Journey Along a Hiking Trail to a Hidden Montana Ice Cave [PHOTOS]

Montana + ice usually = Glacier National Park.

That or it leads to 'winter thoughts.' We joked last week that Missoula had experienced all four seasons in one week, so it's not uncommon to have some winter with your summer, some fall with your spring, and all the permutations in between.

But when you can start the day in summer, and because of exploration find yourself somewhere that's wintery, that's pretty cool. And there's a trail in Central Montana that creates the same effect.

Montana's Ice Caves Trail

If you want a good solid hike before the warm weather turns fall-like, head to the Ice Caves Trail. This National Forest Trail is a nearly 12-mile loop that's rated "hard" by AllTrails and features a permanent ice cave. So it's "hard" but worth it.

Even though the video is called "Crystal Lake Ice Caves" it appears to be the same place as the Ice Caves Trail because visitmt.com describes the trail as having an "open ridge" that's similar to what you'll see in the photos above or in the video below. The images of the cave itself are the same, too.

The cave is like a smaller version of Lewis and Clark Caverns and Glacier National Park combined. If you want a clearer view of what it's like inside the cave, this short video shows the ice from a different vantage.

The Top Recommendation from People Who Have Hiked the Trail

Many of the reviews on Alltrails.com and the listing at visitmontana.com mentioned bringing water. One hiker recommended two liters per person.

How to Get to the Ice Caves Trail

You'll want to head to Lewistown but then from there, visitmontana.com has specific directions:

• take US Highway 87 north 8.7 miles to Forest Acess sign (Crystal Lake Road).
• Turn left onto Crystal Lake Road (dirt) and go 5.3 miles to a Y intersection.
• Bear left and go 3.9 miles to Recreation Area sign.
• Turn left at sign, continusing on Crystal Lake road and go 12.7 miles to campground.
• Crystal Lake Road various from a narrow two-lane road to single-lane. The last 5.7 miles are pave. - visitmt.com

The best time to visit is in the summer, but don't worry--it's still cold enough in the cave to have ice. This means, as any good Montanan knows, you'll want to wear layers.

Keep scrolling to find more places to explore in Montana.