Central Montana
became one of my favorite places to explore while living there because so many incredible places were close enough for an easy day trip or a quick overnight camping trip. I did not have to plan a weeklong itinerary or drive across the state to find waterfalls, mountain trails, old mining towns, or quiet stretches of wilderness. Some of the places I loved most were the ones I was told about and could decide to visit almost on a whim, pack my camera, throw a few things in the truck, and be there within a couple hours or less.
That is what made exploring these places so special to me. The region is full of places that are easy to overlook if you are only passing through on the way to Yellowstone, Glacier, or one of the state’s better-known mountain towns. But if you slow down and spend some time in the middle of the state, there is so much to see. These were some of my favorite places to escape to while I lived there, whether I had an entire weekend or just an afternoon.
Memorial Falls
Memorial Falls was one of my favorite easy day trips because, first of all, it was only about 40 minutes from my house. That alone made it an easy yes. But beyond that, it had everything I loved about the Little Belt Mountains without making me feel like I needed to train for the hike first.
The trail starts off the pass on your near Neihart and winds through tall pine trees with the stream running right alongside you for most of the way. That was honestly one of my favorite parts. It’s not just like, “walk to waterfall, take picture, leave.” The whole hike is pretty. There are little cascades, rocky pools, water running over the rocks, and plenty of spots where you just stop for a second because it’s too pretty not to.
As you keep going, the cliffs and rock formations get bigger and bigger. There are giant boulders all around, huge rock walls above you, and some of the cliffs are actually used for rock climbing. Yep, I got the opportunity to watch in suspense as a couple people braved their way up those beasts. And when you’re standing down there looking up at them, you definitely understand why. They’re massive. But somehow the hike itself is still really easy. There are a few rocky spots where you need to watch where you’re stepping, but overall it’s one of those hikes where you can actually relax and enjoy yourself.
And the best part is there isn’t just one waterfall. You’ll hit one, and then if you want to keep going, you can climb a little higher and find another. So you can make the hike as short or as long as you want. If you’re just looking for an easy little walk, turn around whenever you’re ready. If you feel like exploring more, keep going. There are plenty of places to sit by the water, hang out on the rocks, and just take it all in.
We usually made a whole little day out of it. We’d do a morning hike, head into Neihart and eat at Bob’s Bar & Motel, wander through the old antique store, and then stop at The Inconvenience Store on the way back home. Neihart is such a cool little mountain town, and Memorial Falls made for the perfect excuse to go spend the day there.
If you’re ever out that way, definitely give yourself a little extra time to explore. It’s one of those easy Central Montana stops that doesn’t take a ton of planning but still feels like you actually got away for the day.
Sluice Boxes State Park
Sluice Boxes State Park sits along Belt Creek between Belt and Neihart, right in the heart of Central Montana. It is an easy day-trip kind of place if you want a hike that feels a little more rugged and adventurous without going too far. Sluice Boxes State Park honestly surprised me because parts of it felt so much like home. The limestone cliffs, rocky trail, brushy terrain, and Belt Creek running right beside you reminded me so much of parts of the Texas Hill Country. There were moments where I had to remind myself I was in Central Montana and not back in Texas somewhere.
The hike follows the creek through the canyon, so the water is pretty much part of the whole experience. Sometimes it’s running quietly right beside the trail, and other times the trail gets tighter and rockier as it squeezes between the creek and the canyon walls. It definitely isn’t a smooth, perfectly manicured trail, which I actually liked. There are loose rocks, brush, uneven spots, and depending on the conditions, you may have to cross the creek here and there. It’s not a super technical hike, but you do have to watch where you’re stepping, which just makes it feel a little more adventurous.
One of the coolest parts about Sluice Boxes is all the history tucked into the canyon. The trail follows part of an old railroad corridor that once connected mining communities in the area, and you can still see bits and pieces of that history as you go. Old grades, mining remnants, and little signs of what used to be there pop up along the trail, which makes the hike feel like more than just a pretty walk.
What I loved most is that there really isn’t one big “this is the spot” moment. The whole canyon is the experience. The cliffs, the creek, the rough trail, the brush, the history, and the way everything keeps changing as you move through it are what make it worth going. You can hike a little bit and turn around, or keep going farther into the canyon if you’re in the mood for more of an adventure.
For me, Sluice Boxes was one of those Central Montana day trips where I didn’t need a huge plan. I just wanted to get outside, explore somewhere different, and see where the trail took me. And honestly, those are usually my favorite kinds of days.
Crow Creek Falls
Crow Creek Falls was hands down my absolute favorite hike. My friend April suggested it to me one weekend when I really needed to get away for a bit, and I’m so glad she did because this one ended up being exactly what I needed.
Crow Creek Falls is tucked into the Elkhorn Mountains near Townsend. It takes a little more effort to get there and hike, but honestly, that made it feel even more worth it once I reached the falls. The trail is longer, there’s more elevation, and you’re walking through mountain and forest terrain for a good while, so this is not really a quick little in-and-out hike. But that’s also what I loved about it. You actually have time to settle into the hike, stop thinking about everything else, and just be outside.
The farther you go, the more remote it starts to feel. There are wooded stretches, rocky sections, little climbs, and places where you can hear water before you can see it. The trail keeps changing just enough to keep it interesting, and even though there are definitely parts where you start feeling the distance, it never felt impossible to me. You just take your time, stop when you need to, and keep going.
And then you finally get to the falls, which feels like such a reward because you really did have to work for it a little. It’s hidden back in the forest, surrounded by rock and trees, and by the time you get there, the trailhead feels very far away in the best possible way. This is definitely not one of those “pull over, walk five minutes, take a picture, and leave” kind of places. The whole hike is part of the experience.
That’s probably why I loved Crow Creek Falls so much. It gave me several hours to just walk, think, breathe, and be somewhere beautiful without rushing through it. The waterfall itself is incredible, but the trail getting there is just as much a part of why I remember it so well.
If you’re okay with a longer hike and want something that actually feels like a little adventure, this one is absolutely worth it.
11/10 for sure.
Castle Town
Castle Town is an old ghost town in the Castle Mountains near White Sulphur Springs. It's is a little different from the other places on this list because there really isn’t any hiking involved. You pretty much drive right up to it on a dirt road, and suddenly there are the remains of this old mining town sitting out in the middle of the mountains. The buildings are on private property, so technically the best thing to do is stay on the road and take it all in from there. You can still see quite a bit without crossing onto the property, and I definitely don’t want to be the one encouraging anyone to make angry property owners. ;)
What I loved about Castle Town is that it isn’t restored or made to look pretty for tourists. The buildings are old, rotting, falling apart, and slowly disappearing. Some of the roofs are giving in, boards are missing, and you can tell Montana weather has been working on these buildings for a very long time. There’s something about seeing an old town this way that makes it feel more real to me. It isn’t a recreation of what used to be there. These are the actual remains, still sitting where people once lived and worked.
Castle was once a silver mining town in the late 1800s, and it’s hard not to stand there and wonder what the place looked like when it was actually full of people. The mountains surrounding it make the whole area even more interesting because now it feels so quiet and isolated, even though at one point this was somebody’s everyday life. People worked here, raised families here, went to businesses here, and probably never imagined that one day strangers would be driving by taking pictures of what was left.
Of course, I came to take pictures, and Castle Town is one of those places where there is something interesting everywhere you look. The old wood, broken windows, leaning buildings, and mountains in the background give you so much to photograph. But I think what stuck with me more than the pictures was knowing these buildings aren’t going to be there forever. They are already slowly falling back into the landscape, and someday there may be even less left to see.
That’s probably what made Castle Town so memorable for me. It isn’t polished, preserved, or really trying to be anything at all. It’s just this little piece of Montana history still hanging on beside a dirt road, and I’m glad I got to see it while so much of it is still standing.
Fairy Lake
Fairy Lake is one of those hidden gems that feels like an adventure before you even get out of the truck. The drive from the main road up toward the lake is a steep, steady, and very rough climb into the Bridger Mountains. My truck is not 4 - wheel drive, and I made it, but I wouldn't have wanted to chance that had it rained the night before. Just fyi. But by the time you make it to the parking lot, the trees open up and Fairy Lake comes into view, it feels like you have worked your way into a completely different landscape, with clear alpine water surrounded by steep mountain slopes and evergreens.
What made Fairy Lake especially memorable for me was that it was also the starting point for my hike to Sacagawea Peak. From the lake, the trail climbs steadily upward and the elevation becomes noticeable pretty quickly. The lower section begins in a more sheltered setting, but as I gained elevation, the trees thinned and the trail became rockier and more exposed. The climb up was definitely the hardest part. It was one of those hikes where I had to slow down, catch my breath, and keep reminding myself that the view was getting better with every stretch of elevation.
As I climbed higher, Fairy Lake became smaller below me and the Bridger Range opened up in every direction. That was probably my favorite part of the hike. The farther up I went, the more dramatic the landscape became, and it gave me a completely different perspective on the lake I had just driven to. What looked peaceful and tucked away from the shoreline suddenly became part of this much larger mountain setting.
Coming back down was much easier than the climb up. I still had to pay attention to the rocky terrain and my footing, but without fighting the elevation, the return felt far more manageable. By the time I made it back to Fairy Lake, the contrast between the effort of the hike and the calmness of the lake made the whole trip feel even more rewarding.
That is why Fairy Lake stands out to me as the hidden gem, even though Sacagawea Peak was the bigger physical challenge. The lake itself is beautiful enough to visit on its own, but knowing that such a dramatic hike begins right there makes the destination feel even more special. You can come for the water, the scenery, and a quiet mountain escape, or you can turn it into a full adventure by climbing above the lake and seeing the entire area from a completely different perspective.
The Montana I love
What I loved most about living in Montana was how often the state gave me a reason to keep exploring. There was always another road, another trail, another small town, or another place someone would mention that I had never heard of before. Over time, those quieter places became some of the ones I remembered most, not necessarily because they were more dramatic than the famous destinations, but because they felt personal and discovered.
Montana has no shortage of places worth planning an entire trip around, but I would still leave room for the unexpected. Take the slower road when you have time. Stop in a town you have never heard of. Follow a trail simply because the landscape looks interesting. Some of the best places in the state are not necessarily the ones that make the top of every travel list, and sometimes the place you remember years later is the one you almost drove past.
I'll be back soon!
-Nicky
