Trail of the Week

It’s not often that a flat half-mile hike leads you to a stunning waterfall, but the Elk Creek Trail isn’t your usual hike. Starting about 40 minutes west of Augusta, you’ll criss-cross over Elk Creek to the foot of Cataract Falls, which tumbles down spectacularly from cliffs carved out of the Rocky Mountain Front. The hike is kid friendly and the trail is lightly used, so you may well have this i...

For a taste of the Continental Divide Trail, check out the Mile Creek Face Trail in southwest Montana. Wide-open views and easy walking are the name of the game here, as you’ll cruise along a broad valley full of sage, wildflowers, and occasional aspen groves. Come in late spring for the most spectacular wildflower blooms, or in fall to see the leaves glowing gold. The trail never gains too much e...

Way down in southwestern Montana, the Deadman Lake trail is a scenic gem with a wonderful view of the Italian Peaks. The trail actually starts from Deadman Lake, and climbs through a cliff-lined valley across dry streambeds and old lake basins. Switchback up a steep climb and you’ll find yourself on the shores of Divide Creek Lake, a small but lush oasis tucked away between emerald green hills. Pi...

If you’re looking for a short hike that’s perfect for kids, the Wagner Basin Trail fits the bill. From its starting point on the Rocky Mountain Front west of August, this one-mile round trip features plenty of adventure. Walk just a few hundred feet to a cave and a nearby petroglyph panel, and continue around the cliffs to a grassy meadow and a grove of Douglas fir. A shady picnic table under the...

The Upsidedown Creek Trail, in the heart of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, offers endless possibilities for adventure. The trail switchbacks through the woods, offering occasional but spectacular views of the Boulder River, Box Canyon, and the jagged peaks of the Absarokas before topping out at Horseshoe Lake. Here, you can bask in views of the Beartooth Mountains or hike a few more miles to r...

The hike to Lucifer Lake, in the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness east of St. Ignatius, is rugged, but this stunning alpine lake is well worth the effort. You’ll climb moderately up a shady valley until you reach Mission Falls, cascading down from the lake above. From here, the trail gets steep and rugged, but you’ll forget the pain when you emerge on the stunning shores of Lucifer Lake, full o...

At the far southern end of the Bitterroot Valley, the Little Boulder Trail is a lightly used path to a group of gorgeous alpine lakes. The trail climbs steadily through dense conifers, ponderosa pine, and old burned areas, passing through patches of mid-summer thimbleberries and late-summer huckleberries. After 4 miles, you can choose to summit 9,000-foot Piquett Mountain or keep heading uphill to...

At just 1.5 miles, the Schley Mountain Trail isn’t long, but it packs a scenic punch. This largely forested trail on the Idaho border west of Missoula climbs gradually towards the rocky summit, and while it doesn’t quite reach the top, it’s an easy off-trail scramble to the true peak. It’s a kid-friendly adventure, as the trail only climbs 500 feet from the parking lot, but you’ll be rewarded with...

Hiking to Meadow Peak Lookout between Libby and Kalispell is a surefire way to enjoy incredible vistas and serious solitude. While the climb to the lookout follows a Forest Service road rather than a trail, the odds are good you’ll have it all to yourself, along with big views. At the top, a historic tower built in 1951 looks out over the Cabinet Mountains, the peaks of Glacier Park, and the Canad...

North of Thompson Falls, the Fishtrap Lake Trail is a lush and quiet loop around two forested lakes. Starting at a secluded Forest Service campground, the narrow and well-maintained trail circles Fishtrap and Upper Fishtrap Lakes, passing through stands of ponderosa pine, larch, and beargrass. The lake stays in view most of the way, and you’re likely to be the only hiker enjoying the trail. When y...

The Crazy Mountains are dotted with stunning alpine lakes, and Campfire Lake might be the loveliest of them all. To get there, follow the Trespass Creek Trail as it meanders through a draw along its namesake creek, diving in and out of shady trees and rolling meadows. After a steep climb, you’ll crest a ridge high above Campfire Lake. Enjoy the breathtaking views and wind down the other side of th...

In the Flathead National Forest west of Whitefish, the hike to Sylvia Lake Overlook delivers sweeping 360-degree views of northwest Montana. The trail starts at the Sylvia Lake Campground and climbs quickly up a hillside that burned in a 2007 wildfire, so you’re able to enjoy great views and lush, low greenery right off the bat. When you hit the ridge, follow it to connect with another trail for a...

Just a stone’s throw from town, the hike around the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir is a beautiful change of pace when the town trails are snowy or muddy. Alternating between single and doubletrack, the trail makes a five-mile loop around the reservoir, weaving through tallgrass meadows, passing small wetlands, and contouring along the shoreline. There are steady views of the mountains surround...

In southwest Montana’s Snowcrest Range, the hike up Antone Peak serves up big views of the surrounding country, and you’re likely to have them all to yourself. From the trailhead northeast of Lima, an old trail gradually climbs to the broad meadows of Antone Pass. From the pass, you’ll meander through meadows and skirt stands of timber as you contour your way to the summit, which sits above 10,000...

Tucked away in southeast Montana’s Powder River Valley, Buck Creek is an 8,000-acre patch of shortgrass prairie speckled with sagebrush, sandstone outcroppings, and colorful badlands. There are no trails here, so you can choose your own adventure as you follow the game trails that weave in and out of Buck Creek’s many nooks and crannies. There are plenty of dry creek beds and broad sandstone ridge...

The Pryor Mountains are one of Montana’s most spectacular places, and the Rocky Juniper Trail is a stunning and seldom-used route through this wild country. It starts on the south side of the range, snaking up through a red-rock canyon lined with Juniper. This is excellent bird habitat, so keep an eye and ear out for everything from falcons to pinyon jays. The trail is rough and can be hard to fol...

If you’d like to leave the beaten path behind and get a taste of eastern Montana’s rugged coulee country, try the Gunners-Graveyard-Bucket loop in Makoshika State Park. It’s one of the longest routes in the park, and the rough terrain and occasional route-finding can make it a challenge even for experienced hikers, but the scenic rewards are a huge payoff. You’ll climb up rugged buttes, wind throu...

Please note: to protect wildlife, the O'Brien Creek Loop Trail is CLOSED from December 1 - May 15 every year. If you’re looking for an after-work or moderate weekend outing near Missoula, it doesn’t get much better than the O’Brien Creek Loop Trail. Starting on the west side of town, this hidden gem of a trail climbs quickly along its namesake creek. Soon, it mellows out and traverses across meado...

There’s no official trail to the summit of Mount Brown, but it’s easy to string together game trails and old two-tracks to make your way to one of north-central Montana’s highest points. Mount Brown is in the Sweetgrass Hills, an island mountain range just a few miles south of the Canadian border. Its grassy flanks and broad ridges provide panoramic views into Alberta and across the Milk River dra...

It’s not every day that you get to follow a trail once used as a secret route for cattle rustlers, but the Barry’s Island Trail isn’t your everyday hiking route. Starting on the shores of Bighorn Lake in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, the trail winds around Chain Canyon, which old-time rustlers once used to make their escapes from local lawmen. If you want to spend the night sleeping...

Bighorn Canyon is one of Montana’s most spectacular and unexpected locales, and the Ranger’s Delight Trail is one of the best ways to enjoy its singular red-rock beauty. A few minutes of walking will bring you to a stunning overlook high above the Bighorn River which, over millennia, has carved an enormous and sheer canyon deep into the area’s fiery red sandstone. The trail checks in at under a mi...

The Stark Mountain Trail is one of those hikes that climbs, climbs, and climbs some more, but the view from the summit makes all the effort worth it. From the fire lookout tower, you’ll gaze out at 360 degrees of the Missoula valley, Great Burn, and northern Bitterroot mountains while a carpet of wildflowers glows beneath you. The 4,000 foot elevation gain is tough, but there’s plenty of shade to...

One of the Lincoln area’s newest trails, the Sauerkraut Wall Trail is a lovely short stroll that winds downhill to a little piece of local history. As you descend, you’ll pass through a mixed conifer and aspen forest rich with paintbrush, beargrass, and lupine, and be serenaded by a chorus of local birds. To see the trail’s namesake wall, which Chinese immigrants built to mitigate spring floods in...

There are no designated trails in the Lost Trail Wildlife Refuge west of Kalispell, but that just makes it more fun to explore! There are several gated roads that make for excellent biking or walking, and the open landscape lets you wander to your heart’s content. Numerous year-round and vernal ponds are great spots to watch migratory birds, moose, or members of the refuge’s resident elk herd, and...

About a half-hour west of Bozeman, Madison Buffalo Jump State Park offers a unique combination of hiking and history. The park is perched on a bluff overlooking the Madison RIver and Tobacco Root Mountains, marking the place where numerous Indigenous tribes harvested bison by driving them off the cliffs. Interpretive displays are scattered across the park, and sharp-eyed hikers can spot ancient ti...