Best hiking trails in Montana

“Just wondering what your thoughts on the best hiking trails in Montana are. Going out there in the summer of 08. I am just overwhlemed about all the places that can be seen and trying to narrow the places down. I am thinking of Glacier and Beartooth parks. Just wondering on what your thoughts are on some of the better trails. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Brian”

“You've got it narrowed down sufficiently. Toss a coin - you can't possibly lose.”

“No permits required in the Beartooths.
Permits very much required in Glacier and a bit of a pain to get.

I'm with Gojo on this one, both are great.”

“Yep, GoJo is right. It also depends on when you are coming in the Summer. A lot of high trails still have lots of snow untill mid-late July.
Are you are wanting short trails or week-long trips. Glacier is amazing, Yellowstone is Amazing, the Teton's, Beartooth's, Absorka's and Gallatin ranges are also awesome. Also you might want to think about The Wind River Range in Wyoming.

My top places in the area:
1. Glacier: especially trails that start high near Logan's Pass.
2. The Beartooths: Especially The East Rosebud Trail (some of the steepest and highest mountains in Montana, i.e. Granite Peak with little or no people. It is a pretty tough hike from there all the way to cooke city.
2. The Grand Tetons: Teton Crest or for a shorter option The Paintbrush Divide loop over to Cascade Canyon.
3. The Wind River Range (remote and the fishing is good)

My fav 3 books regarding this are all Falcon Guides:(I hope these are the correct titles)
1.The Best Backpacking Vacations in the Northern Rockies (3-5 day hikes)
2. Hiking The Wind River Range
3. Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes”

“IMO, you've picked two of the greatest hiking areas in the country. You wont' be disappointed with either one. There are some differences however. The most significant is, as has been mentioned, Glacier is a national park and that means more people and far more regulations. These regs are probably necessary but they can be a hassle. The most siginificant is that you will have to have a permit and reservation for your campsites and they are not always easy to get. Second, you'll have to camp in designatd campsites which are usually clusters of several tent sites located in very close proximity to each other - often too close, IMO. Some folks like this and others don't, but in all likelyhood, you'll have neighbors at night which can be good or bad I suppose. Glacier, being a national park is going to be far more crowded and is a major tourist destination so you are going to have, let's face it, lots of tourists to deal with. The trails will generally have people on them wherever you go. On the plus side, the scenery is out of this world - just spectacular and the wildlife viewing from elk to moose to mountain goats and of course, to grizzles can make the whole trip.

That said, let me sing the praises of the Beartooths. They are a wilderness area, not a national park and are part of the greater Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area and although they are heavily used, it's nothing like Glacier esp. if you pick some of the more remote areas or get off trail - more about that later. There are no reservations required and you can camp anywhere as long as you stay the required distance from lakes and rivers. There are a few areas where fires aren't allowed so bring a reliable stove. The Beartooths are much higher than Glacier so weather is a definite factor. I've had snow - lots of it - every month of the year so good three season gear is essential. Much of the Beartooths is above timberline at over 10,000 feet and as such overs incredible hiking. The many high plateaus of the range are extremely unique, unlike anything elsewhere in the country except maybe for small areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. Walking these plateaus is the essence of hiking the Beartooths and I would strongly urge to experience them. Also, try to get off trail and hike the above timbeline areas. Since so much of the range is above timberline, navigation is relatively easy since there is no forest blocking the views. The Beartooths have it all, hundreds of lakes full of hungry and dumb trout (fishing is much better than in Glacier), the state's highest peaks, glaciers, high plateaus and endless hiking opportunities. The wildlife is not quite as abundant as Glacier simply because so much of the terrain is so high, stark, barren and rugged that it's just not good habitat for most critters. However, there are abundant populations of bighorn sheep, mountain goats (almost a daily/nightly occurrence in some areas) and of course, the assorted rodents i.e. marmots, pikas and the such. In the lower elevations, black bear, elk, deer and maybe even an occasional grizzly that wanders over from Yellowstone although I've neve actually seen one in the range whereas I've come across a quite a few of them in Glacier - again, it's habitat. If you hit it before mid August, the flowers can be fantastic, but then so can the bugs. I guess the bugs are the one downside of both areas. It just depends on where and when you go that determines whether they will be a problem or not. Generally the later in the summer, the less the bug problem.

If you need specific suggestions, just let me know and I'll be glad to help. Both areas are magic.”