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As a lifelong Montanan, I love the snow. But I also rejoice in watching the melting winter wonderland transform into the gushing fishing runs. I am excited for the opportunity to dawn my hiking boots again!
The recent snowfall notwithstanding, this year’s snowpack is well underway in disappearing from the trails. With spring apparently dancing on the horizons, it is time to start planning adventures from Montana’s Trailhead!
Billings is an amazing place to live, with the Beartooths (Montana’s tallest range) right in our backyard! We have thousands of miles of nearby trails to choose from, and I’m excited to share some of my favs in this latest blog post.
Grab your trekking poles, load up your ruck, and check out the Four Best Spring Hikes near Billings, MT!
Watery Wilderness: Stillwater Trail to Lake Sioux Charley
For the water-lovers out there, this is the ultimate hike to soak in views of snowmelt-buoyed waterways. The trail heads off from the bellowing Stillwater River, whose rocky rapids will greet your adventure. After a pleasant walk, gaining only 600 feet in elevation over 3.5 miles, you are greeted with stunning views of the extensive Sioux Charley Lake. The Stillwater River which borders the trail is a terrific site for anglers looking to cash in on the early springtime surge. The sweeping views at Sioux Charley (where the river widens significantly and thus called a lake) are an outstanding place to have a picnic and enjoy the calm of the waters. If you are feeling more adventurous, several other lakes await as the trail continues past Sioux Charley. Things get substantially steeper the further you trek up the trail, gaining as much as 3,000 feet if you hike to its terminus at Lake Abundance. For the meat of the mileage, however, things are relatively low elevation, allowing springtime hikers to enjoy a terrific experience.
History and Hiking: Pictograph Caves State Park
In addition to its natural landmarks, Billings hosts some of the richest history of any city in the entire United States. By visiting the Pictograph Caves State Park, located only 15 minutes southeast of town, you can combine the two! While waiting for the snow to melt from the region’s higher peaks, this lower elevation hike is excellent for the spring. The park is set into a magnificent sandstone cliff, whose sheer edges are hugged by a mile of maintained but relatively steep trails. The aptly named Pictograph Caves are home to drawings as old as 2,200 years and as recent as the 19th century. Three distinct caves within the main loop hike offer such reflective drawings, which depict human life in stark relief against the geologic backdrop. A visitors center near the entrance also offers an excellent overview of the area’s Native history.
Sweeping Springtime Views: Palisades Trail under the Palisades in Red Lodge
This seven-mile out and back trail offers wonderful views of the famous Red Lodge Palisades. These beautiful sandstone pillars jut hundreds of feet out of the forests at the foot of the Beartooth Mountains. The trail itself begins from the Palisades Campground, accessible by a road of the same name, which sits a bit southeast of the Red Lodge Mountain ski resort. This moderately difficult trail gains roughly 1,600 feet of elevation as it climbs into the base of the Beartooths, and the views are worth every step of the way. From the top of the trail, magnificent vistas extend in almost every direction. To the north, across the rolling ranchland of Carbon County, you can make out the Rimrocks on the edge of the Yellowstone Valley. To east, you can soak in the wild Pryor Mountains. On a clear day looking towards the southeast, along the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, you can almost gaze all the way into Wyoming. This relatively low-elevation hike (especially in contrast to the withering heights of neighboring Grizzly Peak) is a great place to enjoy a pastoral springtime picnic. Many also find it to be an excellent place to take their dog for an early summer adventure!
A Crazy Fun Adventure: Twin Lakes Trail
The Crazy Mountains, roughly two hours away from Billings, are perhaps the most photogenic range in all of Montana. The Crazies rise in stunning contrast against the tranquil country which I-90 traverses to the west of Billings. By traveling north from the highway along the Big Timber Creek via US-191, then west along the dusty Big Timber Canyon Road, you can access one of the most beautiful hikes in central Montana. At roughly nine miles out and back, with over 1,500 feet of elevation gain, you’ll want to make sure you get a fairly early start to make the most of your visit for a day hike. Beginning from the Halfmoon Campground, you follow a wide, gravel trail which takes a moderate grade into the mountains. Soon into this gravel trail, you can visit the cascading Big Timber Creek Falls, whose heavy snowmelt flow is an unforgettable sight for springtime visitors! The trail continues for several miles, crossing a number of quaint wooden bridges. You can also diverge towards the lovely Blue Lake, although this higher elevation hike is less advised until it has warmed later into the summertime. At the top of the Twin Lakes Trail, you are greeted with the magnificent cirque whose peaks you have observed along the trail, in addition to the namesake Twin Lakes. There are several terrific campsites on the approach to the trail, but since they rest in the coulees you may encounter lingering snow drifts which make it difficult to pitch a tent. Nonetheless, the beautiful views and easygoing grade makes this trail one of my favorite hikes for the later part of the spring!
