A Tour of the Big Sky Country Multiple Choice Quiz | States M

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In northeast Montana lies one of the biggest artificial lakes in the whole of the USA, Fort Peck Lake. Which major river does this reservoir form part of?

Answer: Missouri

The Missouri rises at Brower's Spring in western Montana. It flows first north and then generally westward across the state before crossing the state border with North Dakota on its long journey to its confluence with the Mississippi near St. Louis. Fort Peck Lake and its associated dam were built in the 1930s/40s by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The lake stretches for 134 miles inside the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

2. In southeast Montana lies the site of (and memorial to) which battle, one of the most famous to take place on US soil?

Answer: Little Bighorn

Also known as Custer's Last Stand, the Battle of the Little Bighorn took place in 1876 and resulted in the massacre of George Custer and the 7th cavalry by Native Americans led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The site of the battle is now a National Monument, located in Big Horn County, just to the north of the state line with Wyoming.

3. In south central Montana is the city of Billings. It is nicknamed the "Magic City" because of its huge expansion in the 1880s due to what event?

Answer: Arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad

The Northern Pacific Railroad arrived in the area in 1882, with Billings being the western railhead. The city was named after Frederick H. Billings, the railroad's president. In the 21st century, Billings has been the major trade center for not only much of Montana but also for parts of neighboring states, such as Wyoming and North Dakota.

4. A journey west along Interstate 90 from Billings will lead you to which city, the site of the flagship campus of Montana State University?

Answer: Bozeman

Bozeman was founded in 1864 by John Bozeman, who established the Bozeman Trail, linking the gold rush settlement of Virginia City to the Oregon Trail in Wyoming. Montana State University opened there in 1893 under its original name of the Agricultural College of the State of Montana.

5. What is the name of the largest National Park located entirely within the boundaries of Montana?

Answer: Glacier

Glacier National Park comprises over 1,000,000 acres in northern Montana, on the border with the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Yellowstone has a small part of its territory in Montana and Idaho, but the vast majority of it is in Wyoming. Grand Teton is entirely within Wyoming and Rocky Mountain National Park can be found in Colorado.

6. The city of Butte in southwest Montana has been a mining town since the late 19th century, but which of the following options has it never been known to dig out of the ground?

Answer: Coal

Butte was originally a center for gold and silver mining, but it is as a copper-mining city that it is best known. It has never been a coal mining town.

7. Western Montana is dominated by the Rocky Mountains. Which of these sub-ranges of the Rockies is not located within Montana's borders?

Answer: Park Range

The Park Range is located in Colorado. The Bitterroot Range lies along the Montana-Idaho border. The Elkhorn Mountains are in the southwest of the state near the state capital, Helena. The Sawtooth Range is in the eastern foothills of the Rockies, near Great Falls.

8. Which city is home to the University of Montana, and is generally regarded as the cultural center of the state?

Answer: Missoula

The University of Montana opened in Missoula in 1895. The city is home to the River City Roots Festival, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and the Garden City Brewfest amongst numerous annual cultural events.

9. Large tracts of Montana are given over to Native American Reservations. Which is the only one of these options that you would not find anywhere in Montana?

Answer: Hopi

The Hopi Reservation is a long way south of Montana in Arizona. The Crow Reservation is in south central Montana, along the border with Wyoming. The Blackfeet Reservation is in the northwest of the state, along the border with the Canadian province of Alberta. The Flathead Reservation is in western Montana, to the north of Missoula.

10. Visitors to Big Sky Resort, southwest of Bozeman, would be able to partake in which of these sports?

Answer: All of these

Big Sky Resort opened in 1973, and whilst it is best known as one of the top ski resorts in the USA, it is open all year round and is host to many other activities, including tennis, golf, hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking.

Source: Author Dizart

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A Tour of the Big Sky Country Trivia Quiz

Big Sky Country is a nickname for the state of Montana. This quiz will take you through some of the more interesting places there.

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