Article by Jessica Renstrom 

There’s something magical about a bookstore.... The smell of printed pages, the promise of a new story, and the cozy, welcoming space. Beyond the joy of discovering a new favorite read, Montana readers now have another reason to make a bookstore stop: the Montana Bookstore Trail. 

Open year-round, the trail includes more than 30 bookstores and book nooks across the state. Visitors can pick up an official Trail Passport at participating stores, and the passport highlights what sets each destination apart. 

The idea grew out of something Montanans had long suspected about themselves: this is a state that loves its bookstores. "In 2013, Publishers Weekly data pointed to Montana as having the most bookstores per capita, and that was the germination of the idea for celebrating that somehow," says Julie Schultz, treasurer of This House of Books, the bookstore co-op in Billings, and a board member of the Montana Bookstore Trail. "Bookstore owners watched the success of the brewery trail and informally talked about doing something similar for bookstores, but it took the energy of Rachael at Reading Leaves in Townsend to find funding (via some of the regional tourist boards within the state, plus Farcountry Press in Helena and Lake Missoula Tea Company in Missoula) and pull all the bookstores together into a group for this collaboration starting in 2023." 

Since then, locals and visitors alike have been filling their passports, collecting stamps as they work their way across the map. "In 2024, a retired couple rented an RV expressly for that purpose and took a couple of months to drive around the state visiting bookstores - and probably enjoying the scenery, too, of course!" Schultz says. "Billings benefits from having three bookstores in the passport, all of which are downtown, and, anecdotally, we know some people include downtown in their Billings treks because of the Trail." 

Each stop on the trail has its own stamp, which adds to the fun. "Some have a stamp specific to their store name or store logo, and one store (Page Turners) goes above and beyond with a real wax-impression stamp. It is special enough to make it worth the trip out to Fairview just to get that stamp!" says Schultz. 

Travelers who complete the trail can enter for a chance to win a Bookstore Trail tote bag filled with swag and goodies. Passports are waiting at bookstores across the state. For those who pick one up, the trail offers more than a page full of stamps. It is a reason to wander into a new town, spend an afternoon on a downtown street, and meet the booksellers who keep Montana's shelves full. 

Originally printed in the November 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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