Best of Montana Vacation

DAY 1

We meet in Billings this morning, either at the airport or at our designated hotel, and shuttle directly to Red Lodge, about an hour away. Upon arrival, we'll drop off our luggage at the hotel, discuss our plans and trails for the week, and pack a trail lunch to take with us. After a short shuttle to the trailhead, we'll begin our introductory hike, a gentle uphill trail along the Lake Fork of Rock Creek where we commonly see moose along the beautiful rushing waters. Squeezed between Hellroaring and Silver Creek plateaus, the trail offers access to a lake-filled mountain valley. Since this is our first day of hiking, we will turn around at Broadwater Lake (actually just a widening of the river) after stopping at our favorite place on the trail - Snack Rock. We'll then return to our hotel to check in before departing for the fun, local affair of pig races at the saloon in the nearby town of Bear Creek. After cheering on your favorite swine, we will head back to Red Lodge for dinner at our friends' fun, casual tapas restaurant downtown.

Main Hiking Route: 7 miles round trip - with 800 feet of elevation gain

DAY 2

This morning we shuttle to our trailhead in the West Rosebud Valley. Although it is only a few miles as the crow flies, we have to drive around the mountain range along the sky-high ranch country of the Beartooth Front to get to one of the most stunning locations in the area: Mystic Lake, a large lake made even larger by a hydroelectric dam. Because most of the hike is in a protected wilderness area, the power company that controls the dam has had very little impact to the lake itself and it is a nice example of man's progress melding with nature. A steady climb of three miles along West Rosebud Creek and through Custer National Forest will take us past a plethora of huckleberry bushes, through rock fields and stands of Lodgepole Pines and Aspens, to the edge of the lake. Before reaching the lakeshore, make sure to pause at the overlook to get a glimpse of Montana's uniquely shaped tallest mountain, Granite Peak. You can stop here to enjoy lunch, or continue another 2.7 miles around the lakeshore to Huckleberry Creek before turning around and heading back to the trailhead. We'll stop for dinner on our way home at a local restaurant.

Main Hiking Route: 6 miles round trip to the edge of the lake with 1,200 feet elevation gain (plus an opportunity for an easy extension around the lakeshore trail of almost 6 additional miles).

DAY 3

Today is a big day!  We depart Red Lodge in the morning to drive up the famous Beartooth Pass, considered one of the most beautiful drives in the country. Up, up, up we go - to almost 11,000 feet - keeping our eyes open to try and spot the mountain goats that are commonly seen in this beautiful high-altitude tundra.  We'll get out for pictures at the top of the pass and do several short walks. Although the walks are mostly flat, we are at 10,000 feet of elevation — either the views or the altitude will take your breath away! After a walk and lunch on your own in the cute town of Cooke City, we continue our shuttle westward and into Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley. The Lamar area is home to the largest herds of ungulates (hoofed animals such as bison, elk, and deer) in the park and the predators such as wolves that are often near them. We'll stop as often as needed for wildlife viewing and eventually make our way to our hotel in or just outside the Park.

DAY 4

Today we drive the Grand Loop of Yellowstone and visit all the major hotspots. We'll gaze upon Grand Prismatic Spring, a pool of hot water that has almost every color of the rainbow. Next, we'll ditch the van to hike to Mystic Falls, where the Little Firehole River drops down from the Madison Plateau. Lunch will be on your own in the Old Faithful Lodge, after which we will watch Old Faithful erupt and take the boardwalk to visit many of the other smaller nearby geysers. In the afternoon, we'll continue around the loop road to the West Thumb geothermal area, which includes Fishing Cone, a hot spring in Yellowstone Lake in which visitors years ago cooked fish immediately after catching them. We'll continue on the loop drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and take a walk to view the impressive Upper and Lower Falls. It is then on to Canyon Lodge for a casual dinner in the eatery, a visit to the museum, and then an evening drive through the Hayden Valley to see if we can spot wildlife. As the sun falls toward the horizon, we'll head back to our hotel after a very long but productive day in the park.

DAY 5

This morning we'll get up early to beat the crowds as we visit a Yellowstone hot spot - literally. We'll drive a short way into the park and walk a half mile to the Boiling River, an actual river heated by underground hot springs. We'll jump in for a morning soak, dry off, and have a picnic breakfast in the area. We'll then get our exercise by hiking the Beaver Ponds Trail, a five-mile loop that not only features beaver (and muskrats) but also is a good location for seeing bears. We'll then pop over the short distance to Mammoth Hot Springs, where we'll spend an hour wandering the boardwalks, admiring the beautiful colors and bubbling mud pots. In the afternoon, we'll transfer just under two hours to Bozeman where we'll walk the downtown streets and perhaps visit a brewery or two after dinner.

DAY 6

Today is our longest travel day, a five-hour drive (plus stops) from Bozeman in southcentral Montana to Whitefish in the north. However, we'll definitely make stops along the way, including at the Clearwater River Canoe Trail. That's right, a canoe trail! This designated 3.5-mile paddle on a gently winding river takes us through beautiful secluded scenery and into Seeley Lake - one of the most popular lake destinations in Montana. It is a perfect break from the driving. We'll continue into Whitefish, one of our top three favorite towns in Montana (and second choice after Red Lodge for our world headquarters) for a fun dinner and walk around town.

DAY 7

Today we head into our second national park of the trip, Glacier National Park, consistently rated America's best national park for hiking. We start by going up the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is not even usually open until July due to heavy snows. Our goal is the Highline Trail, one of the most famous hikes in the park and deservedly so. Our hike takes place high above the Going-to-the-Sun-Road, with sweeping vistas of the western half of the Park, alpine meadows full of glacier lilies and beargrass, and amazing views of the surrounding peaks. The hike is relatively easy until we reach the final climb up Haystack Pass, our turnaround point. This is a hike that will take your breath away; it is truly astonishing for those not accustomed to hiking in the mountains. Please note the hike is Trailhead Service, meaning we do not actually hike with you. We'll stop to explore the area at Lake McDonald Lodge on our way back to Whitefish and enjoy a hearty dinner downtown.

Main Hiking Route: 7 miles round trip - mostly flat with some undulations and a short, steep section up to Haystack Pass (which can be skipped). Note: this hike has a short section at the beginning and end that may be intimidating to those with a fear of heights.

DAY 8

Glacier National Park is worth another full day and we have saved the best part for today. Today we rise early to explore the east side of the Park and the Many Glacier area. We'll stop at the historic hotel to soak in a little of the culture of the facility and then head to our trailhead. Today we are hiking to Iceberg Lake, approximately 10 miles with only moderate elevation gain. The trail starts off through the trees before opening up with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. We'll stop at Ptarmigan Falls for a break and then continue to the lake. Beautifully situated at the base of the mountains and with icebergs truly floating in it, this is your fantasy mountain scenery photo come true. Again, because permits are not available to provide guided hikes in the park, this is Trailhead Service. This is a full-day excursion and we'll head back to Whitefish in the late afternoon.

DAY 9

On our final morning of this Best of Montana tour, we'll head to the Whitefish Mountain ski resort. You'll have the option of taking the chairlift up and hiking down or, if you are still energetic, doing the reverse. You'll have time to check out and grab lunch in town before shuttling to the airport in nearby Kalispell. What a vacation!