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    CSKT Bison Range

    4.3 (50 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

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    Karyn M.

    The Bison Range was restored to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in 2020. The Visitors Center details the US government's treatment of Native Americans. It is heartbreaking. Read more at bisonrange.org. The Bison Range is 18,766 acres of land in the center of the Flathead Indian Reservation. The self-guided tour is by car. There are two options. The West Loop and Prairie Drive takes about an hour and is through two way traffic and loops back. The second option, Red Sleep Mountain Drive is about two hours, is one way driving and then goes through a full loop of the range. You may be tempted to take the shorter loop, but take the two hour option. There is very steep driving on Red Sleep Mountain (up 2,000 feet in elevation) but the views are amazing! Drive at your own speed. When we came it was a glorious afternoon and the golden grass, the mountains, the forests, the view from High Point, was breathtaking. I was hoping to see just one bison during this tour, but reader, we saw so many. First we saw one solitary bison just grazing away on a hill. Then about a dozen by Elk Lane. Stop at High Point and take in the view -- this was all covered by Glacial Lake Missoula 13,000-18,000 years ago. We saw two different herds making their way up a mountain and as we crested the peak, we were surrounded by bison. If their tail is low they are calm. If the tail is high and twitching they are agitated. Oh I got a little nervous because they were looking at us. My heart was full. Bison are North America's largest land mammal and there are about 20,500 Plains bison in conservation herds and about 350 at Bison Range.To see them living their best life was a favorite part of our visit. A day pass was $20 for our car. Go to the website to see schedules and opening times.

    "Home, Home on the Range..."
    Lena K.

    I loved, loved the National Bison range! Although I was hoping to see more bison, we saw a few groups on the two hour drive path. I would highly recommend doing the two hour and not just the hour path. We got super lucky that we were almost to the trail end of our journey when this massive storm fell passed us and we had to stop cause the car was being POUNDED with large hail!! It was massive size hail and super raining and I've never been in such inclement weather. What an experience! The price was super inexpensive and worth going if you're in this area!

    Brian F.

    This is an hour away from Missoula and is totally worth the drive!! It's so fascinating to see the bison up close and personal. It's my first time seeing them and it really was a sight to behold. When you get to the visitor center walk in to pay for a day pass ($10) and you can get a map of the park. Note that because this is not a national park you cannot use the America the Beautiful pass or any other annual pass as admission. The worker talked to me about the different options for routes, with one that takes about 45 minutes and the other scenic route that takes 2 hours (which also includes the 45 minute route). Beware that there's not much service at the park, at least not for AT&T. With the chances I will be back again and that I had time to spend I opted for the 2 hour drive. At the beginning it's a drive up and it gets very high with an open view of the water and the high dropoff so concentrate while driving. Pretty much the entire drive is going to be gravely and bumpy so be prepared for that. You'll be able to see bison all along the trail up here although when I went I was told the bison were on the other side of the park. There are a couple of short walks of 0.25 and 0.5 miles such as at High Point, which is the highest point in the park. As I went back town the mountain and drove down the wide open fields I saw more bison and other wildlife like deer. I even saw a bison walking across the road which was so fortunate! The total time really took about 2 hours exactly so they were pretty precise on the timing. This was really cool and I highly recommend this. You get great views of wildlife with mountains in the background for such a minimal cost.

    Bison Range in Montana.
    Steve P.

    From what I was told, in 2020, the National Bison Range transitioned to the Bison Range and was returned to local tribal management from federal oversight. This change saw an entrance fee adjustment from $5 per person to $20 per vehicle. This is especially cost-effective for groups of more than four. My appreciation goes out to the previous administration for this transition. During our visit, which was post 1pm, the Bison Range had a fire restriction in place (Level 2), limiting exposure to potential wildfires. As a result, the longer two-hour drive trail was closed. Though I presume this decision was in the best interest of visitors' safety, it's worth noting for potential visitors. The smoky conditions might have obscured our views of the magnificent mountain ranges anyway. Nonetheless, our experience on the shorter trail was rewarding, with sightings of bison, a bull elk, and deer. Overall, we left contented.

    Andrew A.

    Even if you see little wildlife, the majestic scenery is worth it. If possible, don't visit between 11-4 on hot days as the bison tend to hide in order to stay cool. We only spotted one bison in the distance in the first nine sections, but scored on the last one: two bisons within 30 feet and an elk with gorgeous horns about 10 feet away. It's only $5 per vehicle, and free if you have a National Park Pass.

    Antelope running by the road
    Stuart D.

    We had a great time. Take the long route. Amazing views. Would definitely go back. I would bring binoculars and a better camera.

    So the US Govt has turned this back to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Having indigenous people reclaiming their heritage and opening such a special location is amazing! Went just before dusk and did the two hour loop. Saw bison, elk, pronghorn and deer. Wish I had had more days in the area to go back for a morning experience too.

    Great place to take the kids to view some wildlife. A very good variety of animals. Beautiful terrain and great spectating.

    Mallerlyn V.

    This place was so cool! You get to see bison and a beautiful panorama of the Montana as well. Their information center has a little museum inside, information on the area and a nice little gift shop!

    Visitors center
    Benedict A.

    Came here on the way to Kalispell, Montana. Since we didn't see any bison in Yellowstone we decided to come see them here. Its $5 dollars to be able to drive in the park, but you pay at the visitor center which you have to walk into. They don't provide a sticker of any sort so any unsavory character could technically just drive into the park for free and none would be the wiser.... the visitors center has a little museum which is cool and they provide you with a map of the park. There's only 2 spots you can officially and correctly get out of your vehicle and do some hiking. If you goto the right it's a 20 mile loop through mountains providing beautiful views of the Flat head mountains incthe distance. It's extremely steep but my Prius C was able to handle it, so I'm sure most vehicles can too. There's a bathroom about 5 miles into that one. And it takes a good 2 hours to drive at a leisurely pace. Or you take the path to the left and its about a 5 mile back and forth shorter trip of about an hour total. Allegedly theirs bisons, deers, bears and other wild animals in the park so you have to keep your eyes peeled for them. We saw a bison heard of about 30 out in the distance but couldn't drive to them which was a bummer. Then we saw a heard of deer as well some distance away. We also saw 2 bear cubs and its mother running down the hillside which was really cool. Then a bison that was roadside just chilling which was equally cool. I guess there's no telling what you see how close to your car you see them since the animals walk to and fro wherever and whenever they please. Got some great pictures. And now I can say I saw the animal that symbolizes the west (bison) up close and personal on my road trip. Im greatly satisfied with coming here. Granted some drivers drive faster than others do there's multiple turn outs to let people go by. Overall its a great setup here. If you don't see them at the national parks you definitely will see them here!!!

    JP P.

    This is a great place to visit. Beautiful area to have a picnic with your family or friends. A short trail to hike if you are up for it. The scenic drive gives you ample opportunities for photographs. We went through in the late morning and saw plenty of wildlife. Bison, elk, deer, pronghorns, ducks, and other birds. Stop on the side of the road, but pullover so others can get by. The view is amazing soak it all in. If you have the time, do not rush through this range. Especially on a nice day this is a great way to just take it all in.

    Xia Y.

    Beautiful drive through the range and spotting these lovely creatures. There were other wildlife there so that was a sweet surprise. It is advise to not get out of the car or engage so take caution. Overall, I had a lot of fun though it did took a while driving around to find the herd.

    View from the top of the drive

    My husband and I drove through this range and thought it was marvelous. We saw 3 herds of bison, elk, deer, prong horn antelope and a couple of very interesting birds. Even if we hadn't seen all those animals the view was stunning. The top of the trip gave a wonderful view of an ancient glacial lake. The visitor center was small but had very good displays. I wish we would have perused the displays before we took the drive. It was well with the $10 entrance fee

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Great place to spend the day and drive the trails. Extremely knowledgeable people working in the main center. Helpful and great gift shops!

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    4 years ago

    Drove two hours to see nothing. Only one road was open and it was not worth the drive.

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    8 years ago

    Great day. We went up today and had a great. Saw a bear, 3 mule deer buck, about 30 elk, whitetail and prong horn.

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    5 years ago

    There's no bison. Also, main road in the range was closed so I'm not sure whether that's why there was no bison to see.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - CSKT Bison Range

    Review Highlights - CSKT Bison Range

    The National Bison Range is unlike any place I've visited, and I can't recommend the experience highly enough.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    Flathead Lake Lodge - Kids love our ropes course.

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    4.7(12 reviews)
    47.8 mi

    Perfect vacation for all ages just relax have fun even a three-year-old has full range of the ranch!read more

    I'm still on cloud 9 from my visit so I think now is the perfect time to write this review. We…read moreopted to go for the adult only retreat as our youngest child (the only one left) had no desire to go and if we weren't taking our kid we certainly didn't want to deal with anyone else's. Going into this trip I didn't know much, other than they had horses and that was what I wanted to do - ride horses. We arrived really early in the morning and was picked up at the airport, which was the size of a postage stamp. It was really easy to find our person, who grabbed our bags and loaded them into the trailer while we sat in the van. Met some others that were on the trip on the way to the lodge. Upon arrival they had a tent setup in the front where they greeted us, gave us a bag with a map of the property and list of that week's activities, told us our rooms weren't ready yet but they would find us when they were. Now - I'm going to note that they said they would find us when our room was ready and I didn't think they really would. We continued to check in to see when the room would be ready, but then later I saw them literally hunting someone down to give her keys - so they will indeed find you. When we checked in the room was a standard lodge room, we had a fridge but our friends didn't, in mentioning this in passing to the staff they brought them a fridge. Talk about service! We spent the next four days riding horses mostly, but also enjoying the company of the other guests and hearing stories from the staff. While we were really heavy on the horse rides we also enjoyed taking a tour of the elk preserve and clay sporting. We got a ride up to the yoga spot for a view (weren't too keen on hiking up there) and spent a good amount of time in the bar with fellow guests chatting up the staff. Everyone was amazing and so accommodating- I had said it was a bucket list trip but the staff at the Averill ranch has me seriously considering returning next year. Thank you for the memories.

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    4.5(17 reviews)
    36.6 mi
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    The Clark Fork farmers market is one of my favorite things to do in Missoula. It's open on Saturday…read moremornings until early afternoon during the warmer months, and it's always packed with amazing local vendors and so much good food. You'll find live music, food trucks, coffee stands, pastries, meat, salmon, fresh veggies and fruit, beautiful flowers, and even fresh milk. It's the kind of place where you can come hungry and easily spend a couple of hours wandering around. It can be a little overwhelming because a lot of the vendors carry similar items, but I usually rotate through to help support as many as I can. Vendors typically prefer cash, although some do take cards, so it's smart to bring a little of both. Also bring a bag or two because it's very easy to walk away with more than you planned. The vibe is super friendly and local in the best way, and it always feels like a snapshot of what makes Missoula so special. If you're in town on a Saturday, it's definitely worth checking out.

    My family and I have been coming to this farmers market for years now. It's an outdoor market so…read moreit's only open in the warmer months on each Saturday. There are various vendors here and you can find so much! They sell fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, and flowers. You can also find items such as honey, fresh baked pastries and bread, beauty products, clothing, and much more. Food trucks are also scattered throughout so there are plenty of options. I find that most of the prices are very reasonable, even though I never mind paying more to help support a fellow Montanan. I almost always run into someone I know, and even though the market itself is rather big, it still has a small town feel to it. Make sure to bring a bag or two with you for all the goodies you buy. Parking is free on the weekends so you don't need to rush through.

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    Spending the day with a resident expert in her field was so extra special i can't even say enough!…read moreWenFei answered our myriad of questions perfectly and made our trip out to Bison National Park memorable! In addition to knowing all things (and i do mean all) about the local birds, including their sounds and habitats, she could also share information perfectly about the bison, the antelopes (that we saw that day) and the native grizzlies. The local donuts were amazing as well as our lunch out with some local Montana fare. All in all a superb day, chock full of information that will have your feeling like an expert too! Don't miss this opportunity!

    Wenfei organized a full day trip for us to the Flathead Wilderness Area. We went driving on bumpy…read moremountain roads, hiking up the side of a mountain alongside a picturesque babbling brook and picnicked next to a sparkling lake with a view of the mountains. Our focus was photography, and our route did not disappoint on that score. We also stopped for fresh baked goods and coffee on our way out of Missoula which made the ride that much more pleasant. We are generally outdoor people but we chose to use a tour company because we were traveling with a baby and didn't know how to find routes that would be child friendly and not overly demanding. We would definitely recommend Wenfei's guiding services and have referred several friends to her Big Sky Safaris for Montana travel. In particular her being a biologist makes an outstanding enhancement to hiking - we are not very knowledgeable about birds and animal droppings, and Wenfei pointed out all sorts of interesting things for us as well as small details worth photographing that we wouldn't have noticed on our own. Wenfei made us very comfortable, gave us excellent gear advice, and spared us many hours of poring over maps to identify good areas to visit. She also was really knowledgeable about the local plants and birds during our early autumn MT trip. This was a great splurge during our MT trip and one we'd do again in a heart beat.

    Photos
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    Pronghorn buck lying in a bed of arrowleaf balsamroot

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