Enjoy a #VirtualVisit to Montana via Instagram

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Even when you can’t travel in person, you can get some serious inspiration for future trips from some digital journeying. Here are our favorite places to explore Southwest Montana, from Bozeman and beyond, without ever leaving the couch. Thank you, Instagram for our #VirtualVisit to Big Sky Country!

Yellowstone

The official @yellowstonenps account gives you an inside look at the scenery, wildlife, and activities of Yellowstone, with a healthy dose of education and interpretation thrown in. Be careful; you might learn something while being blown away by beautiful images.

 

 

You might also want to give @ynpforever, the park’s official nonprofit partner, a follow.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Interview with a Geyser: Lion Q: You don’t necessarily look like a lion. How did you get your name? A: Well, the story goes that Superintendent Norris officially gave me the name back in 1877 after hearing the roar-like sound I make preceding an eruption - though I have been here for thousands of years of course without being called anything at all. I have no idea what a lion is, but I dig the name. Better than Beehive if you ask me! Q: Where do you live? A: I live up on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin with a bunch of other geysers. As it turns out, there are also hot springs and other thermal features on Geyser Hill, despite the name. In fact, you can’t miss Heart Spring right below me. Admittedly, you humans have taken way more pictures of Heart Spring than of me. And I get it. It’s a beauty and I enjoy being able to meditate on that distinct blue color every day. As the picture shows, you can get a nice close-up look from the boardwalk. My cone is about 12 feet high. Thanks for providing folks with the Google satellite map for extra perspective. Q: We hear you are part of the “Lion Group” of geysers. What is that about? A: I share an underground hydrothermal “plumbing” with the rest of my pride – Lioness, Big Cub, and Little Cub. You’ll see their smaller cones right next to me here. They named the group Lion because I have the biggest cone and most frequent and evident eruptions. Big Cub and Lioness have been inactive for quite some time. I do miss them. Q: How would you describe your eruptions? A: I erupt in a series of usually 2-4 eruptions. You won’t be able to predict the first one, but the rest follow in intervals of 1.5 hours or so. The first can reach heights of anywhere from 50-70 feet and upwards of 90 feet on rare occasions. The subsequent eruptions become shorter and shorter. They last anywhere from 1 to 7 minutes. You never quite know what you’re going to get, but this what you can expect from me on an average day. Q: Anything else you’d like to mention? A: When the park opens back up, come on by for a visit. I’m not ashamed to say that I do enjoy being admired. But remember to stay on the boardwalk! 😊 #YellowstonePledge

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Visit , @grizzlywolfcenter to get a closer look at wildlife, the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone helps you keep up with its animals.

 

 


For a live look at the park (off Instagram), you can check out Yellowstone’s live webcam feeds. See the sunrise from the top of Mount Washburn with their northeast-facing view, or watch Old Faithful erupt in real-time. You can even scroll to some of their recorded archives, featuring the wolf pack at famous sites around the park.

 

 

Dillon

The @dillon_mont Instagram is an account dedicated to the best of Dillon, Beaverhead County, and Southwest Montana. 

 

 

Get excited about future visits when you follow the Bannack State Park Instagram account. Explore the abandoned streets of this historic ghost town from the comfort of your phone (bonus for taking this 3D virtual tour from InsideMT) 

 

 

 

Livingston

For a quirky take on life in Livingston, you can head to the Livingston Chamber of Commerce’s Instagram account. Expect scenic views of town life, with a meme and in-joke or two thrown in. 

 

 

You can check out more from Livingston Life, and find plenty of local businesses to support, with @LivingstonMontana. 

 

 

 

Three Forks

When you’re looking for Three Forks views, #MissouriHeadwaters should be your first stop. You can expect scenes of the Missouri River, rolling hills, and mountain views from this small town, full of that essential charm. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park has its own Instagram account @lewisandclarkcaverns_sp, but you can also search by location for stunning shots inside the cave and around the park. It also comes with a virtual visit from Inside MT, so you can explore the underground world without leaving the couch.

 

 

For plenty of stoke from Three Forks and around the region, @SWMontanaMBA brings you views from the trails. You’ll find mountain biking inspiration from the Three Forks Copper City trails and beyond. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Dear SW MT MTBers: It’s usually right around this time of year that we’re all itching to get out, but nothing about this year is usual. Please heed the advice of health-care professionals, first responders, and government officials to stay home. We need to do our part to limit the stress on the health-care system at this time. We all have friends and family working on the frontlines of this crisis and we’re doing this for them. For now, ride around your neighborhoods keeping a safe distance from others, plan road trips, rebuild your bike, and start thinking about summer trail work. If we all do our part, we’ll be our riding again before you know it. Let’s help beat this! #StayHome #Stewardship #Bozeman

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Bozeman

When you’re looking to explore Bozeman and get some inspiration for future trips virtually, the @bozeman.365 Instagram account is your window into daily life in this mountain town. They source a lot of their images from the #bozeman365 hashtag so that you can follow along there too.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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272:365 This the last photo I’ll have of this view. I feel so lucky that I got to live in this building for the last 11 years. No matter what the new owners decide to do with this building, I hope the next person that gets to see this view every day appreciates it as much as I did. . . I’m going to miss the sunsets, the Bridger views, the people watching, the crowd at the Christmas Stroll, the parades, the summer nights and the easy access to @wildjoescoffee. But I’m not going to miss the midnight drag racers, the parking battles, the drunken yelling, the Rialto bands blocking the alley way, carrying skis, kayaks and groceries up 3 flights of stairs, the ghosts, the noise, and constantly having to have to move my car. . . I’m grateful that I was able to be a part of this building’s history. I hope that the changes that will be made to the Lovelace will be done with respect and with historic preservation in mind. This building served as a much needed home for so many people over the years. It breaks my heart that it won’t continue this way, but we can be grateful for what it was for so long. #sadday #bozeman365 #savethelovelace

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The @OutsideBozeman account gives you a taste of the Bozeman lifestyle on their feed.

 



Things get a little wild around the state sometimes, and that’s where @MontanaFWP comes in, bringing you an up-close look at Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

 

 

 

Visit Bozeman

And not to brag, but the @visit_bozeman account has plenty of year-round inspiration to keep you stoked on Bozeman life and views. Check out #onlyinbozeman to see what others have submitted from all around town. You can also join in on our #VirtualVisit series when you post photos of happy Bozeman memories using the hashtag.

 

 

 

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In our never-ending quest to keep up with all things new in Bozeman, we have been producing content for years and can't possibly update every blog when new businesses open or existing businesses close. Please reference the publish date and do your own due diligence when making plans.

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