It is our hope that these books, selected for relevance to Montana and Montana real estate, will enhance your enjoyment of Montana and provide reliable guides for experiencing the many attractions of the Treasure State.

Even the most famous explorers relied on a knowledgeable guide. And nowhere will you find a more knowledgeable guide than The Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia. It would require almost a dozen of the top guidebooks on Montana to find the information contained in this single volume—and you still wouldn’t have everything that is in this book!

Excerpted from a reader's response: "What is there to see and do in Montana? The answer is simple - just get a copy of the Ultimate Montana Atlas and Travel Encyclopedia. This 600-page, softbound book is the ultimate reference guide to the Treasure State. Whenever I travel around Montana, whether for fishing or a tennis tournament, I carry about a half-dozen travel guides and reference books so I'm sure not to miss any of those neat out-of-the-way spots that makes our state so special. This book replaces them all.

On a trip to Lewistown, I learned that town was the geographical center of the state. I also learned the Ringlings, of circus fame, owned over 100,000 acres and once contemplated establishing a circus headquarters near the town that bears their name. I learned the Murray Hotel in Livingston is still using its original hand-crank, glass door, 1905 Otis elevator. And, closer to home, how to reach Garnet, a ghost town east of Missoula.

One thing that separates the Encyclopedia from other travel books is advertising. But, that's not bad. On an April trip to Helena, we read that the Montana City Grill and Saloon, just five miles from Helena, had world famous huckleberry BBQ pork ribs. Not only were the ribs great and the menu large and varied (my wife had lamb kabob), but we were treated to one of the nicest, friendliest waitresses we've ever seen! Without the advertising, we would have missed one of the finest dinners we've ever had in Montana."

110 maps — 48 maps of towns and cities — Over 2,000 Restaurants — Over 700 Motels — More than 350 public campgrounds — More than 250 private campgrounds — 96 Forest Service cabins — Over 200 guest ranches and resorts — Over 200 bed and breakfasts — Over 250 vacation homes and cabins — Over 450 outfitters and guides — 130 airports — More than 225 fishing sites — Over 160 Lewis & Clark points of interest — 71 public golf courses — Over 300 museums and historical sites — The text of over 300 historical markers — More than 25 hot springs — Over 300 hikes — Over 100 Cross-Country Ski Trails — Over 65 scenic drives and sidetrips — More than 50 ghost towns — 31 downhill and cross-country ski areas — Over 650 gas stops — More than 400 attractions — More than 1,000 photographs — Weather information for over 40 locations — Information on over 300 cities and towns — 1,000s of things to do in Montana — 1,000s of addresses and phone numbers …and more!

From a reviewer from Elk Grove, California: The saga of Glacial Lake Missoula was so gripping I had to buy Roadside Geology of Washington to see how it came out! Alt and Hyndman are the best authors I've found in this series.

From reviewer Donald Finley from Missoula, Montana: "Great little book. I've read it until the covers have fallen off, and it's still a bigger story than I can adequately understand. I'm afraid we live in a very complex state. Dr. Alt's book is exactly the thing to carry around in car while one travels. I only wish it was 20 times longer, bigger - with more pictures. Once in a conversation with Dr. Alt he promised me that in the newer additions of his book would be naked pictures of the geologists - but that hasn't shown up yet. It's perhaps for the best. Great book." (by David Alt, Donald W. Hyndman - 427 pages)

A fascinating mix of attractions awaits the Montana traveler, from the Big Montana Sheep Drive to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

Author Michael McCoy, a former resident of Montana, lives in Teton Valley, Idaho. His outdoor and travel writing has appeared in national and regional publications.

A fascinating mix of attractions awaits the Montana traveler, from the Big Montana Sheep Drive to the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

Montana is a rockhound's dream, where inland seas once deposited fossils and minerals that the forces of geology have since laid bare. Rockhounding Montana, formerly The Rockhound's Guide to Montana, can lead you to the Yellowstone River, where you can comb the gravel for Montana agate, an official state gemstone, or to the badlands along Hell Creek, where paleontologists have found dinosaur remains. The book, by rockhound and educator Robert Feldman, contains information on the sapphire mines along the Missouri River near Helena, the limestone caves in the Pryor Mountains, as well as brief histories of mining at Butte and other locations. Even novices can find their way to crystals, garnets, geodes, and fossilized wood.

You'll discover remote mountain streams where you can pan for gold or hunt for fossils. Rockhounding Montana covers popular and commercial areas as well as many little known sites on public land. The book gives directions, includes a glossary, maps, and directories to museums, rock shops, and rock clubs. The beginner finds a complete introduction to this fascinating hobby and the expert discovers an excellent sourcebook in Rockhounding Montana. Bring it along on your next geological journey. (by Robert Feldman)