For many, summer travel means hitting the highway and driving to your destination. The last couple of summers have seen higher fuel prices which means that many Montanans were staying closer to home.

Will this summer be the same, or can we expect a little relief at the pump?

According to AAA, right now Montana has some of the lowest gas prices in the western part of the United States with prices below the national average. So for those planning on traveling in the next few weeks, you might be able to save a buck or two.

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My wife and I are heading to Colorado in a couple of weeks and because I'm a planner, I like to have everything mapped out. I get online and check out the quickest routes, find deals on hotels, and all the stuff you do to prepare for a trip.

Of course, a big factor in any road trip is fuel prices and I was happy to see that as of this writing, they're relatively low along our route. Before we reveal the numbers, let's look at 5 of the best road trips in Montana.

5 Of Montana's Best Road Trips

For those looking to hit the highway, Montana has over 70 thousand miles of open road and many of those roads lead to some of the most beautiful places in the world. If you love a good road trip and want to spend time with family or friends, here are 5 of the best Montana road trips.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

The average fuel price per gallon in Montana is 3.40 right now, making it one of the lowest in the western region. The only state with lower prices in our part of the country is Wyoming and Colorado where they're charging 3.30 and 3.23 a gallon right now.

The most expensive state in the West? California where the average price per gallon is 4.90.

What about Montana? Which counties are the most and least expensive?

According to the data, the most expensive country to buy gas in Big Sky Country is Carter County located in the extreme southeast corner of the state. The average price per gallon in Carter County is 3.67 while the cheapest place to is Broadwater County with a price of 3.25 per gallon.

Credit: Canva
Credit: Canva
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Chances are as the summer continues, prices may rise, but for now, enjoy it while we have it.

10 Best Places To Check Out When Visiting Montana

Montana is one of the most popular states in the nation when it comes to tourism. With multiple National Parks and lots to do and see, more than 12 million people come to Montana each year to visit. While places like Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are extremely popular, there's a lot more in Montana to do and see.

Gallery Credit: Derek Wolf

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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