Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/1257713
D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 32 DRAWN TO ROCK While the Sluice Boxes is well known, the rest of the Little Belts provides plenty of room for people to spread out. With over 400 miles of roads, countless trails exploring remote mountains and canyons, there's something for everyone. "There are a lot of cool caves around here," Willett says. Most of the caves are not well-publicized to prevent vandalism, but Lick Creek Cave near the Logging Creek Campground is a popular spot for locals. One of the best resources for cavers is the Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto, the only organization in Montana recognized by the National Speleological Society. Rock climbing in the limestone, granite, and quartz formations is another sport growing in popularity. "It's a fantastic mountain range," says Brian Thompson, an avid outdoor climber from the Hi-Line Climbing Center in Great Falls. "What's mostly true about the Little Belts is there are more rocks to be climbed than there are climbers to climb them." Since there aren't official routes, climbers often rely on word of mouth reports. "There are people out there put- ting up new routes," he says. When asked for specifics, "They'll send you a hand-drawn map." TRAILS FOR EVERYONE Hiking trails and all-terrain vehicle routes sometimes intersect in the Little Belts, but there are plenty of hiking opportunities. Be sure to bring along a topographic map and pick up a copy of the travel use map at the Belt Creek Ranger Station along Highway 89 to find trails exclusively for hiking or mountain bikes, as well as the motor- ized options. "If you're on a 4WD trail, you'll see a ton of people," says Thomp- son. But stepping off these well-worn roads loses the crowds: "It's easy to find solitude." A moderate, yet dramatic, hike or motorcycle ride is to the 9,175-foot-high summit of Big Baldy out of Neihart. In reality, the CHARLEY AND ALLY WILLETT AMY GRISAK Evening in the town of Neihart The tunnel's ceiling is still blackened from the explosives used to create it