More fun ways to get outside in the Last Best Place

Montana - affectionately known as The Last Best Place - is looking forward to a sunny Saturday after weeks of rain and many flooded areas.

What a perfect prediction for Get Outside Day MONTANA!!

Here are three of the many examples of fun outdoor opportunities for Montana families - from border to border of the Treasure State.

In Florence, Hideout Mountain at Florence Park will be the scene of many activities for families from 9 AM to NOON on June 11th. Family hikes, family tennis, family fishing, and family birding clinics will be featured along with numerous ways for families to get into the biking habit. Bicycle helmets will be available for purchase, along with free parts and assistance for bike repairs.

The Montana Audubon Education Center in Billings will kick off a FREE multi-week, back-to-nature event for all ages June 12th from 1 to 3pm @ the Audubon Center. Families can engage in some friendly competition as they explore Billings and Red Lodge’s conservation areas through activities such as hiking, biking, Frisbee golf, scavenger hunts, canoeing, and much more!

How does it work?

• Teams must consist of at least one person over the age of 18 and one person under the age of 18.
• Each week of the competition features several “guided” or “self-guided” events. A self-guided event allows teams to visit the designated park anytime during the 4-week event and engage in an activity on their own such as Frisbee golf or a scavenger hunt.
• Each team will receive a passport which will be used to track teams’ participation in the competition. When teams check-in at each guided event, they are awarded a point for their attendance. Teams must provide proof of completion of self-guided park activities (e.g., a sketch or photograph) and will be awarded a point for each activity completed.
• Teams will be eligible for some awesome prizes (tents, bicycles. etc.).

On Montana eastern high plains, Makoshika State Park celebrates the return of the turkey vulture to eastern Montana with Buzzard Day, a tongue-in-cheek day of appreciation for one of 'nature's cleaners'. Makoshika's badlands topography provides excellent habitat for Turkey Vultures, a species of concern because of its breeding requirements and its position in the food chain (carrion eaters ingest toxins carried throughout the entire food chain).

• Buzzard Day has events for all age groups, including a pancake breakfast, nature walks, 5K and 10K Buzzard Runs, festival games and food.
  
• Admission is free to all the Buzzard Day events on June 11, 2011.

Not lucky enough to live in Big Sky country ... visit National Get Outdoors Day to find a fun event in your state!