Trip Planner
With just over 100 residents, Rapelje is a community that stands tall — literally — thanks to its four iconic grain elevators rising above the prairie. Originally a railroad destination, Rapelje evolved into a farming and ranching hub, and today it continues to support a school and a post office despite its small size.
Outdoor lovers find their way here for the quiet, the birds and the prairie sky. Just northeast of town, Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most productive waterfowl habitats in central Montana, ideal for birding, photography and hiking. To the southeast, Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge offers protected prairie terrain where wildlife watchers may catch sight of pronghorn or prairie dogs among the grasslands.
After watching birds at one of the area’s two wildlife refuges, make your way to the Rapelje Stockman Cafe, where the coffee is hot, the conversation is neighborly and the menu leans hardy and homemade.
On the east side of Hailstone Lake, you’ll find a black-tailed prairie dog town. Bring your binoculars — pronghorn antelope are often spotted grazing nearby.
While Rapelje doesn’t host major festivals, it’s the perfect stop along the way for some small-town Montana solitude.
