Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 34 CENTRAL MONTANA UPPER BIG TIMBER FALLS DESCRIPTION A dull roar and an informative sign greet you as you start walking toward the falls. is is an easy, eighth-mile hike on a well marked trail. Every couple of years this section of Big Timber Creek is host to one of the wildest events in Montana, the Big Timber Race. Boaters, most being kayakers, race down the series of waterfalls and slides culminating in Big Timber Falls. e section is known for its crazy rides and high-quality bedrock whitewater. ACCESS Drive north from Big Timber 8.1 miles on Montana Highway 191 to Wormser Loop Road. Turn left for 3.4 miles to Big Timber Canyon Road. Take another left, driving through the foothills, then into Big Timber Canyon and the majestic Crazy Mountains, proceeding for a distance of 13.3 miles to the trailhead. HISTORY The Crazy Mountains run almost 25 miles north to south, with Crazy Peak rising some 11, 214 feet high, and towering above the sur- rounding prairie. The area is home to many species of birds and mammals, including eagles, wild turkeys, mule deer, whitetail deer, elk , black bears, mountain lions, mountain goats, and wolverines. SOUTHCENTRAL MONTANA WOODBINE FALLS DESCRIPTION Woodbine Falls Trail starts in the northeast corner of Woodbine Campground. From the trailhead you begin to climb uphill gradually, but in just a couple of hundred yards the trail gets more difficult by switchbacking up the mountainside. Although it's only 0.75 mile up the trail to Woodbine Falls, you climb 564' in elevation. e falls is a magnificent display of cascades, vertical falls, and boulder drops. e views are spectacular from the final overlook. ACCESS From Fishtail, head southwest on FR 419 (Nye Road) for 24.8 miles to the Woodbine Campground turnoff. Turn left into Woodbine Campground and drive 0.2 mile to the southeast corner to the trailhead for TR 93. HISTORY The Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness was established in 1975 from national forest land located in Montana and Wyoming. The Absaroka Range and the Beartooth Range encompass this 944,000-acre wilderness area. Parts of three national forests — Custer, Gallatin and Shoshone — make up an expansive alpine paradise. Granite Peak (12,799' elevation), which is the tallest mountain in Montana, and Francs Peak (13,185' eleva- tion) in Wyoming are the tallest peaks in the wilderness, which has 30 peaks rising above 12,000' elevation. WOODBINE FALLS UPPER BIG TIMBER FALLS

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