Every springtime, our family at Hollinger Real Estate in Bigfork, Montana, looks forward to seeking out new fun family adventures throughout the Treasure State. It’s a time when the hills burst into their bright green hues, the cherry trees burst into spectacular colors, and kids in particular look forward to summertime fun.
We have enjoyed so many fun family adventures so we thought we’d share our highlights with you.
Think: seeing the Buffalo roam, panning for Montana’s famous Sapphires, and exploring the wonders of The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas!
At our Flathead Lake Real Estate office, we love every opportunity to experience the beauty of the Treasure State and share it with you. If you ever thought about relocating to a land of endless adventure, the Hollinger Real Estate Team is here to help that dream come true. Whether your vision is owning a historic lakefront estate, an expansive orchard with lake view property, or a lakefront condominium for a vacation escape, we have those listings and are ready to introduce them to you. Contact our team now to learn more and to schedule your personal tour.
Fun Family Things to Do in Montana
Here’s a ‘must-do’ at least once in your life. We took the whole family to Gem Mountain for a full day of panning for sapphires and were not disappointed. In fact, we ended up with gems large enough to turn them into Christmas gifts the following year. We can’t promise you will have the same results, yet we can promise it will be an adventure you will always remember.
The family that runs Gem Mountain does the hard work so you can have all the fun.
As their website says it best: “Gem Mountain is family owned and operated by the Cooney Family for the purpose of entertaining treasure-seeking visitors from around the world.”
All the equipment you need is at their outdoor facility near Phillipsburg, Montana. They mine the gravel, then it’s your turn to sift through the goods to find your treasure. You can read all about where to go and what to do on site, right here.
Visit the Garden of One Thousand Buddhas
For a more spiritual day under the sun, head to Arlee to experience this ancient sacred park and its architectural wonders. It is a ‘see it to believe it experience’ and worth the time you will want to take to take it all in.
Wrapped with spectacular views within the Jocko Valley, the garden is historically documented as a “prophetic treasure vision that Sang-nag Rinpoche had while a child and was discovered while on a trip to teach the dharma in Montana.”
The purpose of the Garden today is to bring about positive thoughts. Bring your best camera and prepare to be enlightened by its story and setting. It is here where one thousand hand-cast Buddha statues are arrayed around the central figure of Yum Chenmo (Prajnaparamita), or the Great Mother, the manifestation of the perfection of wisdom. One thousand stupas, representations of the enlightened mind, line the outer circle. Each enshrines an image of the female deity, Tara. The Park is just as inspirational.
Here’s another full day that kids of all ages always enjoy. The Bison Range is a vast home to hundreds of Bison and other free-roaming animals that can be viewed during a drive throughout the 18,776-acre Range. If you time it right, you will have the opportunity to see many of the descendants of the free-ranging Reservation herd that was started by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe back in the 1800s with plain bison were near extinction. There’s a wonderful story of its evolution on their website; be sure to read it before you explore the Range.
This is one of the more affordable adventures in the state. All you need to do is purchase a Day Pass at the Visitor’s Center (the fee is around $20) and your adventure begins. As you travel along in your car along a well-kept road, look in all directions. Most of the road is for viewing purposes only. Walking away from vehicles is allowable only along designated trails, picnic areas, sanitation stations, and fishing areas. Please remain in your vehicle for your safety.
And that is just the beginning!
For more activities to enjoy throughout Big Sky Country, refer to our Fun/Adventures in Northwest Montana Blogs as key references to where to go and what to do in Montana.
And for local advice, the Hollinger Real Estate Team is always delighted to share our decades of experience in living the good life in Montana.
