The Montana Hiking Trail You've Never Heard Of But Must Experience
By Jessica Wick|Published July 27, 2017
×
Jessica Wick
Author
Jessica Wick is a writer and travel enthusiast who loves exploring new places, meeting new people and, of course, beautiful Big Sky Country and every part of Washington State.
If you’ve ever spent time hiking in Montana, you’re probably aware of the most popular trails. Maybe you’ve even hiked most of them. But the Treasure State is also full of plenty of hidden gems, like the Phantom Creek Trail in the Beartooth Mountains.
Follow this trail long enough and you’ll find yourself in an incredible (and perfectly named) place.
The Phantom Creek Trail, Trail 17, is located in the Beartooth Mountains near the tiny town of Roscoe (otherwise known as "Where Grizzly Bar is").
Slough Lake is scenic and relaxing, a perfect spot for a day hike. But if you're up for a longer trek and you're a very experienced hiker, keep going.
If you keep going, you'll endure a steep and laborious trek, but you'll eventually reach the 10,000 foot Froze to Death Plateau between Saddleback Mountain (to the east) and Froze to Death Peak (west).
Often described as the roof of Montana, Froze to Death Plateau is a beautiful and almost surreal place. But unless you go on a hot summer day, you'll want to pack plenty of layers - it has been to known to snow at the top of the peak 10 or 11 months out of the year.
Intrigued? The Phantom Creek trail is one of the lesser used trails in the area. But August is its busiest month, so don’t expect total solitude when you go. And if you’re not quite up for such a strenuous journey, check out this list of great trails under 5 miles.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
