Bozeman Area

The high ropes course at Big Sky Resort, an hour south of Bozeman, dangles you 20-30 feet above the ground (safely harnessed and spotted by a guide). It's a great way to view Lone Mountain. 

Why families love the Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel's boutique teepees:

• Near Yellowstone's north entrance
• Big Enough to hold four people
• Memory-foam mattresses, heat and WI-FI
• Heated floors and privacy at bathhouse

• You can cover Drinking Horse Mountain Trail, right outside of town, in about an hour.
• Fairy Lake Trail, just over a mile, circles a lake in a forested bowl at the foot of Sacagawea Peak.
• The M Trail, a gift from Montana State University's class of 1918, lies just 4 miles outside Bozeman - look for the big white "M."

The region is a natural amusement park with family-friendly ways to cut loose.

Wild rides: Just try to keep a straight face while whitewater rafting or ziplining. 

Live tunes: Kick back with a free concert at Town Center Park on Thursday evenings.

Power park: Go to Big Sky Community Park in Meadow Village for hoops, climbing walls, a skateboard park, picnics and trials. 

Kid-caliber hike: The easy Ousel Falls Trail rewards with a gorgeous waterfall. 

Lake leisure: At Lake Levinsky, rent pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Fort-ified fun: Let the kids attack a 500-square-foot tree fort at Kircher Park along the South Fork of the Gallatin River.