Hiking

Sweet Grass County has some of the best hiking opportunities in all of Montana and the US. Within 15 miles of Big Timber, located in the heart of Sweet Grass County, you have access to millions of acres of national forest including the Absaroka/Beartooth Wilderness and the Crazy Mountain areas. Both areas offer hikers and backpackers forest service managed trails and off the beaten path adventures. For families, one of the best short hikes is located at Natural Bridge State Park, where you can hike around a 105 foot waterfall and read about the areas ecology and geology. Then picnic along one of the campgrounds nearby and day-hike on nearby trails.

Pre-trip preparation is essential to your enjoying all that a hike can take you on. Here you will be able to research a route, find information on which topographic maps you will need for your route, local sporting goods stores for equipment and guides, study trail lengths and elevations, local forest service contacts, and feedback on the experiences of people who have taken certain routes.

In planning your trip, you first will need to decide where you want hike. After that, you can gather the information necessary- maps, terrain, feedback ect.

Hike to Big Timber Canyon Falls and see fantastic scenery of the Crazy Mountains.

You can see all kinds of wildlife native to the area, including deer, elk, hawks, eagles, wolverines, coyotes, bears, mountain goats, bluebirds, and others. For area maps, contact the local forest service or call Bobs Sports Shop in Big Timber. Bob will reserve maps for you. A Montana Atlas would also be helpful in your hiking adventures and is available from The Fort in Big Timber and also Bobs Sports Shop.

Make sure you plan your trip and bring necessary items including a first aid kit, survival items. These items can include a compass, waterproof matches, lighter, small flashlight, emergency mylar blanket, whistle, small mirror, a small amount of dried food, candle, pocket knife, and water purifying tablets or filter. If you are a first time hiker in these parts, plan a route that's reasonable to navigate as the fewer unknowns you have the better. The advice is to prepare for the worst, not out of fear, but to be prepared.

There are several options to pick on your hiking adventure. A day hike does not require you to camp overnight and is a great way to see the outdoors without having to carry a lot of gear like a tent. Overnight hikes take more planning and equipment. A few good words of advice: Remember, your group is only as fast as your slowest member.