Blessed with the most beautiful fairgrounds in the state with grassy areas in abundance and groves of trees, Fergus County is a county in Montana, United States, with a population of around 11,500 people (as per the 2020 census data). The county was named after James Fergus, a notable Montana politician who was instrumental in the county’s establishment.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Fergus County covers a total area of 4,350 square miles, of which 4,340 square miles is land and 11 square miles is water. However, according to historical records, Fergus County was founded in the spring of 1885 by the Montana Territory’s Fourteenth Legislative Assembly.
The new county then stretched 130 miles from east to west and 90 miles from north to south. It covered 209 townships spanning a total area of 7,524 square miles and 4,824,000 acres. Following that, the original Fergus County was partitioned into what are today the counties of Musselshell, Petroleum, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Valley, and Fergus County. Fergus County was larger than most New England states when it was first established.
Lewistown is the county seat of Fergus County and Montana’s tourist hub. The town has two golf courses, a labyrinth, many public parks, and the famed Charlie Russell Chew Choo supper train. The Charlie Russell Chew Choo is a picturesque and narrated train trip that lasts three hours. You get to go through a half-mile tunnel and over three huge railroad trestles while enjoying the wide-open expanse of central Montana.
The Snowies, Judith, Belt, Moccasin, and Highwood Mountains are among the island mountain ranges that dot the county. Fishing, hiking, camping, upland game bird and large game hunting, nature watching, and trekking are all popular activities in the region.
Visit the Fergus County Government website.
County Towns
- Buffalo
- Coffee Creek
- Denton
- Forest Grove
- Grass Range
- Hilger
- Lewistown
- Moore
- Roy
- Winifred
Adjacent Counties
- Phillips
- Blaine
- Chouteau
- Judith Basin
- Wheatland
- Golden Valley
- Musselshell
- Petroleum
Special Events in Fergus County
- May – Charlie Russell Chew-Choo Dinner Train at Hanover Road Train Boarding Station, Lewistown
- July – Lewistown’s 4th of July Parade, Concert, and Firework Show in Symmes Park, Lewistown
- July – Lewistown Chamber Golf Tournament in Judith Shadows Golf Course, Lewistown
- September – Chokecherry Festival at Main Street, Lewistown
- November – Lewiston Christmas Stroll at Main Street, Lewistown
- December – The North Pole Adventure Train at Hanover station, Lewistown
- December – Ladies Night Out in Judith Shadows Golf Course, Lewistown
Main Attractions
Greathouse Peak
The Greathouse peak, the highest point of the Big Snowy Mountains, is definitely worth a trip to central Montana. The Big Snowy Mountains, a one-of-a-kind mountain range, are located 15 miles south of Lewistown, the state’s geographic center.
Beginning at the Uhlhorn Trailhead at the foot of Half Moon Canyon, you’ll weave back and forth across Half Moon Creek before emerging into a beautiful wide meadow. Before rising steeply to Half Moon Pass, an open and grassy ridgeline with panoramic 360-degree views, stop for a picnic or a quick snack and some stunning sights.
On a clear day, a hiker can observe a 300-mile stretch from the Sweetgrass Hills near Shelby in the northwest to the Beartooth and Pryor Mountains below the Yellowstone River Country to the south and southeast from the Snowy Mountains’ highest peak, the 8,681-foot Greathouse Peak.
The Charlie Russell Chew-Choo Dinner Train
If you want to have some unforgettable evening fun, we suggest you make a reservation at the Charlie Russell Chew Choo, a narrated three-hour train trip that takes you over three massive railroad trestles and through a half-mile tunnel is definitely something you should not miss on.
Experience the splendor of Big Sky Country’s rolling hills, wide ranchlands, and magnificent sunsets. This gorgeous 56-mile round-trip journey is teeming with wildlife, including antelope, eagles, deer, and hawks.
Enjoy the wide-open fields and the fresh air of central Montana and dine on the greatest full-course prime-rib supper east of the Rockies while you’re surrounded by nature. Year-round special trains and charters are available here, however, you’ll have to book in advance because the tickets sell out faster than you know.