Who doesn’t love a good road trip? Pile your best friends in your beat-up car and cruise down the wide-open roads of Montana. There are plenty of beautiful places and winding, off-the-beaten-path roads to explore in our beautiful state, but you really want to make sure you’re prepared for the journey. Montana can get wild, so here’s our recommendation for the top five things you need for your best Montana road trip.

All-Weather Gear

Look, to say that Montana weather can change in an instant is a real understatement. During spring and the first days of summer, it's not uncommon for two popular mountain drives, Going-to-the-Sun Road and Beartooth Pass, to be partially shut down due to snow. Obviously, this type of unique weather depends on the elevation, but it did snow enough to accumulate for a few hours even at Bozeman’s elevation. So, be mindful of the forecast for where you’re traveling and how high you’ll be traveling upward. We recommend always keeping a warm coat, hat, gloves, blanket, and boots in your car year-round. Yes, even in August. Don't worry, we have a vast selection of Montana hoodies and sweatshirts to choose from!

Snacks and Water

While this is another great way to stay prepared for wild weather, snacks are essential to a good road trip. My friends and I generally begin any road trip with a quick pit stop at a gas station where each of us buys something sweet and something salty. Then, we share our delicacies amongst the car, rating the best and worst snacks. A couple of bottles of fresh water are nice to have in the car, too, in case of emergency. Don’t leave them in there if your car will be sitting in the sun for a long period of time. For snacks, we love a good Montana-made snack stick or something crunchy, like Montana Mountain Munch! Made in Kalispell, Montana, you'll love this blend of gourmet caramel popcorn, huckleberry popcorn, and huckleberry pretzel bites. We totally dig this crunchy, Montana goodness!

Music Other Than the Radio

Montana radio stations can do a pretty awesome job of blasting out great tunes, but depending on where you’re traveling, the radio signals just might not make it up that mountain. Because no road trip is ever complete without the perfect playlist, we recommend going seriously old school. Burned CDs are still my favorite, especially when I dig into old ones and wonder what I was thinking when I put all that music together! But, if BlueTooth or an aux cord is more your style, just make sure you have some good driving tunes ready to roll for your big Montana adventure. The passenger picks the music, right? Rules of the road!

A Good Ol' Fashioned Guide Book

Guidebooks might feel a little old-school, but trust us, they’re road trip gold. Whether you’re trying to figure out if that flower you just passed was lupine or fireweed, need a quick reference for local wildlife or want to whip up a no-fuss campfire meal, a trusty guidebook has your back. There’s something grounding about flipping through real pages, especially when you’re off the grid or out of cell service (which, let’s be real, happens more than you'd think in Montana). Toss a couple into your glove box or backpack, you never know when you’ll need a map, a birdwatching tip, or the perfect s’mores variation to impress your crew.

A Good Camera

Almost everything about Montana seems to be photogenic. On a road trip, you never know what might happen so you want to make sure you have every opportunity to capture those memories. From goofy car selfies to gorgeous mountain landscapes, you’ll want a good camera always at the ready. I suggest giving picture duties to the passenger or the crew in the backseat and asking them to be at the ready at a moment’s notice. If you’re somewhere like Yellowstone or Glacier, you definitely want to keep an eagle eye out for an elusive bear or moose. A cell phone camera will probably work just fine, but it can’t hurt to pack along a nice point-and-shoot, either. And of course, remember to live in the moment, too. While you want to document your Montana road trip, be sure to put the camera down and just enjoy it as well. Balance in all things, friends.

A Roomy Tote Bag

A good tote bag is absolutely a road trip essential, it’s your on-the-go command center for all the must-haves you’ll reach for again and again. Snacks? Check. Camera and guidebooks? You bet. Sunscreen? Non-negotiable. Montana has a way of throwing jaw-dropping beauty at you around every bend, and you’ll want to be ready for it. A sturdy, roomy tote makes it easy to keep your essentials close, organized, and easy to grab, whether you're hopping out for a quick photo op, searching for your favorite beef jerky, or chasing that golden hour light. Plus, there’s just something satisfying about having a designated catch-all that’s along for the ride, collecting memories and granola bar wrappers alike.

A Good Attitude and An Open Mind

This last one is probably the most important part of a fantastic Montana road trip. No matter your plan or whatever detailed map you make, things will never go exactly according to plan. You should do your best to just sit back and enjoy the ride. If you’re going through Yellowstone, you are definitely going to get stuck behind a herd of bison or elk. If you are up near Glacier, there might be a rock slide that needs clearing before you can get through the road. If you’re going somewhere new, chances are you’re going to get lost somewhere along the way. Other drivers might not be going as fast as you and might not be comfortable with Montana’s twisty mountain roads. Relax. Take in the view. Enjoy the fact that you’re with your favorite people in one of the most beautiful states in the country!

Written by: Cassi Miller, Edited by: Alexa Jorgenson (5/26/25)