Montana trained some of the first aerial firefighters, and their history is preserved in Missoula. Montana's identity was forged on the open range, and its culture still carries that stamp.

Missoula became an early center for parachuting wildland firefighters.

What sets it apart

The smokejumper base still trains crews each spring. Small as it sounds, it is exactly the sort of thing that defines the experience on the ground.

A visitor center tells the story of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire.

Why it matters

Step back, and a bigger picture comes into focus: this is Montana in miniature, rugged and unhurried. It is a heritage still very much alive in the towns and gatherings of today's Montana.