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Montana is an adventure destination like no other. Here are seven different ways to help you unlock the Treasure State.

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They call Montana the Treasure State, and they aren’t lying. In fact, it is a wealth of riches, particularly in the scenic wonder department. If you’re in search of unspoiled natural beauty, you’ve come to the right part of the country. From majestic peaks teeming with wondrous wildlife to colorful canyons carved by untamed rivers, it’s all right here at your feet. Just make sure you pack your hiking shoes. Then again, even if you don’t care to simply stroll through it, there are endless other ways to experience the outdoors in Montana: You can enjoy its world-class fishing. Or follow the path of the world’s first identified T. Rex. Bust out the binoculars and marvel at millions of migratory birds and gawk at some of the largest herds of bison anywhere on Earth. After a busy afternoon of exploring, pull up to a picturesque hot spring and soak it all in — literally. Over 147 million acres of paradise await. They comprise the most varied terrain in all of the West, ranging from the Great Plains to the Continental Divide and all the rugged delights in between. How you slice it is entirely up to you, but you ought to consider a well-laid strategy ahead of time. Don’t just leave your itinerary to chance. If you are feeling lucky, we suggest panning for gold — or sapphires or garnets — a popular pastime in these parts. At the end of the day, Montana is exactly as advertised: an absolute treasure. Here’s how to unlock it.

Click on any below to choose your own uniquely Montanan adventure.

There aren’t too many states in the country boasting their own Dinosaur Trail. Come to think of it, Montana is the only one. The Montana Dinosaur Trail consists of 14 locations, from the Carter County Museum in Ekalaka westward to the Dinosaur Center in Bynum. The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman is an especially worthwhile stop, housing the most T. Rex specimens anywhere on Earth. Not to be overlooked, there are plenty of Triceratops on display as well. Exhibits here rotate frequently throughout the year, while an on-site planetarium is a perennial attraction.

Overnighting under the stars is always an awe-inspiring activity. But in Montana, it takes on a whole new dimension. With virtually no light pollution to speak of and plenty of cloudless skies throughout the summer and fall, you’re afforded an unparalleled spectacle of Milky Way magic. And there’s no shortage of state parks upon which to pitch a tent.

Dreaming of a home where the bison roam? Well, might we suggest Montana? And, more specifically, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Bison Range. This notable nature reserve in western Montana is part of the Flathead Indian Reservation and is home to a herd of over 350 adult bison.

Fishing and Montana go together like bread and butter. Put them together, and you’ll have one delicious sandwich. But first, you gotta catch some. Thankfully, there is no better place to troll for trout than right here. The Jefferson, the Madison, the Gallatin — these three rivers are all regarded as prime places to score fish, especially the 183-mile-long Madison River, which winds its way from the Missouri River headwaters all the way into Wyoming. In Three Forks, as you might have guessed, those three rivers converge to form the Missouri River. It’s the longest river in the U.S., and it’s patiently waiting for you to arrive, fishing pole in one hand, tackle box in the other.

You could spend a lifetime hiking through Montana. There are millions of trails here, covering all manner of terrain and every type of difficulty level. If you’re okay with a little bit of elevation gain, check out the Limekiln Loop in the Judith Mountains. It’s a seven-mile walk in total, with 1,000 feet in elevation accumulated — primarily near the start of the walk. Eventually, you’ll emerge above timbered slopes to see distant ridge tops with names like New Year Peak and Burnette Mountain. Next, you’ll take in views of the hike’s namesake canyon before looping back towards the trailhead parking area.

Eastern Montana is one of the best locations in the world to experience agritourism. This popular form of adventure travel affords visitors an opportunity to experience working farms through the lens of both entertainment and education. Circle Bar Ranch is a great example of such. Seated at the headwaters of the Judith River, the historic property dates back to the 1800s. Guests can take part in cattle drives or go for some afternoon shooting and archery. It’s all backdropped by bucolic scenery famously captured by the “cowboy artist” himself, Charles Russell.

Gold has been a part of the state’s history since prospectors first arrived in the early 1860s. The town of Zortman in central Montana was founded on the backs of settlers seeking to strike it rich. After a wildfire ripped through the village in 1936 and destroyed the mining operation, locals opted to shift the site into a tourist destination celebrating the local heritage.

Writer: Brad Japhe Editor: Lee Musho Visual Designer: Rebecca Hoskins Illustrator: Katie Scarlett

If you want the added benefit of an enviable watering hole during the day, set up camp in Brush Lake State Park. The recreation area surrounds a deep and pristine water feature — a mile in length — which is fully open to swimming and boating as well as water skiing. A 12-site campground also has electric hookups, so you don’t exactly have to rough it in the backcountry.

Want to get a little further away from civilization? Explore the Upper Missouri River Breaks, a national monument deep in the serrated wilderness of central Montana. The 589 square mile plot of public land takes its name from a series of steep bluffs which frame the winding river. Here you can retrace the steps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The famed explorers made their way through this tract all the way back in 1805. This part of the state also boasts some of the darkest skies anywhere in the United States. So, if you chose to overnight around here, you ought to set up camp near one of more than two dozen stargazing sites that constitute Montana’s famed “Trail to the Stars.” The complete map can be downloaded here.

Medicine Rocks State Park is yet another worthwhile destination for an overnight adventure. Located on the far eastern edge of the state, it is home to pockmarked limestone pillars rising up from an otherwise grassy terrain. Its unusual topography led a young Teddy Roosevelt to regard it “as fantastically beautiful a place as I have ever seen.” We could go on all day with magnificent Montanan camping recommendations. But then we’d miss the millions of stars emerging shortly after the sun sets.

The Bison Range was established as a place to help restore the species’ dwindling numbers during the early parts of the 20th century. As a dedicated conservation effort, it was decades ahead of its time. Today it offers one of the more dramatic scenes in the American West: hundreds of shaggy-haired beasts backdropped by the unmistakable beauty of Montana.

At the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program, you can see entire families of bison grazing alongside one another. They’re not at all used to attracting big crowds in this central region of Montana, so you can guarantee that the locals, as well as the bison, will be glad to see you stop by.

At the Fort Peck Interpretive Center, you’ll find “Peck’s Rex,” a 75% complete skeleton that was uncovered in 1997. Today it exists as one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever found. Younger visitors will love the hands-on skull exhibit — a replica affording visitors a tactile sense of just how gargantuan these creatures really were.

Whichever venue is your first stop, make sure to purchase a Prehistoric Passport. The $7 pamphlet includes fossil facts and other educational insights from all of the locations along the way. Collect a stamp from each of the 14 stops, and you’re entitled to a free prize.

Beyond the designated dino trail, you can also find fossil remains on a visit to Montana’s largest state park, Makoshika State Park. The stark rocky outcrops of this landscape inspired its name, which is a variant of the Lakota phrase meaning “bad earth.” Ultimately it doesn’t even look like something of this earth at all. It’s an otherworldly landscape that will hypnotize your senses.

If you prefer lake fishing, many anglers swear by Lake Elmo just outside of Billings. It’s by no means the biggest lake in the state, but it does have a long wooden pier leading out into the water, making it easy to cast a line from a relaxed sitting position. The lake is restocked regularly from late spring into the early autumn. Arrive during that time, and you can expect to find emerald shiners and largemouth bass in addition to brown trout. Make sure to secure a permit before you go. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks sells them online for as little as $7.50 per person.

Another quality option in the central part of Montana is the Four Dances Recreation Area. Just two miles east of downtown Billings, this 765-acre preserve occupies a verdant plateau covered in ponderosa pine and edged by river cliffs. It’s under the purview of the Bureau of Land Management, which means you won’t find any services here. So pack out everything that you pack in.

For something spectacular and still super accessible by car, head over to Capitol Rock National Landmark, a natural landmark within Custer Gallatin National Forest along the eastern edge of the state. The white sandstone formation is a holdover from the late Cretaceous period and looms over its surroundings like the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (hence the name). The route to this geologic feature does involve a few miles of dirt road, so be mindful of the weather conditions before you go.

And even if your travels don’t bring you through Big Timber, you can find plenty of similar experiences closer to your specific route by checking out Montana Bunkhouses Working Ranch Vacations. It’s a consortium of 20 such places located in some of the state’s most stunning rural expanses. If you get hungry along the way, plan a pitstop with the help of Abundant Montana. It’s a local food guide for Eastern Montana, which now allows you to filter your searches by way of agritourism.

Book a stay at the idyllic Mahlstedt Ranch, and you’ll gallop across the high country in style. The picturesque property boasts a newly renovated ranch house. Activities here range from shed hunting to bird-dog training. Of course, you’re always welcome to kick your feet up and find inspiration in the quiet solitude of the West. It’s the perfect setting in which to draft the Great American Novel. Come in the summer, and you can stay in the saddle for the full 15 hours of daylight afforded to this northerly destination. That’s a lot of time on a horse, even for the most weathered of cowhands.

Historic log cabins from that bygone era still stand. And there are even trace amounts of gold to be found in the hills. Want to see how they did it back in the day? In Zortman, you can rent your own gold panning equipment and sort through the water to find flecks of precious metal. Who knows, you might end up bankrolling your entire vacation!

And while you’re in the area, check out the UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge. This is the sole place in the state where herds of elk remain in their native prairie all year round. It’s also a great spot to spy pronghorn on the grassland while hawks and eagles soar overhead.