Stillwater County
Stillwater County is in Yellowstone Country, part of Montana.
Cities
- 1 Absarokee
— great basecamp for outdoor adventures - 2 Columbus — largest town and county seat
- 3 Fishtail — excellent fly fishing nearby
- 4 Nye — near several camping and hiking locations in the Beartooth Mountains
- 5 Park City — small agricultural town
- 6 Rapelje — near two wildlife refuges
- 7 Reed Point — known for the Great Montana Sheep Drive
Understand
The majority of towns are formed around the Stillwater River with a few along the Yellowstone River. A large section of the county is in Custer Gallatin National Forest. There are wonderful camping and fishing experiences.
The town is named Absarokee and the mountains/wilderness is Absaroka. Weirdness, but they are both pronounced Ab-zor-kee.
Get in
Columbus, Park City, and Reed Point are on Interstate 90.
Rapelje is at the intersection of Highway 306 and 478.
The remainder can be accessed from Highway 78.
Get around
While all towns can be walked, you will need a car to access them. You will also want a vehicle to explore.
See
- 1 Museum of the Beartooths, 440 E 5th Ave N, Columbus, ☏ +1 406 322-4588. Jan-Mar Tu-Th 10AM-3PM; Apr-Dec M-F 10AM-5PM. Local history. Open on Saturdays during the summer.
Do
- 1 Mystic Lake Hike (1 mile past Fishtail turn left onto West Rosebud Road. Follow this road for seven miles, turning left at the sign to Mystic Lake.). Very popular 5.8-mile out-and-back hike. 1,420 ft elevation gain. Excellent place for trout fishing. Camping allowed if you'd rather stay, fish, and explore. Or continue on to Huckleberry Creek, Island Lake, & Silver Lake.
- 2 Sioux Charley Hike (Drive through Nye and past the Stillwater Mine for 28.7 miles until you dead-end at the trailhead). 6.5-mile out-and-back trail with 931 ft elevation gain. Sioux Charley is a great, moderately easy, day trip. You can also continue on the trail to Flood Creek or Tripod Hill.
Events
- Great Montana Sheep Drive, Reed Point. Labor Day weekend. For over 30 years this unique event brings thousands to the small town. Parade, sheep shearing contests, log sawing calcutta, street vendors will keep you busy all day long.
- Montana BBQ Cook-Off, Absarokee, ☏ +1 406 328-6822. June. All day event with concerts, vendors, and of course the BBQ cook-off.
- Nitro National Hill Climb, Columbus. last full weekend of June. Full weekend of motorcycle competition. Camping available.
Buy
- Fishtail General Store, 35 Main Street, Fishtail, ☏ +1 406 328-4260. Daily 4AM-8PM. A little bit of everything, just like the sign says. Grab a deli sandwich too.
- 1 Montana Silversmiths, 549 N 9th St, Columbus, ☏ +1 406 322-4902. Sells jewelry, belt buckles, and gifts all with a western feel. Based in Columbus, their products are all over the region.
Eat
- 307 Bar & Grill, 842 E Pike Ave, Columbus, ☏ +1 406 322 4511. Lunch and dinner. Burgers, rib-eye, and prime rib all with angus beef.
Drink
- 1 Main Street Commons, 19 S Woodard Ave, Absarokee, ☏ +1 406 328-4115. Stop in for a coffee and find out what's going on in the area. This little spot in Absarokee is a full community center.
- 2 Palladium Draughthaus, 702 E Pike Ave, Columbus, ☏ +1 406 290-5086, draughthaus@pd46brewing.com. Craft beer.
Sleep
- Itch-Kep-Pe Park, 4 Hillside Rd, Columbus, ☏ +1 406. Camping sites for both trailers and tents alongside Stillwater River. Very basic, but it's free. Walk-in only. Free.
Stay safe
Bear country. Be bear aware before you start exploring the wilderness. Plenty of other wildlife may come close. Remember they are wild and can react badly to people. Keep your distance and enjoy watching.
Connect
- Stillwater County Library, 27 4th St N, Columbus, ☏ +1 406 322-5009, slibrary@mtlib.org. Computers, faxes, printers, and wi-fi.
Go next
- Beartooth National Highway - from Absarokee head to Red Lodge
- White Sulphur Hot Springs - enjoy the quaint town and take a soak in the hot springs