Dillon

The Utah and Northern Railroad, built to serve the mines in Butte, pushed into southwest Montana and to Dillon by 1880.  With a way to market, the cattle and sheep businesses boomed and became the economic backbone of Dillon.  The town evolved to the county seat of Beaverhead County, largest county in the state at 5,551 square miles.  Dillon attracted the State Normal School in 1893 and became a teacher training center for Montana's classrooms.

Located on campus, the UM-Western Elderhostel office has been a proud provider of Elderhostel programs since 1976.  The office provides a multitude of Elderhostel programs in southwest Montana and the Yellowstone area.  We take great pride in our Dillon program which has a local history component - perhaps gold rush, the Lewis and Clark journey or Nez Perce Trail, etc. - and gets folks out into the field to visit ranches, State Parks, the national forest and other scenic areas that our beautiful county has to offer.  An important element of the Dillon program is to help folks slow down and get a taste of the small town/rural experience, to provide the opportunity to wander about downtown and visit with shopkeepers, to stroll among trees and homes in the older residential area and to come onto campus for class and a few meals.

With many historic sites within reach, such as Bannack, our popular Ghost Town program spends several days in Dillon.  Lodgings in a commercial facility; meals at local restaurants, and on campus; we also have sack lunches in the field.

Visit the Beaverhead County Chamber of Commerce