By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
Move over Glacier and Yellowstone, because Montana’s top tourist destination is Glendive’s own Makoshika State Park, according to a new list of the state’s top 10 travel destinations posted by USA Today’s 10Best.com.
The results of the online vote were released late last week, with Makoshika landing comfortably at the top position. The list of Montana destinations the public voted on in the online poll was chosen by a panel of Montana “travel experts” tapped by USA Today with coming up with a list of nominees.
Makoshika manager Chris Dantic joked on Wednesday that since the rankings came out last Friday, he has been answering the phone with “the No. 1 site in Montana.”
Dantic said that Makoshika winning the online poll is “just kind of another feather in our cap,” adding that he does think garnering that kind of attention in a major national publication like USA Today will prove a boon for the park.
“It’s definitely going to help the park out in different aspects, from fundraising to advertising,” he said. “It’s nationwide, and everybody’s going to see it, so it’s going to help attendance.”
Makoshika broke 100,000 visitors for the first time last year and Dantic noted the park is on pace to do so again. Through the end of June, 49,000 people had visited the park this year, and Dantic noted that every month so far this year but one has actually been above the attendance levels for the same month last year.
Montana State Parks marketing director Pat Doyle was also extremely pleased when the final list was released with Makoshika at the top of it.
“It’s just another verification of what we’ve been saying for the last few years; that (Makoshika) is a premier destination in the state,” Doyle said. “I think it really speaks to the significance of the park across the state.”
He added that coming out atop the list “could be a valuable component” of State Parks’ marketing efforts not only for Makoshika, but for the whole state park system, adding that it should also help provide a boost for the Glendive community as well.
“This is a really big deal as far as from a marketing perspective, not just for Makoshika, but for the town of Glendive itself,” Doyle said.
Both Dantic and Doyle noted that the fact Makoshika won the vote in the online contest had a lot to do with people from Glendive and the surrounding area taking the time to vote for it and spreading the word to do so to their friends and family, adding that it goes to show the immense pride the local community takes in the park.
“I think it speaks to the people’s pride they have in their park and knowing how special that is,” Doyle said.
“It just kind of shows the impact of the community, how much they love this state park — how much Eastern Montana loves this state park,” Dantic said. “It just proves once again how much people care about the park.”
Rounding out 10Best.com’s Top 10 visitor destinations in Montana are the World Museum of Mining in Butte, the Beartooth Highway, the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Glacier National Park, Big Sky Resort, Helena, the Walkable Brewery District in Billings, Flathead Lake and Yellowstone National Park.
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.