Lewistown

History The first permanent settlers in the Lewistown area were Métis, and one of them, Janeaux, founded the first public school in 1883. The town was first planned in 1882. A gold rush in the 1880s brought miners to the area, and nearby Maiden was at one time the largest town in Central Montana; Lewistown grew as a supply point. It later became a railway town that shipped bricks to surrounding communities. During the Second World War an air base operated here; the site is now Lewistown Municipal Airport, which holds the last remaining Norden bombsight storage vault, built to keep the secret bombsight away from spies.

What to See The Central Montana Museum in Symmes Park covers local history and is free, with donations welcome. The geographic centre of Montana lies about 11 miles west of town in Fergus County. The Montana Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the second-oldest in the country, and the Central Montana Fair, whose PRCA rodeo includes bronc riding, steer wrestling, roping, barrel racing and bull riding, are the town's biggest events. The Charlie Russell Chew Choo, a 56-mile round-trip dinner train from Lewistown that crosses three trestles and a 2,000-foot tunnel, was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2026; it runs on selected dates, so check the operator's schedule.

Fishing Big Spring Creek runs through and under the city, and locals regard it as the best fishing close to home. It stays fishable year-round, and FWP reports up to 3,000 pounds of trout per river mile. There are six public access sites, and floating, tubing and swimming are popular in summer. The Big Spring Trout Hatchery, about 7 miles south of town, raises rainbow and brown trout and salmon and its grounds are open to visitors; call ahead for hatchery hours. Ackley Lake, out of town, adds still-water fishing, boating and picnicking. A Montana fishing licence is required, and the city's paved trail network, about 24 miles in all, follows the creek through town.

Getting There Lewistown is on US-87 and US-191. The nearest airports with scheduled flights are Great Falls (GTF), about 114 miles by road, and Billings (BIL), about 130 miles. Lewistown Municipal Airport, two miles south-west of town, is for general aviation. There is no passenger rail. The roads in from Great Falls and Billings cross long stretches of open wheat and ranch country with few services, so plan fuel stops. Montana's limit on two-lane highways is 70 mph by day and 65 mph at night.

When to Go June to September is the best period for events, the dinner train and floating the creek. The fishing on Big Spring Creek holds up in spring and autumn as well. Winters are severe: the record low is −46 °F, set in January 1929, so carry winter gear and check road reports when driving the open highways between towns.