From the snow-capped summits of the Rocky Mountains to the sprawling grasslands of the Great Plains, Montana is home to an impressive diversity of breathtaking landscapes and ecosystems.
Known as Big Sky Country, this beautiful state with acres of pristine wilderness is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Whether it’s trekking past crystal-clear alpine lakes in Glacier National Park or climbing the unique rock formations in the Badlands, there’s no shortage of natural wonders to explore in Montana.
In this guide, we’ll explore the state’s 11 most incredible trails and share important details from each one, including highlights, difficulty, and length.
Table of Contents
- 1. Beehive Basin Trail
- 2. Holland Falls National Recreation Trail, Flathead National Forest
- 3. Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars
- 4. Highline Trail, Glacier National Park
- 5. Middle Fork Sweet Grass Trail, Crazy Mountains, Custer Gallatin National Forest
- 6. Lava Lake Trail (aka Cascade Creek Trail)
- 7. Pacific Northwest Trail
- 8. Kootenai Creek Trail
- 9. Natural Bridges Trail, Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area
- 10. Ice Caves Trail, Big Snowy Mountains
- 11. Boulder Pass Trail, Glacier National Park
- Best Hikes in Montana!
1. Beehive Basin Trail
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 6.6 miles
Known as one of the top treks in Big Sky Country, the Beehive Basin Trail is a must for hiking enthusiasts in Montana. This 6.6-mile out-and-back to a half-moon-shaped glacial cirque and a crystal-clear alpine lake features some of the most spectacular vistas around.
The Beehive Basin trailhead is found near the Big Sky ski resort’s chair lifts. The well-marked hike starts off with some steep switchbacks, but the overall incline of 1,500 feet trek is mostly gradual. After the initial climb, the stunning views of Lone Peak will begin to appear. For even more jaw-dropping vistas, scramble up to the top of the basin.
Beehive Basin is considered one of the top spots to see wildflowers in the summer and wildlife (mainly mountain goats!) in the fall.
2. Holland Falls National Recreation Trail, Flathead National Forest
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Length: 3.2 miles
Located in northwestern Montana, Holland Lake encompasses 400 acres for swimming, kayaking, and boating. Its shores provide breathtaking vistas of the snow-capped Swan Range.
Holland Falls National Recreation Trail is the best hiking trail in the area. It’s an easy, family-friendly hike to a gorgeous waterfall with epic views of Holland Lake and the Swan Mountains.
The hike begins at the trailhead parking lot located east of the campground’s Bay Loop. Take that path for about 500 feet until you reach a junction where you’ll take the East Holland Lake Connector Trail #415. The path follows the north shore of the lake for a bit with beautiful views of the mountains, then starts a gradual climb up 750 feet to the base of the falls.
The picturesque 50-foot cascading falls are surrounded by lush forest with towering trees sprouting from the rocky terrain.
3. Avalanche Lake via Trail of the Cedars
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 5.9 miles
A must-see in Montana, the iconic Glacier National Park encompasses part of the Rocky Mountains. This striking national park features over 700 miles of hiking trails through glacier-carved valleys, high-elevation meadows, and alpine lakes.
The hike to take in the captivating vistas at Avalanche Lake is one of the most popular in the park. The clear blue waters of the lake are surrounded by majestic mountain peaks covered in conifer forests with rushing waterfalls winding down their slopes – a sight to behold!
The trailhead is in the Avalanche Campground Area just south of the Avalanche Gorge Footbridge on the Trail of the Cedars. It meanders through an old-growth cedar and hemlock forest and reaches a boardwalk. The boardwalk follows a creek to a glacial melt lake. From here the path winds next to Avalanche Creek up to Avalanche Lake.
4. Highline Trail, Glacier National Park
- Type: Point-to-point
- Difficulty: 11.6 miles
- Length: Moderate
Highline Trail is one of the top day hikes in Glacier National Park, also known as The Crown of the Continent. This must-do hike takes visitors along from the Logan Pass Visitor Center to the Loop Trailhead with absolutely stunning vistas of pristine alpine meadows, mountain peaks, and glaciers along the way.
If you’re looking for a longer trek, there’s an option to extend the Highline Trail by taking a spur to the Grinnell Glacier Outlook.
The hiking path travels above the park’s scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road for even better views than driving. The great part about this trek is that you get incredible alpine vistas without having to do a strenuous uphill hike. Total elevation gain is only 800 feet.
Since this is a point-to-point hike, you’ll need to take the free park shuttle to return to your car.
5. Middle Fork Sweet Grass Trail, Crazy Mountains, Custer Gallatin National Forest
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 5.1 miles
Located in southwestern Montana, the Crazy Mountains are a lonely, island-like section of the northern Rockies. This tiny mountain range juts out from the green prairies below and stretches for 30 miles from the Yellowstone River to the Musselshell River.
The Middle Fork Sweet Grass Trail is situated in the Custer Gallatin National Forest section of the “Crazies”. It takes you from the junction with Sweet Grass Trail to the Middle Fork Sweet Grass Divide, located above Campfire Lake. It also provides access to Trespass Creek and the Shields River.
6. Lava Lake Trail (aka Cascade Creek Trail)
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 6 miles
Another gem within Custer Gallatin National Forest, Lava Lake Trail is a 1600-foot ascent from the Gallatin River to Lava Lake. This gorgeous hike is also known as Cascade Creek Trail.
The trail begins at the pull-off just north of the Gallatin River bridge. From there, the rugged trail enters Cascade Canyon and meanders next to Cascade Creek as it traverses an evergreen forest. The path passes by an alpine meadow and several cascades before reaching the tree-lined lake.
Be patient. While the rocky path doesn’t provide much of a view in the beginning, the expansive vistas reveal themselves once you get closer to Lava Lake. The lake has impressive views of the 10,412-foot-high Jumbo Mountain and multiple other 10,000 feet high peaks above Cascade Creek Valley.
Watch for moose grazing in the meadows!
7. Pacific Northwest Trail
- Type: Point-to-point
- Difficulty: Hard
- Length: 1,200 miles
The PNT is an iconic thru-hike that starts (or ends) in Big Sky Country. It’s a national scenic trail that spans 1,200 miles from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean.
The route passes through Montana, Idaho, and Washington and traverses five main geographic areas: the Rocky Mountains, Columbia Mountains, North Cascades, Puget Sound, and Olympic Peninsula.
Section 1 of the PNT begins in the Rockies and the eastern terminus is located in Glacier National Park’s Belly River Valley. While hiking the other thing is a months-long affair, many hikers enjoy shorter day treks along sections of the PNT. The Rocky Mountains segment of the trail offers a chance to explore Montana’s scenic backcountry.
8. Kootenai Creek Trail
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 19.4 miles
Bitterroot National Forest encompasses 1.6 million acres of forested land in west-central Montana and east-central Idaho. This stunning national forest forms part of the Northern Rocky Mountains and boasts the largest area of continuous pristine wilderness in the lower 48 states.
Kootenai Creek Trail is a gorgeous trek through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness section of the national forest. The trailhead off Kootenai Creek Road provides access to Kootenai Creek Trail #53. The path has several creek crossings and provides beautiful canyon views before ending at North Kootenai Lake.
Those looking for a backpacking adventure can camp at the lake – it makes for one of the most scenic camping spots in Montana.
9. Natural Bridges Trail, Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area
- Type: Out and back
- Difficulty: Easy
- Length: 2.2 miles
The Mars-like landscapes of the Terry Badlands Wilderness Study Area in eastern Montana provide a stark contrast to the lush forests on the state’s western side. The Terry Badlands WSA features banded, jagged peaks and cliffs with unique rock formations like sandstone bridges, mesas, spires, and buttes. It is located about 3 miles northwest of Terry in Prairie County.
The Natural Bridges Trail is a well-known hiking path popular with day hikers interested in seeing this natural wonder. You will need a four-wheel drive to drive across Calypso Trail and reach the trailhead for Natural Bridges.
Once there, it’s a bit over a one-mile hike to the Natural Bridges rock formations shaped by millions of years of erosion.
10. Ice Caves Trail, Big Snowy Mountains
- Type: Loop
- Difficulty: Hard
- Length: 11.9 miles
The Big Snowy Mountains in central Montana are situated thirty miles from Lewiston. They are part of the Snowies’ geographic area in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The mountains are covered in coniferous trees with barren rock and tundra above the treeline. The landscapes are beautiful, but the most interesting thing to see here is the year-round ice cave.
The Ice Caves Trail begins at the Crystal Lake Campground. From here, the path quickly gains 2,200 feet in elevation within the first three miles to reach the top of Snowy Crest. Once at the top, the trek traverses the flat ridge for two miles along Trail 490 until it reaches the cave.
The 100-foot-wide ice cave contains magical limestone rock formations that remain frozen throughout the year.
11. Boulder Pass Trail, Glacier National Park
- Type: Point-to-point
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Length: 30.9 miles
One of Glacier National Park’s best off-the-beaten-track backpacking routes, Boulder Pass Trail is a true alpine adventure! This breathtaking and challenging trail begins on the shores of Kintla Lake and ends in a glacier-carved valley just south of the Canadian Rockies.
It takes most backpackers about 3 days to complete this scenic hike with more than 3,000 feet in elevation gain.
Best Hikes in Montana!
From the glittering ice cave in Big Snowy Mountains to the towering spires of the Badlands, there’s something for every type of hiker to explore in Big Sky Country.
What are your favorite hiking trails in Montana? Feel free to share them in the comments below. If you enjoyed this article, please send it to your hiking buddies!
