Deep in the Yaak Valley, the Vinal Creek Trail is a one-of-a-kind adventure through northwest Montana’s inland rainforest. The trail follows Vinal Creek through old growth cedar and larch before passing through a recovering burn and criss-crossing the creek on a series of small bridges. Keep an eye out for thimbleberries and pikas, and don’t miss the short detour to 60-foot tall Turner Falls. Turn around here for a 6 mile roundtrip, or keep hiking to a string of four small lakes with a few small campsites and plenty of cutthroat, rainbow, and brook trout.

Photo by Alison Kreiss

Vinal Creek

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 incredible sight all to yourself. The falls are most majestic when runoff is high in the spring, but they’re well worth a visit any time of year. 

Photo by Sara Schroeder

Elk Creek Trail to Cataract Falls

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 elevation or dips too far away from civilization, making it a uniquely accessible way to enjoy the spectacular Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

Photo by Sally Kelsey

Mile Creek Face

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. Pitch a tent here, and then hike up another few minutes, crossing back and forth over the Idaho-Montana state line, for great views of the sunset over Italian Peak.

Photo by Zach Schmaus

Deadman Lake

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 trees is the perfect spot to eat a snack and examine a small art installation featuring animal skulls beautifully painted with native birds.  

Photo by Kerry Neils

Wagner Basin Trail

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 reach Lake Plateau, a wonderland of lakes, streams, ridges, and mountains. The open terrain lets you wander to your heart’s content, and the endless beauty means you can’t make a bad decision about which way to go.

Photo by Travis Doke

Upsidedown Creek Trail

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 of fish and sparkling under the afternoon sun. Don’t forget that you need a permit from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to hike and fish in the tribal wilderness. 

Photo by Randy Holm

Lucifer Lake

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 Piquett and Slate Lakes, which sparkle under the late-afternoon sun. Campsites are limited on the steep and rocky shores, but the alpine beauty might well lure you into spending a night watching the stars overhead.

Photo by Mark Wetherington

Little Boulder Trail

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 spectacular views of the Great Burn, Mission Mountains, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, and lots of colorful wildflowers. As a family outing goes, Schley Mountain is tough to beat! 

Photo by Zack Porter

Schley Mountain Trail

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 Canadian Rockies, and you’d be hard pressed to find better lunchtime views. On a hot day, cool down with a dip at Thompson Chain of Lakes State Park on your way home.

Photo by Allison Kreis

Meadow Peak Lookout

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 you wrap up this 3.5-mile loop, pitch your tent at one of the 13 campsites and take your canoe or kayak out for an evening paddle on the glassy water.

Photo by Alison Kreiss

Fishtrap Lake Trail

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 the pass to the wildflower meadows on the lakeshore. Turn around for a 12-mile day, or pitch a tent and enjoy the sunset over the walls of the rocky cirque.

Photo by Emily Cleveland

Trespass Creek Trail

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 five-mile loop or head back the way you came to spend a sunny afternoon pulling arctic grayling and cutthroat trout out of Sylvia Lake.

Photo by Jeff Holm

Sylvia Lake

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 surrounding the Helena Valley, and several short spur trails give birdwatchers great views of the wetlands, where you can spot migrating birds. There are a handful of lovely aspen groves, too, so visit in fall to catch some spectacular foliage. 

Photo by Mary Vandenbosch

Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir

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 feet. From there, you can enjoy wide 360-degree views of southwest Montana, including the Centennial Mountains, Gravelly Range, Lima Peaks, and southern Madison Range. 

Photo by Neal Strauss

Antone Peak

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 ridges where you can pitch a tent, and the area is home to healthy populations of mule deer and elk, which thrive in the hidden valleys that make Buck Creek so fun to explore.

Photo by Forrest Theisen

Buck Creek

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 follow, so follow the drainage to a small saddle, from which you can enjoy views of the southern Pryors and explore to your heart’s content. 

Photo by Dick Walton

Rocky Juniper Trail

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 through deep coulees, cross grassy plateaus, and pass twisted hoodoos sculpted by the eastern Montana winds. In the spring, vibrant wildflowers glow against the sandstone backdrop, making this backcountry loop even more spectacular.

Photo by Zack Porter

Gunners-Graveyard-Bucket Loop

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 meadows that burst with wildflowers in spring and early summer. From the top, you can take in views of the Missoula Valley and O’Brien Creek drainage. Be sure to keep an eye out for the wildlife, especially elk and deer, that frequent the area.

Photo by Maxwell Rebholz

O'Brien Creek Loop Trail

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 drainage, and mule deer and sharp-tailed grouse thrive on the rich grasslands. Come in the spring to see colorful bursts of pasque flowers, phlox, and other vibrant highlights. 

Photo by Zack Porter

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