Will it be Mayhem in Montana for the 2044 Solar Eclipse?

Montana will be the hotspot for the next solar eclipse in the United States.

Eclipse mania swept the US this week, with millions of people reportedly traveling to cities big and small across the path of totality (spread over roughly 10 states from Texas to Maine) to witness the celestial event. The next total solar eclipse viewable in North America isn't until 2044, but only three states will get to view this eclipse. Primarily, Montana.

August 23, 2044, could see hundreds of thousands of visitors in Montana.

Twenty years seems far away, but in just two decades Big Sky Country will - hopefully - be prepared for an influx of possibly a million or more people flocking to Montana for the eclipse. According to NASA data, shared by multiple sites including InTheSky.org, the path of totality in 2024 will begin over Greenland, arc through western Canada, and end in Montana around sunset on August 23, 2044.

The most exciting sixty seconds in Montana?

Yes, the northwest corners of North and South Dakota will also be in the eclipse path in 2044, but the best spot for viewing will be Montana. The eclipse time will be much shorter than the 2024 eclipse, with northern Canada getting around 2 minutes of 100% eclipse. When the shadow reaches Montana near Havre, the duration will only last around 1 minute.

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Isolated areas of Montana will be the best spots to watch the 2044 eclipse.

This is where things could get interesting. It's practically impossible for small communities from the Hi-Line to Baker to easily accommodate potentially tens (or hundreds) of thousands of eclipse tourists. With millions of acres of isolated public and private land compromising most of the 2044 eclipse path in Montana, it will be interesting to see how communities handle the crowds.

Surely, every hotel in Montana will be full, particularly in towns like Billings, Lewistown, Glendive, Sidney, and Miles City. We imagine enterprising ranchers and property owners will host temporary "eclipse campgrounds" all over eastern Montana. Remind us to reserve our VRBO at Fort Peck fifteen years from now.