Arriving at Helena Regional Airport in Helena places you among it all, with nearby cities and landscapes an easy drive away. Helena is Montana's capital, a gold rush town where the main street still follows the bend of Last Chance Gulch and the trails start a block from the brewery. The feel is small, historic, and outdoorsy, with mansions from the mining boom, a copper-domed capitol, and mountain bikers rolling through downtown at lunch.

Standout experiences around Helena: - Walk Last Chance Gulch, the site of the 1864 gold strike that started the city - Tour the Montana State Capitol and its Charles M. Russell mural of Lewis and Clark - Climb the spires of the Cathedral of St. Helena and look up at the stained glass - Hike Mount Helena straight from downtown for views over the valley - Ride the South Hills trail system, one of the best in-town mountain bike networks anywhere - Take the Gates of the Mountains boat tour on the Missouri River, 20 minutes north - Stroll Reeder's Alley, a row of restored miners' cabins - Boat, fish, or swim Canyon Ferry Lake east of town - Ride the Great Northern Carousel and try a huckleberry shake

Helena sits in the middle of Montana's gold country. Butte and its copper-mining history are about an hour south, Great Falls and the C.M. Russell Museum are 90 minutes north, and Bozeman is roughly an hour and 45 minutes southeast. Ghost towns like Elkhorn and Marysville are a short drive away, with Great Divide ski area near Marysville in winter. Try a pasty, the miners' meat pie Butte made famous, and catch the Vigilante Day Parade in May. Helena is Montana at a walkable scale.