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Highest-rated free things to do in Montana by visitors

·Stacker

Tint Media // Shutterstock
Tint Media // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Montana.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Montana using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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#30. Apgar Visitor Center

Tripadvisor

1 / 30

#30. Apgar Visitor Center

- Rating: 4.2/5 (185 reviews)
- City: Glacier National Park
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Fishercap Lake

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. Fishercap Lake

- Rating: 4.7/5 (122 reviews)
- City: Glacier National Park
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Red Rock Falls, Glacier National Park

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Red Rock Falls, Glacier National Park

- Rating: 4.6/5 (122 reviews)
- City: Glacier National Park
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Ryan Dam - Great Falls of the Missouri

Tripadvisor

8 / 30

#23. Ryan Dam - Great Falls of the Missouri

- Rating: 4.3/5 (270 reviews)
- City: Great Falls
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Tripadvisor

11 / 30

#20. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

- Rating: 4.7/5 (284 reviews)
- City: Missoula
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

- Rating: 4.8/5 (111 reviews)
- City: Missoula
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Running Eagle Falls

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Running Eagle Falls

- Rating: 4.7/5 (261 reviews)
- City: Glacier National Park
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge

Tripadvisor

24 / 30

#7. Kootenai Falls Swinging Bridge

- Rating: 4.8/5 (391 reviews)
- City: Libby
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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