Click Here to buy Montana travel books and media. Expansive rolling prairies and small mountain ranges make the Ranchland one of Montana's most scenic regions. See maps . Herding cattle is a way of life for many folks who live in this area of the state. In 1999, the Montana Department of Agriculture counted 498,000 head of cattle and calves in central Montana.
Visitors experience the true flavor of the Old West.
Nature is at its best in central Montana. During the summer, thousands of cliff swallows build their nests, made of mud and grass, on rocky outcrops along U.S. Highway 12 between Roundup and Harlowton. S mall mammals make their home in the grassy areas bordering the Musselshell River and on the nearby, sagebrush-covered prairies. Abundant whitetail deer and mule deer thrive on natural foods and ranchers' crops. By night, millions of stars, not dimmed by city lights, shine brightly in the big sky over Ranchland.