The Best Hiking in Bozeman, Montana
Rockies expert Caroline Bach Wood and me hiking near Bozeman, Montana on Thursday, June 14, 2007.
I just got back from an assignment in Montana which for now I must keep secret: You'll have to wait for Conde Nast Traveler's December issue to find out what I was investigating up in the badlands near Rudyard (even Montanans that I talked to hadn't heard of Rudyard). For now, though, I can share a few tips for anyone traveling to Bozeman and Yellowstone this summer, especially if they love to hike.
When I found out I'd have some free time in Bozeman, I called up Caroline Bach Wood, of Sterling Brownell Travel, the Rockies expert on Conde Nast Traveler's list of the world's best travel planners. (Don't believe us? See what this reader had to say about Caroline!) She took me on an easy hike that I'd recommend to anyone else passing through Bozeman. We drove to the Hyalite Creek trailhead in the Gallatin National Forest, a route that took us past the Hyalite Reservoir:
That's me in front of Bozeman, Montana's Hyalite Reservoir, Monday, June 18, 2007.
From there, it was a gentle, 20-minute walk up to Grotto Falls, which was running at full force thanks to a huge storm over the weekend. The trail continues past 10 more waterfalls for an 11-mile roundtrip hike, but I had a plane to catch so that's all we had time for.
Grotto Falls in the Gallatin National Forest.
Caroline spent her summers growing up in Yellowstone National Park, so she knows it better than anyone else I know. She told me that she checked in on the Old Faithful Inn 3 weeks ago, and it has nearly finished its several-year renovations (just a few nips and tucks left), so she can finally start sending clients there again. The place has a great Old Western atmosphere she says, and now looks "crisper" thanks to new floors, furniture, and the like. If you're heading to Yellowstone soon, take note!
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