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Dry Wolf Trail, Stanford Area
Dry Wolf Trail (401) is easy through meadows and timber, then a steeper slope following ridge through forest. The trail ends at meadows on Jefferson Divide, providing a beautiful panoramic view. The upper part of the trail can be snowbound until the middle of July. Obtain Forest Visitor's map for information on any travel restrictions.
Length: 5.2 miles. Medium use.
Trail Begins: Dry Wolf Campground
Trail Ends: Forest Road 3300
Area Map: Lewis and Clark (Jefferson Division)
USGS Map1: Yogo Peak
Services Offered: Trail
Directions: From Highway 87 at Standford, follow Dry Wolf Road 251 to Dry Wolf Campground. Drive through the campground to the picnic site where the trailhead is located.
Thain Creek Trail, Highwood Area
Thain Creek Trail is an easy hike for young children. Start on the north side of Thain Creek Campground and follow Windy Mountain Trail 454 about .25 mile north to the junction with Trail (411). Thain Creek Trail 411 remains fairly level for 0.5 mile to the junction with Briggs Creek Trail 431. Following Trail 431 downhill to the campground will complete a 0.75 mile loop or you can continue on Trail 411 for another mile to the North Fork Highwood Creek Trailhead. Trail is open to travel by hiking, horse, mountain bike and motorcycle. The Thain Creek Campground is in the Highwoods Mountains Recreation Area. 'Highwoods' is a translation of the Blackfeet Indian name for these mountains, 'espi-toh-tok' meaning the timber is high on the slopes. This island range of mountains is located 30 miles east of Great Falls. The numerous streams, aspen groves, meadows, and dark patches of trees create a beautiful mosaic rich with wildlife, wildflowers, and excellent scenery. The Highwoods are popular in the spring and early summer before higher mountain ranges open up. Come July, be prepared to share the trails with summering cattle herds. After the first frost in September, the fall colors are spectacular.
Length: 0.75 mile
Trail Begins: North side of Thain Creek Campground
Trail Ends: Loop
Activities Offered: Hiking
Season: Summer - Fall
Directions: Located 6 miles east of Great Falls on US Highway 89. Turn north on Montana Highway 228 and travel 13 miles to major junction. Cross the junction, accessing a gravel road. Continue for another 20 miles to Thain Creek Campground. Well marked with signs.
For more information and a map contact the Judith Ranger District, Stanford at 566-2292.
Thain Creek Trail is an easy hike for young children. Start on the north side of Thain Creek Campground and follow Windy Mountain Trail 454 about .25 mile north to the junction with Trail (411). Thain Creek Trail 411 remains fairly level for 0.5 mile to the junction with Briggs Creek Trail 431. Following Trail 431 downhill to the campground will complete a 0.75 mile loop or you can continue on Trail 411 for another mile to the North Fork Highwood Creek Trailhead. Trail is open to travel by hiking, horse, mountain bike and motorcycle. The Thain Creek Campground is in the Highwoods Mountains Recreation Area. 'Highwoods' is a translation of the Blackfeet Indian name for these mountains, 'espi-toh-tok' meaning the timber is high on the slopes. This island range of mountains is located 30 miles east of Great Falls. The numerous streams, aspen groves, meadows, and dark patches of trees create a beautiful mosaic rich with wildlife, wildflowers, and excellent scenery. The Highwoods are popular in the spring and early summer before higher mountain ranges open up. Come July, be prepared to share the trails with summering cattle herds. After the first frost in September, the fall colors are spectacular.
Length: 0.75 mile
Trail Begins: North side of Thain Creek Campground
Trail Ends: Loop
Activities Offered: Hiking
Season: Summer - Fall
Directions: Located 6 miles east of Great Falls on US Highway 89. Turn north on Montana Highway 228 and travel 13 miles to major junction. Cross the junction, accessing a gravel road. Continue for another 20 miles to Thain Creek Campground. Well marked with signs.
For more information and a map contact the Judith Ranger District, Stanford at 566-2292.
Hidden Basin Wildflower Trail, Crystal Lake Area
The first step in the enjoyment and appreciation of wildflowers is going out to see them where they grow. The Hidden Basin Wildflower Trail leads through a beautiful area of public land that is rich in flower varieties.
Thirty-eight small metal signs along the half-mile trail identify trees, shrubs and flowers. Peak viewing season for wildflowers is July and August, though you will find early-bloomers in June and a few hardy species flowering into September. Please do NOT pick the wildflowers.
Contact the Judith Ranger District for the detailed, illustrated Hidden Basin Wildflower Trail brochure!
Services Offered: Interpretive Display
Season: June - September
Directions: The trail is located north of Crystal Lake and can be accessed from the Crystal Lake Shoreline Loop Trail. Call for directions at 406-566-2292.
The first step in the enjoyment and appreciation of wildflowers is going out to see them where they grow. The Hidden Basin Wildflower Trail leads through a beautiful area of public land that is rich in flower varieties.
Thirty-eight small metal signs along the half-mile trail identify trees, shrubs and flowers. Peak viewing season for wildflowers is July and August, though you will find early-bloomers in June and a few hardy species flowering into September. Please do NOT pick the wildflowers.
Contact the Judith Ranger District for the detailed, illustrated Hidden Basin Wildflower Trail brochure!
Services Offered: Interpretive Display
Season: June - September
Directions: The trail is located north of Crystal Lake and can be accessed from the Crystal Lake Shoreline Loop Trail. Call for directions at 406-566-2292.
Sluice Boxes State Park, Belt Area
When mining was king in Montana, railroad tracks snaked through mountain ranges to reach small boom towns and haul ore to market. One such mining area lay in the Little Belt Mountains south of Great Falls. The mining towns of Monarch, Neihart, Hughesville and Albright thrived briefly while the ore held out. Today, only the small recreational communities of Monarch and Neihart remain. Hughesville and Albright are ghost towns and trains no longer chug through the canyons. One railroad ran up Belt Creek and the abandoned railroad bed is now the main component and access route of Sluice Boxes State Park.
Soaring cliffs and precipitous ledges mark the Belt Creek Canyon as it slices out of the Little Belt Mountains and winds toward the town of Belt. Sluice Boxes State Park, established in 1970, consists of the northern most 8 miles of the Belt Creek canyon. The train bridges have been removed and visitors must ford the creek - a difficult proposition during high water flows. Because of these crossings, hiking in the Sluice Boxes is limited to low water season, generally mid-July through September. The spring-fed water is always cold and weather in the Little Belts changes often and quickly. Be prepared. For the intrepid traveler, trout fishing in Belt Creek, spectacular scenery and many wildlife species await.
Length: 7.5 miles -- Township 16N; Range 6E; Section 26
Trail Beginning: Riceville Bridge
Trail End: Logging Creek Bridge (no facilites available at this point)
USGS Map1: Riceville, MT
Services Offered: Pets Allowed, Toilets, Trail
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Season: All Year
When mining was king in Montana, railroad tracks snaked through mountain ranges to reach small boom towns and haul ore to market. One such mining area lay in the Little Belt Mountains south of Great Falls. The mining towns of Monarch, Neihart, Hughesville and Albright thrived briefly while the ore held out. Today, only the small recreational communities of Monarch and Neihart remain. Hughesville and Albright are ghost towns and trains no longer chug through the canyons. One railroad ran up Belt Creek and the abandoned railroad bed is now the main component and access route of Sluice Boxes State Park.
Soaring cliffs and precipitous ledges mark the Belt Creek Canyon as it slices out of the Little Belt Mountains and winds toward the town of Belt. Sluice Boxes State Park, established in 1970, consists of the northern most 8 miles of the Belt Creek canyon. The train bridges have been removed and visitors must ford the creek - a difficult proposition during high water flows. Because of these crossings, hiking in the Sluice Boxes is limited to low water season, generally mid-July through September. The spring-fed water is always cold and weather in the Little Belts changes often and quickly. Be prepared. For the intrepid traveler, trout fishing in Belt Creek, spectacular scenery and many wildlife species await.
Length: 7.5 miles -- Township 16N; Range 6E; Section 26
Trail Beginning: Riceville Bridge
Trail End: Logging Creek Bridge (no facilites available at this point)
USGS Map1: Riceville, MT
Services Offered: Pets Allowed, Toilets, Trail
Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Season: All Year
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