Belt Montana- A Great Sports Town With A Big History & Much More
Belt Montana is located 20 miles East of Great Falls and has a rich history of High School sports success. With a population of 510 (based on 2020 Census) the town is home to the Huskies, a Class C school. There are several businesses in town and many activities throughout the calendar year.
Sports Success
According to the MHSA website- archives tab, Belt has won 25 state sports championships and has been runner up 5 times in total. Here is the breakdown:
Girls
- Basketball State Champion
- 1991
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2016
- 2017
- 2020
- Basketball State runner- up
- 1981
- 2009
- Cross Country (combined with Centerville) State Champion
- 2002
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- Golf State Champion
- 2014
- Track & Field State Champion
- 1988
- 1993
- Volleyball State Champion
- 2016
- 2018
Boys
- Basketball State Champion
- 1976
- 1995
- 2015
- Basketball State Champion
- 1993
- 1994
- Football State Champion
- 1994
- 2022
- Football State Runner- up
- 1979 (Class B)
- Wrestling State Champion
- 2014
When you talk about Sports and Belt Montana you have to included the Little Belt Cowboys Association Belt PRCA Rodeo. It is the official/ unofficial start to rodeo season in Montana holding its annual event on father's day weekend. This year will be the 62nd annual rodeo and will be held June 17th and 18th, 2023. There is a lot of activities over the weekend that concludes with the Sunday Rodeo. You can follow them on their Facebook Page.
Belt PRCA Rodeo
June 17th and 18th, 2023
Belt Rodeo Grounds
The Rodeo Announcer Is Right On Top Of The Action
1976 Belt Train Wreck
One of the scary points in history for Belt Montana happened on November 26th, 1976 in the middle of the afternoon. A Burlington Northern Freight Train had 24 cars derail causing over $4,500,000 in damages. 2 people died, 22 people were injured and numerous buildings, vehicles and other property was destroyed. One article I found that describes the horror of the scene can be found in the GF Tribune written by David Murray in 2017. It is a part of the towns history that should not be forgotten.
The town is named after Belt Butte, a hill near town that has a ridge around it resembling a belt. According to Wikipedia, Belt was home to the first coal mine in Montana. The town has a bowling alley, a theater, a brewery and several other business.
Whether you go to Belt for a specific event or just take a trip out to see the town, you will enjoy the visit. As a side note- Belt is the only football game I ever scored a touchdown- it was a tackle eligible play that no one thought they would actually throw the football to me. Belt won the game, but it is still a great memory for me.
If you have a story idea or something you want to learn more about, give Randy a call at 406-788-3003 or send me an email at randall.bogden@townsquaremedia.com
Take A Look At This Picture Gallery of Belt and Other Towns Around The Area
Belt Montana
Cascade Montana
Take A Road Trip To Fort Benton
Augusta Montana