A redditor recently wrote:
What else is there to do in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana other then visiting Yellowstone & other national parks? The government shutdown pretty much guarantees that Yellowstone will be closed, and that is what I was spending money on going to see.
There's no doubt about it, Montana is a real hit with out-of-state visitors. A new study released recently by the University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research reveals a huge percentage of unsolicited comment cards contained nearly universal enjoyment of the state.
The Institute for Tourism and Economic Research at the University of Montana recently completed a study of the eight counties in what is called Glacier Country. Non-resident travel contributed over $250 million dollars to the economy of Missoula County alone.