When it comes to recreation, Montana is a giant playground. With four distinct seasons comes a wide variety of recreational opportunities.
     It all begins in spring. Fishing season opens, skwala stone fly hatches create trout feeding-frenzies on the rivers and streams. Float tubes, drift boats, canoes, and rafts, all filled with happy fishermen follow the currents. Hunters frequent the green south-facing slopes, looking for black and brown bear. The local golf courses open early, often times golfers can be seen playing through the occasional spring snowstorm, contrasting with spring skiing in shorts and t-shirts, a popular way to get some sun. Gardeners begin tilling the soil, and bicycles come out.
     As summer rolls around, the spring run-off swells the rivers and the hiking trails. Backpackers, mountain bikers, and ATV enthusiasts take to the mountains, boaters hit the lakes, and Glacier and Yellowstone open their gates. Summer in Montana is filled with camp-outs, water skiing, sailing, golfing, backpacking, huckleberry picking, sight-seeing, and more. In September the leaves begin to turn and the elk begin to bugle. Bowhunting and upland bird seasons open. Mushroom pickers harvest morels and shaggy manes by the bushel, and let's not forget Grizzly football.
     October brings snow at the higher elevations, big-game, waterfowl seasons open, and of course Grizzly basketball. November brings the snow, much to the delight of downhill and nordic skiers. Ice fisherman dot the lakes, pulling everything from perch, to pike, to trout through holes in the ice. Snowmobilers will find thousands of miles of trails winding through Montana's winter wonderland. No matter what your sport, Montana has it all.