BIG TIMBER — There's hiking trails for everyone in Big Timber Creek Canyon, located deep inside the Crazy Mountains.
Whether you're looking for a longer trek or a more convenient and condensed route, the options are endless and unbelievably breathtaking.
Watch this video to see the scenery:
The Crazy Mountains are known for their stunning terrain and great trails, and that's why South Dakota resident Cullen Hofkamp made sure to visit while on his backpacking trip in the Northwest.
"It's just incredible," Hofkamp said of the scenery. "It's just unbelievable because it never stops."
Hofkamp was searching for a longer adventure and got off to an early start in order to do so.
"I've been going since about four this morning," Hofkamp said. "I'd say about 15 miles."
The longer treks lead to beautiful and peaceful lakes.
"Just amazing and just beautiful," the 19-year-old Hofkamp said. "I mean, it's perfect weather and you see so much wildlife out here. Every single time you're walking past something, it's worth a picture."
Those scenic lakes were where Anna Heindel was also heading, along with her horse, Cricket, and three dogs.
"The peace and quiet, you can't beat it," Heindel said of her favorite part of the hike. "It's quiet enough out here that you can actually get in touch with yourself again."
And while the higher up lakes are sought after, perhaps the highlight of the canyon is the Big Timber Creek Falls. It's a 100-foot vertical drop, located less than a mile from the trailhead.
For Heindel, every opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with her animals is rewarding.
"It's kind of the whole reason for getting out here," Heindel said. "I love seeing people on the trail, but I also love the solitude. Out here, you get a couple of miles in and you can get hours to yourself."
And that's something Heindel said she's worrying about changing, with the growing trend of the privatization of public lands.
"We've got to keep as much of our public stuff public," Heindel said. "I mean, we can't lose it. Once you lose it, it's gone."
It's just one of the many hiking destinations littered around Montana, and Hofkamp said it easily lived up to his lofty expectations.
"When you're going towards the mountains, it doesn't seem like you can get in there too far," Hofkamp said. "You start going for hours and hours and you just see the beauty of like nothing else. Nothing else."
