Hiking in the Pryors

Hiking in the Pryors. photo by Dick Walton

There are great places to hike in the Pryors.  Unfortunately people who do not already know the Pryors well have a hard time learning where to go.

There are two primary difficulties:

*  Many people do not know how to get to the Pryors.  Roads to the Pryors are poorly signed, and many access roads are unsuitable for people with highway vehicles rather than 4WDs.  We think anyone with a highway vehicle and walking shoes should have an opportunity to enjoy the Pryors.

* Although Custer National Forest provides detailed maps of routes for ATVs and 4WDs, they provide nothing for hikers in the Pryors.  They have designated essentially no hiking trails even though there are 124 miles of designated motorized trails.  Hikers must either hike on motorized routes, or be experienced and ambitious enough to bushwhack cross country.  Visit the Custer National Forest» office in Billings or Red Lodge and ask for information on hiking routes in the Pryors.  Ask them to designate a few trails for non-motorized use only.  Tell us what they say.

We hope to help solve these problems.

Try these hikes:

Cave Ridge Hike

Bear Canyon Hike

Crater Ice Cave / Big Pryor Mountain Trail

Upper Layout Creek Trail