Red Lodge, Montana
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Like most of this country, the West has been inhabited by many different Indian tribes and immigrants from dozens of different countries. But Red Lodge, Montana, is one of the few towns in the 20th century that can boast about just such a mix of cultures living peacefully side by side for decades.
Set at the edge of the Custer National Forest and the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, Red Lodge was favored for hundreds of years as a summer campsite by Crow warriors, who dotted the banks of Rock Creek with their distinctive red tipis.
The first European settlers arrived in the 1880s, drawn by the discovery of coal. And some of the most notorious characters of the Wild West were known to frequent Red Lodge, including Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and the town's first constable, "Liver Eatin" Johnson.
The town boomed through the first decades of this century, reaching a population of 5,000. Today Red Lodge is home to fewer than 2,000 residents, but still boasts more than two dozen watering holes and restaurants. Art and antique lovers can browse through several galleries in Red Lodge.
Mingle with mountain men and women at the mountain man rendezvous from July 23 to August 1. Arts and crafts of the fur trade era are on display and seminars are offered on topics ranging from fire-making to tanning your own buckskins.
The annual Festival of Nations brings the world to town from August 7 to 14. Each day is dedicated to a different nationality, whose arts, crafts, food, music, and dances are highlighted. Scottish, Italian, Slavic, English, Irish, Welsh, German, Scandinavian, and Finnish are the nationalities explored during the week-long celebration.
Often called the most beautiful gateway to Yellowstone National Park, Red Lodge offers easy access to spectacular hiking, camping, fishing, river rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking, and scenic drives, especially along the Beartooth Highway.
Nancy Kessler
Want to know more? Call: 406-446-1718
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