Glasgow

History Native nations hunted bison in this region long before settlement; the last known buffalo hunt in the area took place in 1885. Glasgow was founded in 1887 as a railroad town by James Hill, who created many communities along the Hi-Line. In the 1930s the US Army Corps of Engineers built Fort Peck Dam south of town, creating the lake that now drives local tourism. During the Second World War an air base was built near Glasgow; after the war it closed, and part of it became the present Glasgow Valley County Airport.

What to See Fort Peck Dam is the highest of the six major dams on the Missouri River, more than 21,000 feet long and over 250 feet high, and is run by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It lies about 21 miles from Glasgow by road. The Fort Peck Interpretive Center, run with the Fish and Wildlife Service, greets visitors with a full-size model of Peck's Rex and has a skeleton cast and other regional fossil displays; admission is free. In 2026 summer hours ran from 22 May to 7 September, Friday to Monday, 9 am to 4 pm, with powerhouse tours on Saturdays and Sundays; tour visitors must register at least 15 minutes ahead and show a REAL ID or other accepted ID. After the summer season it stayed open Friday to Monday until 31 October 2026 and then opens by appointment, so call ahead (406-526-3493). In Glasgow, the Valley County Pioneer Museum has local history displays, more than 200 animal and bird mounts and an ornate historic bar known as the Buffalo Bill Cody bar.

Outdoors Fort Peck Lake is the fifth-largest artificial lake in the United States, and its 1,520-mile shoreline is longer than California's coast. Boating, fishing and camping are the main uses, and the surrounding Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge protects breaks, prairie and wildlife. Facilities are spread out and services are few, so carry fuel, water and a good map. Much of the Montana Dinosaur Trail also runs through this region, including fossil country around Jordan and Hell Creek in Garfield County to the south.

Getting There Glasgow is on US-2. Amtrak's Empire Builder, running daily between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, stops here (station GGW). Glasgow Valley County Airport, on part of the old wartime air base, has scheduled flights to Billings. A car is needed for the dam and lake. By road, Billings is a long drive south-west, so most visitors arrive by train or plane or as part of a Hi-Line road trip.

When to Go June to early September is the main season, when the interpretive centre keeps regular hours and the lake is busiest. Autumn brings hunting seasons. Winters are long and very cold, and much of the lake area is quiet from October to May.