Montana

Montana is big, and not only because it’s the fourth largest state by area. It’s also 44th by population, which means there’s a whole lot of open land. With the eastern portion of the state occupied by the rolling open landscape of the Great Plains, there’s also a lot of sky. Hence, the state’s famous nickname “big sky country.” This eastern portion of the state is home to the lonesome highways, winding rivers and sandstone bluffs that have been deeply embedded in every American’s image of her country since Lewis and Clark passed through more than 200 years ago.

The western third of the state is occupied by the towering northern Rocky Mountains, whose snow-covered peaks provide a glorious backdrop to the state’s flatter regions. Containing a small portion of Yellowstone National Park—as well as Glacier National Park and the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where Custer made his last stand—tourism is a vital part of the state’s economy.

Outdoorsmen (and women) will find no shortage of activities to keep them busy in Montana. The state offers some of the best fly fishing in the world, as well as white water rafting, hiking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding.