Montana motorcycle rides: Glacier, the Beartooth and the big empty

Montana is big, empty and beautiful. You can ride for an hour without meeting another vehicle, then climb into some of the most dramatic mountain roads in the country.

Western Montana (Missoula, Kalispell, the Bitterroot and Flathead valleys) has the mountains, lakes and Glacier National Park. Southwest Montana around Butte, Anaconda and Philipsburg has old mining towns and quiet passes.

South-central Montana (Bozeman, Livingston, Red Lodge) leads to Yellowstone and the Beartooth. The east and the Hi-Line are prairie and badlands, long straight roads and small towns where the gas station is also the cafe.

June through September is the core season. July and August give the most reliable weather and the most open roads. May and October are a gamble: some days are perfect, others bring snow to the passes.

Glacier and the Beartooth run on their own calendars. Going-to-the-Sun Road usually opens fully in late June or July after plowing. The Beartooth typically opens in late May and closes in mid-October. Snow can close either one for a day in midsummer.

Late summer smoke from wildfires can fill valleys and close roads. Check fire information before a long trip. Summer also brings afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains.

Helmets. Montana requires helmets for some riders, mainly younger riders; the age and conditions are set in state law. See the IIHS helmet law overview for the current rule. Whatever the law says for you, wear one.

Lane filtering. Since 2021 Montana allows lane filtering, riding between stopped vehicles, under conditions set in state law. It does not allow lane splitting at speed. Learn the conditions, and expect many drivers not to see it coming.

Montana is a destination more than a rally state. Eastern Montana riders are a long day from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota every August; check the organizer for dates. The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride happens in cities around the world in May.

Many riders plan the year around the Going-to-the-Sun and Beartooth openings instead, which is not a bad way to run a calendar.

Most weeks, the riding calendar is bike nights, meets, charity rides and toy runs. Rippin' puts them on one events map covering the whole US, so you can find what's near you and RSVP. Riders can post their own meets, and shops and clubs can host recurring meets and official events with Organizer Pro. See motorcycle events in Rippin'.

Rippin' is free on iPhone and Android. Tap Record Ride once and pocket the phone. It tracks route, miles, moving time, elevation and speed, and gives you a Ride Wrapped recap at the end. The passport and badges stamp every town you ride through, which adds up fast on a Montana trip.

Turf. Close a loop and the land inside becomes your turf on the live map. Montana loops are huge, and nearly all of the state is unclaimed. Empty land is free to claim. Read about Turf Wars.

Poker stops, roads and squads. Riders collect poker cards at real stops; Montana cafes, bars and shops can join through partners. Riders can add a road and the team checks it. Ride with your crew on one live map in a group ride.

Honest note: Rippin' started in Southern California and Montana has very few riders and roads in the app so far. Rippin' has no offline maps, so carry a backup where coverage drops. If you ride Montana, you can be first on the map here.