25 Most Beautiful Montana Mountains

Montana is called the "Land of the Shining Mountains" for a very good reason. With 77 named ranges in the Rocky Mountains, a continental divide riding across the state, and more than 100 mountains in the western part of the state, Montana has more than its share of magnificent mountains. Stretched between the Rockies and the Great Plains, Glacier National Park is the biggest tourist attraction in Montana. With so many 12,000+ foot, snow-capped peaks, crystal-clear emerald lakes, old-growth forests, steep mountain trails, and pleasant hiking trails, Montana residents and visitors have a choice to make when planning their outdoor adventure. Photo: ricktravel/Fotolia

Divide Mountain, with the highest peak at 8,665 feet, is located in the Lewis Range of Glacier National Park in Montana, just south of the town of Saint Mary. It forms the border between Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. It is popular among beginner climbers as it is considered an “easy mountain.” Nevertheless, once you are on the top, the views of St. Mary, the Yellow Mountain, and all the higher peaks of the Rockies are worth the effort. If you stay to the right coming from the trailhead at the communication towers, there is a nice slope and you can avoid climbing between the cliffs to get onto the ridge. There are blooming flowers in the season, and no large trees to obscure the view, so vistas were open and magnificent wherever you look. There is an abandoned fire lookout cabin on the top. Photo: dendron/Fotolia

One of the Glacier National Park’s most beautiful mountains, Mount Grinnell is located at the western end of the park’s Many Glacier Area, between Mount Gould and Mount Wilbur. There are several trails to the summit. Coming from the southwest along the Granite Park Chalet Trail, you get fantastic views of the Lake McDonald Area peaks to the west and, in the distance, the Livingston and Lewis ranges. Once you reach the summit, Mount Grinnell provides a vista all the way to Chief Mountain. The elevation gain from the trailhead is 4,550 feet, but you will be going up and down, so the actual round trip is only about 13 miles. Keep in mind that the entire area of Northern Rockies is full of wildlife. There are mountain lions, grizzly bears, and black bears above the tree line. Photo: Sean Xu/Fotolia

At 9,356 feet, Holland Peak is the highest peak in the imposing, rugged Swan Range and the highest peak at the western end of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The whole trip is only about 5 miles long, but in the last 4 miles you will gain 5,000 feet in elevation. It is possible to do it as a day hike with some serious scrambling, more than one vertical rise, and narrow brushy trails. From Holland Peak you can see "The Bob" to the east and the Swan Valley to the west. The west face of the mountain is famous for the sheer vertical rise above the lovely Rumble Creek Lakes. There is a narrow cascade where the upper lake outlet drops to the lower lake. The lakes are full of fish and there are more fishermen than hikers on the mountain. Photo: finnegan/Fotolia

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Flinsch Peak is located in the Lewis Range, about 2.3 miles west of Rising Wolf Mountain. It straddles the Continental Divide. Young Man Lake is located just east of the peak. At 9,225 feet, Flinsch Peak is surprisingly easy to climb from the pass, offering outstanding views of the surrounding mountains. It was named for Rudolf Ernst Ferdinand Flinsch, a young Austrian who came to the mountain in 1892 to hunt mountain goats. North Shore Trailhead is located in Two Medicine Valley and the best time to start the hike is early in the morning. There is very little water above No Name Lake, so bring enough. Photo: wildnerdpix/Fotolia

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At 10,157 feet, Trapper Peak is the highest of the Bitterroot Mountains, about 11.7 miles from Darby, Montana. Trapper Peak is the highest point on the huge ridge between Trapper Creek and Boulder Creek. Most people stop to enjoy the view at the point-of-interest sign a couple of miles south of Darby, but there is a better viewpoint farther south, closer to Connor. Trapper Peak is one of the most-climbed of the Bitterroot Mountains, mostly because it is the highest and probably because it is not hard to climb. There are some boulders to be crossed where using hands becomes necessary, and there is talus close to the summit, but nothing serious. There are a number of trailheads leading to trails of different levels of difficulty and elevation gain, so you can choose which one to take. One of the most challenging is the Trapper Creek Trailhead, which has additional elevation gain, very steep slopes, and an elusive trail. The area around the Trapper Peak summit is a Designated Wilderness. Photo: mbruxelle/Fotolia

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Triple Divide Peak is a 8,020-foot mountain located in the Lewis Range, part of the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park. The Continental Divide runs through these mountains, creating a maritime and continental climate, with an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. The name Triple Divide means that the waters running down from the peak’s sedimentary soil can end up in three different oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, or Arctic Oceans, separated by thousands of miles. It takes about 2 days for the 16-mile out-and-back climb to the top, with almost 3,000 feet of climbing. From the Cut Bank trailhead, the trail goes up gradually along Cut Bank Creek. It continues to climb steadily without switchbacks across the sheer flanks of 9,375-foot Mount James. If you look south toward the Triple Divide Pass, you will see the gorgeous sapphire-blue Medicine Grizzly lake. Photo: miriam_time/Fotolia

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Rising Wolf Mountain is one of the first mountains you see when you enter the Two Medicine area in the southeast end of Glacier National Park. The 9,518-foot-tall mountain is part of the Lewis Range. The climb is a long and hard, but the views from the summit are a true reward, with valleys, summits, and hanging lakes all around you. The hike is only about 10 kilometers long, but the elevation gain is about 4,500 feet, making the difficult off-trail scramble feel much longer. The Blackfeet consider the Two Medicine region of the park to be sacred ground. Photo: kreulen/Fotolia

Although you will gain almost 4,600 feet in elevation, Stanton Mountain, with an elevation of 7,750 feet, is considered an “easy” mountain as far as the Northern Rockies go. It has a nice trail for the first 2.3 miles, and about half a mile of serious bushwhacking, followed by a more open timber area. After that it becomes a steep ascent through some old burn with no shade, then tundra, and finally bare rocks to the summit with spectacular views. There is snow almost until July, so this peak is a nice climb for early season, with a steady, fairly moderate pace, which most experienced climbers can do in about 3 hours. From the summit there is a very nice view of Lake McDonald, and on its edge, Apgar Village. Keep in mind that after you cross a stream early on there is no more water.

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Allen Mountain, elevation 9,376 feet, is located in the Lewis Range of Glacier National Park, north-northwest of Cracker Lake. It is one of the three tallest summits in the Many Glacier Valley. It is a massive mountain, but it does not appear so impressive when you look at it from the eastern shore of Switcurrent Lake, where you get a view of its seriously dramatic neighbors such Mount Wilbur or Grinnell Point. Starting from the Many Glacier Hotel, you will go uphill on a broad mountainside covered in scree, continuing uphill towards very steep cliffs and a nicely rounded sub-8,000-foot summit at the end of a long ridge that leads south to the actual summit. There are several routes to Allen Mountain, depending the level of difficulty you are looking for. One of them is the High Traverse/Great Break Route, which follows a game trail to the beautiful Snow Moon Basin. Photo: kanonsky/Fotolia

Mount Oberlin, at 8,180 feet, is located in the Lewis Range of Glacier National Park, just northwest of Logan Pass, 1 mile from the Continental Divide and north of Clements Mountain. There is a 4-mile-long trail that will gain you an elevation of 1,500 feet. The trail is steep in some places and it will take you up to 7 hours to reach the summit and return. The views are magnificent and you might be lucky enough to spot mountain goats and bears. The Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park, which leads to the trailhead, is an amazing adventure in itself. The trail starts at the base of Logan Pass. The trail is marked with cairns and is easy to follow all the way to the summit. All along it you will have an open view of Mount Gould, the Garden Wall, the Livingston Range, and the Lewis Range.

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Sinopah Mountain, at an elevation of 8,271 feet, is not the highest or most dramatic mountain in the Two Medicine area, but it is considered its jewel and once you see its sheer wall of cliffs forming the background of the emerald-green Two Medicine Lake, you will know why and its breathtaking beauty will stay with you. It is also a popular mountain to climb, and as it is off the regular climbers’ beaten path, it will give you plenty of solitude. It has plenty of good trails and you can also take a ferry to cross the lake, which will cut your walking distance by a few miles. You can hike Sinopah Mountain as an easy day hike, or a serious multi-day trek on the way to other parts of the park. Photo: Wirepec/Fotolia

Crowfeet Mountain, elevation 8,914 feet, is located in the Lewis Range in the Glacier National Park, on a ridgeline south of the Ptarmigan Tunnel. It can be clearly seen from Iceberg Lake. Crowfeet Mountain’s peak looks gently rounded when seen from the west, but almost vertical and rugged from any other point of view. You can usually see it together with two other accessible peaks in the Many Glacier Area: Mount Henkel and Apikuni Mountain. Their wild beauty will take your breath away. Crowfeet’s east face is a 2,000-foot sheer wall and, once you are up, if you dare to peer down, you can see Kennedy Lake. The routes up the Crowfeet are on the west and south-facing slopes, which means they lose their snow fairly early in the season. Photo: wildnerdpix/Fotolia