Montana is well-known for its beautiful mountain ranges and world-renown wilderness areas. These types of landscapes have become the head shot of the state’s identity. Although the mountains are amazing and I love them just as much as the next person, there is more to Montana’s beauty than snow-covered peaks and green forests. One of the greatest things about Montana is the diversity the state has to offer. Overshadowed by the picturesque mountains of Western Montana lies the forgotten areas of the state known as the Highline and Eastern Montana.

Although it may seem like you are looking at the exact same view no matter where you go, Eastern Montana has its own beauty unlike anywhere else. Anybody that has ever seen a sunset on the Highline will tell you the same thing because there quite frankly isn’t anything else like it. I have grown up surrounded by mountains and spent many nights watching the sun go down yet I still find myself in awe of the colors of a setting sun over the plains of Eastern Montana.

Welcome to cowboy country. If you like rodeos, then Eastern Montana is the place to be. This is where the cowboy comes to play. Drive across the Highline in the summer and you can find a rodeo pretty much any weekend you want. The beauty of these rodeos is that the most familiar face you might see is your neighbor or best friend because these are the rodeos for the everyday person to enter. If a sense of community is what you’re looking for, look no further than the small-town rodeos of Eastern Montana.

Dependent on farming and ranching, the traditional lifestyle lived by many in Eastern Montana is a thing of beauty. With a fast-paced society that is constantly evolving taking over the urbanized areas of the state, the lifestyle of Eastern Montana is a breath of fresh air. Something as small as a rain storm or healthy calf is enough to make a person’s day in Eastern Montana, the little things in life don’t go unnoticed and unappreciated in this part of the state. A simpler, more traditional lifestyle is something people from these parts of the state take pride in and for good reason.

A sense of community is a thing of beauty and I have never seen this more than in Eastern Montana. With one small town after another, Eastern Montana is simply a chain of neighbors. People come from all surrounding areas in times of need and rally together for what they believe in. The closest person around may be 30 miles away, but the sense of camaraderie found with these types of neighbors just isn’t something that can be found in a big city subdivision. Take a walk through a small town county fair in Eastern Montana and you will see exactly what I am talking about. People know each other on a first-name basis and go out of their way to genuinely check in on one another, this may be the most beautiful thing about Eastern Montana.

Although it may not be as easy on the eyes as the mountains, Eastern Montana is a place of beauty filled with prideful people that live a lifestyle that will always be just a little bit different than the rest of the state. So next time you think of Montana, don’t count out the forgotten parts of the state because the beauty is there and it’s endless.