Just because winter is right around the corner doesn’t mean that hiking season is over. In fact, some of Montana’s best hikes are even better when there’s a layer of snow on the ground and Mother Nature turns the landscape into a winter wonderland. Here’s a hike you should definitely put on your winter hiking bucket list.

The Lava Lake Trail is located in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness area, about 15 miles north of Big Sky. It's a gorgeous hike in the summer, but it's equally stunning during winter months.
Brian Cummings/Alltrails
The hike to the lake is nearly three miles, one way. Due to its elevation change of 1,640 feet, it's considered moderately challenging.
Olivia Cruikshank Duquin/Alltrails
The trail takes you through a forest thick with lodgepole pines, and along Cascade Creek.
Marianne Brough/Alltrails

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The trail climbs the entire way, but you might forget that your legs are burning if you take a minute to soak in the quiet beauty of this place.
Drew Van Fossen/Alltrails
Lava Lake is a true beauty. It covers 47 acres and is surrounded by mountains. Early in the season, the lake is cold, but not frozen.
C.A. Kelly/Alltrails
By mid-November, there's typically ice (and sometimes a layer of snow) covering the lake.
Drew Van Fossen/Alltrails
This trails is particularly popular during summer months, but in the winter you may have it all to yourself. Sit for awhile at the lake, enjoy a picnic and appreciate the quiet solitude and stunning scenery of this gorgeous place.

What’s your favorite winter hike? Tell us in the comments!

If you’re ready to explore more of Montana’s natural beauty, take a look at these 11 unimaginably beautiful places you must see before you die.

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