The best cannabis shops near Yellowstone National Park
From stunning wildlife to iconic geysers and geothermal springs, Yellowstone National Park never ceases to enchant the senses. But the summer of 2022 will be something very special.
For the first time since adult-use cannabis began selling in Montana in January of this year, the nearly five million people expected to make the journey to Yellowstone will also have access to the city’s spectacular array of marijuana stores and products have area.
The Treasure State offers a strikingly different marijuana shopping experience than many other markets: tons of stores here are pure mom-and-pop boutiques. Virtually all of them are also local businesses in the state and stock a mix of popular, well-known strains and niche products.
Want to know what strains are flying off the shelves, the latest trends in the Montana market, and how much money to spend visiting? Leafly has you covered.
To get the scoop — and smoke the real zaza — my friend Chris and I explored nearly a dozen stores near the park: in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, and larger downtown Bozeman. The only thing that rivaled the excellent weed on our road trip was the humbling, radiant beauty of western Montana in mid-spring.
Remember, since the national park is on federal land, consuming marijuana or marijuana products there remains illegal. As Leafly has reported, being caught with weed in a national park can carry hefty penalties.
All recreational marijuana and marijuana products are subject to a flat 20% sales tax in Montana. Medical patients pay 4% tax.
Inside the Lone Peak Caregivers mini-pot store in West Yellowstone
Only one pharmacy can claim to be the closest to West Yellowstone Park’s entrance and that’s Lone Peak Caregivers.
However, LPC’s store is not exactly a conventional pharmacy. Housed in a 10×20 foot container in a curb pullout, only a few customers can fit inside at a time.
But once you make it inside, behind the only sales counter you’ll find a solid selection of flowers and produce from across Montana – in addition to LPC’s own products.
I’m a big fan of Groove’s solvent-free, extra-terpy vape carts and the premium Blume from Sacred Sun Farms and Collective Elevation – all of which were available from LPC.
These guys are super busy! The Idaho border is just a few miles away, bringing extra traffic from the outlaw state of Gem. Want to avoid a potentially long wait? You can also visit LPC’s other stores in Big Sky or Bozeman.
1860 Targhee Pass Hwy, West Yellowstone
Betty’s sells Cookies flavors and more in Big Sky
The small community of Big Sky is about halfway between Bozeman Airport and West Yellowstone. Visitors can find a handful of pot shops located just off glitzy Highway 191. Even in mid-May, a healthy layer of snow still covered many of the meadows, and the blue-green Gallatin River flowed lazily alongside the road.
We definitely recommend checking out Betty’s Roadside Provisions. Cheerful, well-lit and spacious, Betty’s similarly offers a mix of excellent products – including a handful of branded cookie varieties!
When we visited, the store’s offerings were poor across the board. But you could still snag an eighth of Laughing Gas, Red Velvet or London Pound Cake – all from Cookies.
Betty’s also stocks gummy bears and candy bars from High Road Edibles, one of Montana’s most popular brands.
All High Road gummies contain 5 milligrams of THC—a great choice for beginners and low-tolerance consumers. I grabbed a bag of the delicious Inspire gummies, a balanced sativa/indica product that comes in a mix of peach and green apple flavors. The jelly beans are $20 pre-tax and come in twenty a pack.
Note: When driving to Betty’s from West Yellowstone, be careful turning left into the parking lot. Even in May, before the rush really started, things got hectic outside.
Looking for other types of cookies in the area? Check out Betty’s other store in Bozeman.
48025 Gallatin Rd, Gallatin Gateway
Pure Remedies’ A-list genetics are hidden from view
Flying into Bozeman Airport and looking to pick up some superb Montana marijuana? Your options are endless, either east towards Bozeman or south to Big Sky and West Yellowstone.
For the real genetics nerds, we recommend a visit to Pure Remedies, one of the stores closest to the airport.
Let’s be clear though, Pure Remedies isn’t fancy. Tucked away in a small space in a warehouse-like space, the store can confuse inexperienced consumers or people looking for a more upscale shopping experience.
But Pure Remedies products undoubtedly speak for themselves. Co-owners Michael Lentini and Myka Perry offer a spectacular range of highly curated flowers and a variety of different phenotypes of each strain. Her amazing edit of The Whoa!!! (by Exotic Genetix) won the Montana Lovers Cup earlier this year. On this visit, her exceptional Jealousy x Gary Payton #4 proved to be stunning as hell.
Pure Remedies estimates that as summer approaches, 60-70% of their customers are looking for sativa-dominant products. It makes sense; When you’re hiking or fishing Montana’s big rivers, you want to be zipping along at cruising altitude, not sleeping on the stern.
215 Arden Dr Unit 26, Belgrade
Big Sky Buds offers great products and lots of fun
Driving south from Bozeman Airport you will encounter the bustling Four Corners commercial street. A handful of stores have staked claims there.
Big Sky Buds is one of my favorites. With a wide counter and an extremely concise menu, the shop offers a wide selection of genetics and edibles, including their award-winning – and insanely terpy – Trop Runtz.
Not many stores in Montana sell more deli-style; I really appreciate that BSB keeps her floral front and center.
Co-owner Alec Johnson noted that the Rec market has led to much greater customer interest in terpenes. “Hardly anyone asks me about the best testers anymore,” he told Leafly.
Bonus points: The budtenders at Big Sky Buds are some of the nicest around. It’s hard to walk in and not immediately feel at home here.
81549 Gallatin Rd Unit 6, Bozeman
The upscale vibes of Juniper Cannabis
Only a handful of pharmacies in Montana lean towards the minimalist, upscale aesthetic of more mature markets. However, Juniper Cannabis, with locations in downtown Bozeman and closer to the airport in Belgrade, nails that vibe to a T.
I’ve really enjoyed Juniper’s CBD-rich products in the past. On that visit, I sampled the pungent, piney Hawking Kush for $12 a gram excluding tax. A 2:1 CBD-dominant strain, she is a great choice for day smokers and inexperienced smokers.
Also, don’t sleep on their Sports Weed, a lively sativa blend made in collaboration with the cheerful pranksters at Dangle Supply, an excellent local bong and pipe company.
120 N Grand Ave, Bozeman
Collective Elevation produces excellent buds on a large scale
Our trip ended with a visit to Collective Elevation’s sprawling cultivation and production facility. Unlike most of these other stores, Collective’s operation is huge, at least by Montana standards. Proud of a living soil, an organic approach, their strains like Leafly Strain of the Year 2021 Do-Si-Dos, Donnie Burgerand Super Sherb are getting lots of love across the state.
Co-owner Adam Arnold pointed out that vape carts are having a moment right now. “It’s probably our biggest growth sector,” he told Leafly. In addition to their own CO2 floats, Collective also sells live rosin floats from Dancing Goat Gardens, one of my favorite brands in the state.
2230 W Main Street, Bozeman
Other great shops near Yellowstone to explore:
Needless to say, many other shops near Yellowstone are worth checking out. Here are just a few:
Sacred Sun Farms
This time-honored shop is popular for its concentrates and organic approach to growing. Sacred Sun’s Fruit Infuse Roll-Up is one of my favorite Montana edibles.
Bighorn buds
Located west of downtown Bozeman, Bighorn Buds is all about the flower. When we visited, they were keen to hype their indica-dominant OMFG strain.
Grizzly Pine
On the east end of downtown Bozeman, near the excellent Mountains Walking brewery, Grizzly Pine rocks beautifully packaged edibles and a wide range of strains and vape wagons.
And with that, dear adventurers, happy trails!!
Remember, your friendly Montana budtenders have served a population of 40,000 medical patients as of this year. Please be patient, have fun, and be sure to let us know in the comments which shops, strains, and products you loved most on your Yellowstone adventures!
Max Savage Levenson
Max Savage Levenson probably has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any author on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled people. He is the co-host of the Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.
Check out Max Savage Levenson’s articles
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