If you're looking for a place to spend an adventurous day, hiking, strolling, or whatever your pace, without sharing the experience with a crowd, you've found it. The bountiful nature surrounding our Montana Lodge offers trails into pure solitude. Spend the day on a developed trail or treking cross country. You'll enjoy nature at its finest away from the outside world.

Hiking is good for the heart, good for the head, and good for relationships. Step outside of the world of hustle and bustle, of blaring horns and roaring engines. Experience the voice of nature - the whisper of the wind in the pines, the trill and chirp of the birds, the snort of a deer, the whistle of a Rock Chuck, the haunting call of a Sandhill Crane, and the lapping of the lake's water against a quiet shoreline. A day spent hiking in our Montana mountains offers solitude, pure nature, and the Montana blue skies as your only companions.

Several hiking opportunities originate here at the lodge. Spend the day following cattle and game trails through the canyons and up the hillsides. Ramble along the lake shore, watching for river otters, elk, deer, and water fowl. Travel up the draw and across the ridge to reach the heights of Elk Mountain - and a spectacular view of two mountain ranges, Elk Lake, and the Centennial Valley.

Additional hiking opportunities originate at Hidden Lake. Follow the developed trail along Hidden Lake watching for falcons nesting on the rocky bluffs, river otters and waterfowl on the lake, and small mammals along the trail. Reaching the lake's end, you can continue through the trees to Hoodoo Pass or down Lost Mine Canyon to Goose, Otter and Cliff Lakes.

Want to traverse a more alpine setting? Three trail heads originate in the nearby Centennial Mountains which will take you into the higher mountain reaches. The Odell Creek Trail follows a pretty mountain stream into large bowls surrounded by the rugged Centennials. Follow the Blair Lake Trail to the headwaters of the mighty Missouri as you relish vast mountain vistas or dip your line Lillian or Blair Lake. The Continental Divide Trail - heading into the Centennials, traverses the face of the mountain with expansive views up into the high mountain bowls on Mount Jefferson and impressive vistas looking across the Centennial Valley before dropping you into the red rock-sided Hell Roaring Creek Drainage.

Hiking provides the advantages of an family adventure vacation without the added expense or training required for more rigorous or dangerous sports. If you've got a good pair of shoes, two healthy legs (with at least a moderately healthy body attached), a comfortable day pack, and a water bottle - you're pretty well set for adventure.

Best of all, hiking as a family - or as a couple - has a way of slowing life down and bringing into focus the things that really matter in life. Story after story has been told of families split apart by the business of life - divided by space, time, or circumstances - frustrated by issues simmering under the surface - or just lonely from too much time spent going different directions - who have found healing for their relationships and new ground for building a future on an adventure vacation.

Freedom from the daily grind. Time together without daily 'duties.' Laughing with and at each other. Talking. Playing. Just hanging out together. These are the prescription for renewal. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Schedule a family adventure vacation or couple's retreat in the Montana mountains - Elk Lake Resort is here to make it an enjoyable reality!

As you prepare, we've got a few tips to help. We all know without our feet we're going nowhere. Here's some tips for choosing the proper footware. Even with good shoes, hiking can still take a toll on your feet. Here are some ideas for caring for your feet. And, since we think hiking is a great family adventure, here are some ideas to make hiking with your children even more fun!

Find more family vacation adventure ideas      ♦    Go to our Montana adventure lodge home page

Hiking Specific Websites

5200 Elk Lake Road, Lima, MT 59739
Just 1 Hour From West Yellowstone, Montana
phone: (406) 276-3282 - ♥ - fax: (406) 276-3399
email: Reservations@elklakeresortmontana.com

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