Distinctly Montana Magazine

86 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 4 PINE CREEK FALLS Situated south of Livingston in the Par- adise Valley, Pine Creek Falls is any- thing but paradisiacal. Go ahead and try to find a parking spot. Then prepare yourself for something akin to a pil- grimage, but with more people. You're all going to the same place, which is re- grettable but also kind of the point. The climb to Pine Creek Falls is only about 400 feet, but it feels like a lot more when you have to step off the trail every thirty seconds to accommodate other hikers barreling downhill toward you or breathing down your neck from behind. It was bad ten years ago, so one can only imagine what it's like now. Trail courte- sy seems to fall right off the table once a critical mass is reached. There's a fun little bridge to cross, and the waterfalls themselves are gorgeous. At 80 feet, Pine Creek Falls holds its own in terms of picturesqueness. If you're a glutton for punishment, but also determined to seek out something closer to solitude, you can keep walking up to Jewel Lake Falls and Pine Creek Lake Falls. To get here, drive south on US-89 from Livingston for a few miles and turn left onto East River Road. Drive for about 8 miles, turn left on Luccock Park Road, and con- tinue past the campground to the end of the road. HOLLAND FALLS Holland Lake is a great place to take in the beauty of the Seeley-Swan Valley. This three-mile round-trip jaunt takes you around the north side of the lake to its easternmost point, where you can gaze at the back of the Missions from the base of the 50- foot Holland Falls. Towering Ponderosa pine shelter you from the sun for the first mile or so, and the understory bristles with wildflowers. But after that, the narrow trail leads you along an exposed rocky preci- pice, where you will blister in the sun like a hot dog on a grill while waiting for 200 people to pass from the other direction. To get here from Seeley Lake, drive north on the highway for 20 or so miles until the turn- off to the Holland Lake area. Hang a right, drive past the campground and resort area, and try to find parking at the trailhead. TOM RATH LINDSAY TRAN

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