Distinctly Montana Magazine

32 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 tion. It's a comfortable space to ride out a storm, or just give your eyeballs a break from white line fever. Outside you'll have your choice of six covered pic- nic tables, and your canine friends will appreciate the fenced-in pet area, complete with bright red fire hydrant for those dogs slow to catch on (I'm looking at you, labradoodles). There's also an information- al panel that tells the story of Jedediah Smith, the famous trapper who explored central Montana 200 years ago, blazing trails that may include the path of this very stretch of highway. While the big, fully loaded rest areas are impressive and wel- come, some of the most modest facilities can take your breath away simply by their location. Just southwest of Ismay on US Route 12, between Baker and Miles City, there's a tiny jewel of a rest stop. It sits on four acres of mowed lawn, a landscaped oasis on a rise in the bucolic roll- ing hills of the eastern prairie. It may be one of the handful of rest areas that have been adopted by a local who provides the upkeep. The facil- ities are minimal, just a pair of vault toilet re- strooms, but they are immaculate. The men's room looks like it was built yesterday, and the polished aggregate floor looks clean enough to accommodate the five-second rule. Okay, maybe I wouldn't do that, but if I dropped my car keys I wouldn't be afraid to pick them up. The parking lot is generous enough for this spot that sees few visi- tors, and the large expanse of grass with its row of apple trees is a great place to throw out a blanket and have a picnic while you enjoy this peaceful little corner of eastern Montana. Once you start paying attention to the surroundings, you'll see that the MDT was deliberate in choosing sites for their rest areas (the ginormous logo on the front of some buildings attests to that pride). To further enhance their pulchritude, most rest areas feature plenty of trees and shrubbery, offering a handy op- portunity to brush up on your botany knowl- edge. I'm ignorant enough in that regard that I classify most trees as "wooden," so having a helpful app like Pic- ture This on your phone is a necessity. Speaking of trees, I recently drove up to northwest Montana to visit an old friend in Troy. Along the way, I stopped at Ross Creek Cedars Scenic Area, about 30 miles south of town. It's not a rest stop, per se, but does have two vault toilets and two picnic ta- bles. It's an excellent way to spend half a day, moseying through a flabbergasting forest of monster cedars. From Troy, I decided to make the run north to Yaak to lay eyes on the infamous Dirty Shame Saloon. It was closed, which was a…well, you get it. To add insult to injury, there are zero rest stops on that 40-mile road. That makes it, in my book, 40 miles of bad road. Shout out to Duane Eddy. One mile east of Troy, where Hwy 56 T-bones US Route 2, you'll find one of Montana's newest rest areas. It's worth a stop even if you don't have to go. There's plenty of parking for trucks, RVs and trailer pull-throughs. It's open year-round, but it's an espe- cially cool stop in the summer thanks to the shade provided by fruit trees scattered throughout the site. The re- strooms are large enough to feature stalls and changing stations. It's a Cascade! Cascade! Drummond! Drummond! Jordan! Jordan! On the long, lonely road between Circle and Jordan, this new MDT rises up out of the blacktop like a palace in the desert. Hang on to your hat when you climb out of your vehicle because it's windy there. Always windy. It's no accident that most rest areas are situated in a picturesque spot, like this nice facility along the Missouri River on I-15, about 10 miles south of Tower Rock.

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