horse Sale, Range Riders Museum.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Food for you
Check for restaurants on the Southeast Burger Trail to enjoy some local diners.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Places in Southeast Montana
Cities
- Billings — the largest city in Montana
- Colstrip — named for the coal mines the town was created for
- Crow Agency — governmental headquarters of the Crow Native Americans
- Forsyth — "City of trees" along the Yellowstone River
- Glendive — in the Badlands, with Makoshika State Park
- Hardin — hosts the Big Horn County Historical Museum
- Lame Deer — governmental headquarters of the Northern Cheyenne
- Laurel
- Miles City — started as a fort town, now major agriculture town
Get in
By plane
Billings Logan International Airport BIL is the major airport for Eastern Montana, and the busiest airport in the state.
By car
- Interstate 90 (I-90) connects Billings to Wyoming.
- I-94 joins I-90 at Billings heading east to Miles City, Glendive and North Dakota.
- U.S. Highway 87 (US-87) connects Billings with Roundup.
Get around
As with most of Montana, travel by car is the primary way to get around. In this rural area there are very few additional options. The larger towns, such as Miles City, do have a taxi cab company.
See
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency memorializes the US Army's 7th Cavalry, Crow, and Arikara scouts and the Lakotas, Cheyennes, and Arapaho in one of the American Indian's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life.
The Yellowtail Dam near Crow Agency is part of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. It offers boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, camping.
Do
The Bucking Horse Sale held in Miles City in May is a major auction of rodeo stock with parade, quick draw art contest, horse races, rodeo, horse sales, street dances.
Makoshika State Park near Glendive features rugged badlands covering over 11,400 acres, and is part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail.
Eat
Check for restaurants on the Southeast Burger Trail to enjoy some local diners.
Drink
Montanan's enjoy craft beer and the southeast steps up with several breweries. The larger towns also have tap houses offering selections from all across the state.
Stay safe
Winter driving: During the winter, smaller secondary roads are often closed entirely, and even the Interstate can shut down rapidly when the weather turns poor. Verify weather conditions and road status with the Montana Department of Transportation before setting out, and travel with emergency supplies. Unpaved roads are typically impassable for over half the year.
During the summer, the distances between towns means gas stations and services are far apart. Be sure you have extra water in the car in case of a breakdown. These are also the badlands, lots of rock formations with sparse trees. So when you're out exploring, again, bring water.
Go next
- Yellowstone Country, with three entrances to Yellowstone National Park
- Missouri River Country
- North Dakota Badlands to the east towards Dickinson
- South Dakota Badlands and Black Hills to the southeast towards Rapid City offers many tourist attractions
- Northwest Wyoming
My experience
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