Montana has no commercial drive-thru safari parks. It doesn’t need them: the state has one of the oldest bison refuges in the country and one of the West’s great elk-rut spectacles, both viewable from your car. Timing matters this month, because both are near the end of their fall season.
- CSKT Bison Range (Moiese)
- Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area, Charles M. Russell NWR (Lewistown area)
CSKT BISON RANGE
Type: Tribal wildlife refuge with self-guided auto tours. It was formerly the National Bison Range, established in 1908, and has been owned and managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes since 2021.
Location: 58355 Bison Range Rd, Moiese, MT 59824 (Flathead Reservation, off US-93 north of Ravalli, about 1 hour north of Missoula)
Phone: (406) 644-2211
Website: bisonrange.org · Hours & Information
Social Media: Yelp
Size: About 18,800 acres
Animals: About 350 bison, plus elk, pronghorn, mule and white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, and 200+ bird species
Scenic Drives:
- Red Sleep Mountain Drive: A 19-mile, one-way gravel loop that climbs about 2,000 ft, with switchbacks, 10% grades, and two walking trails. Allow about 2 hours. It’s open only from Mother’s Day weekend through about October 31.
- Prairie Drive: A 1-hour, two-way lower road, open year-round
- West Loop: Open year-round
Admission:
- About $20 per vehicle per day. Pay at the Visitor Center.
- Annual passes are available.
- Federal passes (America the Beautiful, Senior, etc.) are NOT accepted, and the whole range is a fee area.
- A CSKT Conservation Permit does not cover entry.
Hours (Summer Season, May – October):
- Front Gate: 7 AM – 8 PM
- Visitor Center: 7 AM – 7 PM
- Last car onto Red Sleep Drive: 6 PM. Arrive by 5:45 PM to buy your pass.
- Winter hours start around November 1, with shorter days and Red Sleep closed.
- Open during daylight only, weather and road conditions permitting.
Rules & Tips:
- Stay in or right next to your vehicle except on the designated trails. Bison are wild and dangerous.
- Red Sleep closes for the season at the end of October, so go soon.
- Bison rut is September – October, and calving is April – May.
- Early morning and evening give the best wildlife activity.
- RVs and trailers aren’t suited to Red Sleep’s grades. Ask at the Visitor Center.
SLIPPERY ANN ELK VIEWING AREA
Type: USFWS national wildlife refuge with a free self-guided auto tour and an elk-rut viewing area
Location: Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area, about 6 miles east of US-191 on the CMR Auto Tour Route (central Montana, a little over 1 hour north of Lewistown, about 120 miles from Billings)
Phone: Refuge HQ (Lewistown) (406) 538-8706 · Elk Hotline: (406) 535-6904
Email: cmr@fws.gov
Website: Slippery Ann Elk Viewing Area · CMR Refuge Activities
Social Media: Elk updates are posted on the refuge’s Facebook page.
Size: The refuge is about 1.1 million acres, the second-largest NWR in the lower 48. The auto tour is about 19–20 miles of all-weather gravel road with interpretive stops, and takes 2–3 hours. It’s accessible from two points on US-191 and passes near the Lewis & Clark campsite of May 22, 1805.
Animals: Up to about 500 Rocky Mountain elk during the rut. Also mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and 235+ bird species.
Admission: FREE
Season & Timing:
- Elk arrive in late August, peak in mid-September, and stay in high numbers until early October. This is the tail end of the season, so call the Elk Hotline before you drive out.
- Most activity is from late afternoon until dark: bugling, sparring bulls, and harems. Bulls bugle through the night into early morning.
- HQ office: 7 AM – 4 PM weekdays, closed weekends and holidays
Rules & Tips:
- No hunting inside the posted Elk Viewing Area.
- Expect crowds and heavy traffic at peak, with sometimes hundreds of vehicles. Arrive early in the afternoon for a good spot.
- Plan to stay until dark.
- The area is remote: no services, and limited cell coverage. Gas up in Lewistown.
Explore Drive-Thru Wildlife Parks in Neighboring States:
Idaho · Wyoming · South Dakota · North Dakota